Lessons from the Playroom

Original Air Date: July 5, 2022 We're resharing this fabulous conversation between Lisa and Carmen Jimenez-Pride to talk about Internal Family Systems (IFS) and how to incorporate it in the playroom! In this episode, Carmen, a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor and an Internal Family Systems therapist herself, shares how the Internal Family Systems framework  offers a really cool way to hold the client’s experience in the playroom, as well as our experience as therapists. Whether you are or aren’t familiar with IFS, you will definitely want to have a listen!  Here’s a few things you’ll hear discussed in this conversation:  What IFS looks like in the playroom and for our child clients; How to help your clients build a relationship with all parts of themselves (e.g., exiles, protectors, and firefighters); How to support the client in fully embracing all aspects of themselves and the experiences that made them who they are;  How to share the IFS work with parents/caregivers and how to help parents understand their own parts and protective systems;  How to recognize our parts as therapists and how they can show up in the playroom as well; and One of the biggest lies that play therapists may tell themselves and how this can be so challenging to our own emotional wellbeing. Plus, you’ll hear a funny story about Carmen … how she did not want to be a therapist - What?!  And how she did end up starting her clinical and play therapist journey. On behalf of the field, thanks Carmen for going this direction and all you've been doing for communities, families and kids!  You’re such an inspiration to so many! *Don’t know Carmen yet? …. She’s the founder and Executive Director of Outspoken Counseling and Consulting and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Registered Play Therapist Supervisor, Certified EMDR Therapist, Internal Family Systems Therapist, Registered Yoga Teacher, Registered Children Yoga Teacher, Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator, and LEGO® Serious Play® Facilitator. She’s an international speaker, award-winning best-selling author, and business consultant, as well as a visionary in the play therapy community. You may also recognize her for creating the Diversity in Play Therapy Summit, which has brought together so many brilliant minds working to effect change within the practice of play therapy by increasing cultural awareness and cultural competence for healers working with diverse populations. 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.

In this episode, Lisa and Robyn Gobbel talk about a topic never discussed before on this podcast and super important for us as clinicians working with kids ... They're talking about the brain (...Robyn loves to talk about the brain), and more specifically how to teach kids about the brain.  But first, we're so excited to announce Robyn's new book coming out this month, Raising Kids with Big Baffling Behaviors: Brain-Body-Sensory Strategies that Really Work!! Weaving together relational neuroscience with practical ideas and application, Robyn has created the ultimate guide for parents who would love to understand and ultimately transform their children's challenging behaviors into safety and connection (... guaranteed, after listening to this episode, you're going to want to go get your copy today!). Robyn also gets the reward for favorite bio that Lisa has ever read ... see below for Robyn's bio (... it really gives you a sense of her awesomeness) and a link to her website to learn about her new book and so many helpful resources for you as a clinician and when supporting caregivers - she’s truly creating something very unique, very special, and very extraordinary.  Enjoy this fun and engaging podcast about teaching kids about the brain (... because sometimes, as clinicians we think, oh yeah, that's a good idea, but we don't always know how to actually go about doing it), as well as how to empower kids and grown-ups to understand their brain and themselves more fully.  In this episode, you’ll hear: A discussion about the importance of understanding the brain and its impact on behavior. How Robyn’s own experience with learning about the brain transformed her life and relationships. Strategies for introducing the topic of the brain to children, including visual aids and creating a safe space for curiosity (... including introduction to the concept of the Watchdog and Possum brain pathways as a way to explain brain functions to kids, as well as the importance of the Owl pathway for safety, connection, and presence). How children’s baffling behaviors stem from a longing for safety and connection. How to involve caregivers in the therapeutic process and help them to understand and recognize their child(ren)’s behaviors from a neurological perspective.  Listen to this super insightful episode that will encourage curiosity in yourself, support you in your work with caregivers and help them to understand their child(ren)’s behaviors with the same curiosity and understanding, and a deeper appreciation for how ALL children’s behaviors make so much sense. *Robyn Gobbel, MSW, loves coffee, P!NK, and everything about the brain. Once (recently!) her teenager went ballistic on her for getting ANOTHER (glitter!) coffee mug in the mail. Robyn loves cultivating deep, resonant connections with anyone who is up for it, and is especially fond of all the grown-ups in the world who love and care for kids impacted by trauma- helpers, healers, educators, and parents.  Her favorite thing ever (besides glittery coffee mugs) is teaching anyone who will listen to harness the power of neuroscience so they can cultivate deep, resonant connections. What would change in the world if we could all do that? To see, be with, feel, and deeply know each other…and ourselves. Robyn thinks everything could change.  You can get your hands on all sorts of free resources at www.RobynGobbel.com, including her podcast, The Baffling Behavior Show. Robyn is the author of Raising Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors: Brain-Body-Sensory Strategies that Really Work (September 2023). Get Robyn's book, Raising Kids with Big Baffling Behaviors here: https://robyngobbel.com/book. 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.  

Original Air Date: February 1, 2022 OMG! - the synergy between Lisa and this guest is … well, let’s just say, it’s like getting an opportunity to eavesdrop on a beautiful conversation between two brilliant minds! (... and we just couldn't help share this podcast episode again :) Kim Barthel is an award winning Occupational Therapist, teacher, and best-selling author who has successfully merged play, Polyvagal Theory and Sensory Processing. Tune in and discover: *Ways to more deeply understand the body, nervous system activation, and what it looks like in your client; *How to truly understand a child client’s behavior at a deeper level (hint: it has to do with perception and body movement); *How to visibly identify confirmation that something has integrated in the child (e.g., their moments of empowerment or deep connection to themselves); *The biggest misunderstanding about the autonomic nervous system; and *What regulation truly means, how it’s connected to the body, and ideas for how to regulate more through your own body. Listen to today's episode and “geek out” with Lisa and Kim on a topic that they both love dearly - Learn how to safely help a child be in their “vessel” and to access a more flexible, adaptable, socially connected, engaged, and playful response through the body. *Kim Barthel's mission is to support the conscious evolution of the human spirit. Kim is an award-winning occupational therapist, multi-disciplinary teacher and best-selling author who is active in supporting people in many contexts globally. She is passionate about understanding complex behavior, neurobiology, trauma-sensitive practice, attachment and mental health. Kim has 37+ years of practice in helping people to be their best selves. Join her for her online series - Trauma-Sensitive Practice. 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.

Often, when we think about boundaries, we imagine a list of rules and restrictions like: you can’t do this, you can do this, and if you don’t do this, this is going to happen. But this isn’t actually the essence of a boundary and it’s not what the boundary is designed for.  Setting boundaries is actually a courageous act that requires self-awareness and self-love. It's about prioritizing your own well-being and honoring your own needs. And by understanding the importance of boundaries, we can navigate relationships and maintain our connection to ourselves. Join Lisa in this episode where you’re invited to embrace a more flexible approach to boundaries … but we get it - even the words "flexible" and "boundary" may seem contradictory to you right now.  Here’s what you’ll learn:  Why boundaries are flexible and can change from moment to moment; How setting boundaries is about taking responsibility for ourselves, not controlling others; How to recognize the clues (in our bodies) that tell us when it’s time to set a boundary;  Why nervous system work is essential for boundary work; Different ways to set boundaries, such as redirecting, being honest, or removing oneself from the situation; Why rejection often makes setting boundaries challenging (... and when we don’t set a boundary, how it’s a form of self-rejection);  Why sometimes perceived deal breakers aren’t actually deal breakers; and How to translate this more relational-boundary setting into our work as clinicians. Tune in to this episode and discover how honoring your boundaries not only allows for connection and maintains relationships, but is a deep act of self-love and acknowledgement of your own worthiness. ✨ 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.

Original Air Date: April 26, 2022 In this Lessons from the Playroom podcast from August 2022, Lisa clarifies one of the biggest misconceptions out there right now for parents and therapists - that regulation means being CALM. ...You’ve likely heard the idea that a child needs a calm adult in order to regulate - that in order to regulate, the adult needs to be and stay calm - or that an adult's "calm" presence is the answer to regulating a child when they are dysregulated. But if you’ve ever tried to truly stay calm when a child is activated, screaming, throwing a tantrum, doing something scary, or even shutting down and withdrawing, you know that it's actually really hard to be or stay calm (... nearly impossible) because inside you’re likely feeling your own activation and states of dysregulation.   So what do we do instead? ....  Join Lisa is this discussion and learn: What regulation is and what it isn't (defining regulation in relation to the autonomic nervous system); How to access our ventral state in the midst of a child's dysregulation; What regulation (and co-regulation) really looks like in the moment (... hint: it's not to calm them down or try to look calm as the adult to calm them down); Why regulation is not better than dysregulation (calm is not better than mad or anxious for example) - it's all information and both are necessary for integration and learning how to regulate; How the impulse to get a child to "calm down" has very little to do with the child and everything to do with us and our inability in the moment to access our ventral state; The key to not setting ourselves up for shame and helplessness as parents/caregivers and therapists when our children or child clients are dysregulated, flooded, and overwhelmed;  A new definition of emotional intelligence and a new way to cultivate emotional intelligence for children by helping them connect to themselves and access their ventral in the midst of all that activation.  Let's put the word "calm" in the drawer for a little while ... Not forever because calm is an important state of the nervous system and just as important as all the other ones ... But just for a little while because we've become overly attached to the word...  … And consider replacing "calm" with the word "connect." - To connect to ourselves in our own moments of dysregulation and when we're with a child that is starting to get activated and dysregulated. And next time we read or hear something that says a child needs a calm adult when they're having a hard time or are dysregulated, pause for a second and understand that what a child really needs is an adult that can connect to ventral, to themselves, be honest about their internal experience, not need to runaway from it, but knows how to be in it without losing themselves - not for the adult to pretend they are calm when inside they're having a really challenging time.  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.

Dr. Jodi Mullen, a professor and play therapist, discusses sexualized play with insightful topics including red flags and themes in therapy, discerning medical trauma vs. sexualized trauma, and discussing suspicions of sexual abuse with parents.

Original Air Date: August 23, 2019 The brain is a high maintenance organ, one that wants a challenge! In order to stay passionate in our careers as play therapists, we must give the brain the growth it craves. But we must give ourselves permission too – the permission to be ourselves and pursue what inspires us. "We all have deep within us the desire to pursue something that inspires us. We have a natural desire to evolve and grow" - Lisa Dion 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.

Lisa is joined by another very very special guest, Gabriel (Gabe) Lomas, to cover a topic that has never been addressed on this podcast (...and very rarely at a play therapy conference) …  Understanding and working with deaf children in the playroom.  Gabe is a professor and Program Director of Counseling Programs at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC. He’s been an RPT-S for many years and is the immediate past president of the New York branch of the Association for Play Therapy. Gabriel has performed assessment and treatment in over 2000 child welfare cases, including hundreds involving deaf children or deaf parents. He is the co-editor of the book “Deaf People in the Criminal Justice System: Selected Topics on Advocacy, Incarceration and Social Justice.” As well as many journal articles and book chapters in the field of counseling and psychology. He is a popular expert witness in courts across the nation where he consults on issues related to assessment and deaf people. Amazing! Here’s what you can expect in this podcast episode:  What we need to understand about children who are deaf and how these children can be easily misunderstood; Some of the challenges that arise for children as a result of being deaf including impact in the parent-child relationship and on emotional development; How deaf children deserve to be spoke to in a language that makes sense to them; How play therapy can build a bridge for greater understanding of children who are deaf including understanding perceptions of themselves and their world;  How to join the world of a deaf child in a play therapy session and offer the child a felt sense of being understood and seen; and What we can be aware of in terms of advocating for children who are deaf to be heard and get the support and services that they need.  Listen to this beautiful episode that will give a sense of what the world is like for a child who is deaf and how we can more fully support and advocate in our role as therapists, parents, educators, etc.; hear several case examples from Gabriel’s own life experiences working as a play therapist and in child welfare; and stay tuned to the end to find out what Gabriel thinks are the superpowers of children who are deaf. 💖 * For a video recording with subtitles, please visit our website: https://synergeticplaytherapy.com/152-gabriel-lomas-working-with-deaf-children-in-the-playroom/  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.

Original Air Date: October 1, 2017 Boredom in the playroom is something most therapists experience  - from an unyielding yawn to counting the ticks of a slow-moving clock, we've all found ourselves less than enthused in one session or another. But boredom isn't always a negative thing. Sometimes, it's a gentle reminder that it's time to grow. "Boredom in the playroom may be a messenger. This turns it from something negative into your greatest friend." -Lisa Dion 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.

Lisa Dion has with her an extraordinary guest, Dr. Dee Ray to talk about an incredibly important topic for us as play therapists, Multiculturalism in Play Therapy (...  if you don’t already have Dee’s book, Multicultural Play Therapy, we hope you’ll go buy it by the end of this podcast. It’s a must-have for every therapist that works with kids!)  Dee Ray, Ph.D., LPC-S, NCC, RPT-S is Regents Professor and Elaine Millikan Mathes Professor in Early Childhood Education in the Counseling Program and Co-Director of the Center for Play Therapy at the University of North Texas. She has published over 150 articles, chapters, and books in the field of play therapy. Dr. Ray is a founding board member and past president of the Association for Child and Adolescent Counseling, as well as current board chair of the Association for Play Therapy. Dr. Ray also co-created and oversees the international certification program for Child-Centered Play Therapy and Child-Parent Relationship Therapy, as well as currently operates the counseling practice, EmpathyWell, in Highland Village, TX where she facilitates play therapy, training, and supervision. In this episode, you’ll learn:  What multicultural play therapy is and what it means to be  culturally-inclusive play therapist; What cultural humility is and how it is the cornerstone for cultural opportunity; Some of the barriers and fears that prevent us from connecting fully with ourselves and our child clients; What to do when a rupture occurs in our relationship with our client (...guaranteed to happen) and how to bring in cultural humility and cultural comfort to create cultural opportunity; How to develop a more multicultural orientation when working in the context of the family system or working with parents/caregivers; and What research says about a multicultural playroom and how to extend multiculturalism to your play therapy room. Enjoy this incredibly important discussion that we hope you’ll then share with whomever you feel like could also benefit from learning more about multiculturalism in play therapy. Let’s all bring multiculturalism more into our playrooms!  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.