Lessons from the Playroom

"The intake session isn't about data collection; it's about creating a relationship." - Lisa Dion The intake session is a vital part of play therapy. But it's not all about educating parents about the process and their involvement, it's also about the nervous system - yours and mom and dad's. Podcast Resources: Synergetic Play Therapy Institute Synergetic Play Therapy Learning Website FREE Resources to support you on your play therapy journey Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach to Integrating Intensity * If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcast, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends/fellow colleagues to join us.

"Sleep is the largest separation we go through everyday." - Jessica Schaffer, RPT, Infant Sleep Specialist From the refusal to go to sleep to an inability to stay asleep, a child's tossing and turning speak volumes. But why do some children want to ban the bed? And how does this look inside the playroom? A play therapist who also happens to be a sleep specialist helps us uncover the answers. Podcast Resources: Synergetic Play Therapy Institute Synergetic Play Therapy Learning Website FREE Resources to support you on your play therapy journey Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach to Integrating Intensity * If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcast, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends/fellow colleagues to join us.

"When I think of being outside, I think of free-flowing." - Avery Dion, age 12 Play therapy often happens inside of four walls, but the world outside acts as a co-facilitator. Nature is a powerful force for adults as well as kids. Embracing everything from roots to rocks helps the healing process. Podcast Resources: Synergetic Play Therapy Institute Synergetic Play Therapy Learning Website FREE Resources to support you on your play therapy journey Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach to Integrating Intensity * If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcast, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends/fellow colleagues to join us.

"Emotional flooding is a normal response; it's the shame applied to it that does the damage." - Lisa Dion Emotional flooding is often thought of as a bad thing, but this isn't necessarily true. There is knowledge in the nervous system and wisdom in the body's reaction. Podcast Resources: Synergetic Play Therapy Institute Synergetic Play Therapy Learning Website FREE Resources to support you on your play therapy journey Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach to Integrating Intensity * If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcast, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends/fellow colleagues to join us.

A child uses technology to fulfill a need. We must meet that need before turning off the TV. You can't take away someone's boat without giving them another one." -Lisa Dion Children scream for ice cream and screen time too. But is technology as harmful as many assume or is it a necessity? Does using it mean a child is zoning out or could it mean they're engaging? In this podcast, we discuss why screen time isn't a clear cut issue: inside the shades of gray is a child meeting his or her needs. Podcast Resources: Synergetic Play Therapy Institute Synergetic Play Therapy Learning Website FREE Resources to support you on your play therapy journey Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach to Integrating Intensity * If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcast, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends/fellow colleagues to join us.

"Sand doesn't just help regulate the child; it helps regulate the therapist too." - Lisa Dion There are so many ways to use sand in a play therapy session, but have you ever considered turning your sand tray into a regulation device? The key to this is the right tools. So, shift towards the sifter and explore the many ways sand helps tell us all about the state of the nervous system. Podcast Resources: Synergetic Play Therapy Institute Synergetic Play Therapy Learning Website FREE Resources to support you on your play therapy journey Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach to Integrating Intensity * If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcast, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends/fellow colleagues to join us.

Whether we remember before the age of two or three is still misunderstood and even debated, so understanding the different types of memory helps us understand that memory does indeed exist at early ages. It helps us understand that even if the mind doesn't remember, the body does. Podcast Resources: Synergetic Play Therapy Institute Synergetic Play Therapy Learning Website FREE Resources to support you on your play therapy journey Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach to Integrating Intensity * If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcast, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends/fellow colleagues to join us.

"Maybe the goal is not to calm. Maybe the goal is to connect." Lisa Dion Often, it's our natural inclination to ask children to calm down. This happens inside playrooms, classrooms, and on top of jungle gyms. But is this the best solution? Or should we focus less on the idea of calmness and more on the idea of connection? Podcast Resources: Synergetic Play Therapy Institute Synergetic Play Therapy Learning Website FREE Resources to support you on your play therapy journey Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach to Integrating Intensity * If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcast, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends/fellow colleagues to join us.

"It's not that 'I know better.' It's that 'I know different.'" - Dave Garrison Working with dads in the playroom isn't always the same as working with moms. It takes understanding the psychology of men, learning how to communicate in a way that is meaningful, and proving that you are a partner who doesn't know "better", you just know "different." Podcast Resources: Synergetic Play Therapy Institute Synergetic Play Therapy Learning Website FREE Resources to support you on your play therapy journey Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach to Integrating Intensity * If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcast, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends/fellow colleagues to join us.

"Rejection is one of the most challenging experiences we can have as humans. But behind rejection lies acceptance and growth." - Lisa Dion Rejection is something we look upon negatively, both in the playroom and in our personal lives. But, here's a secret: behind rejection is always, always acceptance. This is one of the many reasons rejection is a boost rather than a barrier. Podcast Resources: Synergetic Play Therapy Institute Synergetic Play Therapy Learning Website FREE Resources to support you on your play therapy journey Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach to Integrating Intensity * If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcast, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends/fellow colleagues to join us.