Lessons from the Playroom
394 episodes - English - Latest episode: 20 days ago - ★★★★★ - 114 ratingsThe Synergetic Play Therapy Institute's “Lessons From the Playroom” Podcasts are a series of recorded podcasts designed to help therapists understand the little lessons that kids teach us that make a big difference in the play therapy process.
Our podcast host, Lisa Dion, LPC, RPT-S, is an innovative and inspiring teacher and pioneer in play therapy. She founder and President of the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute and the creator of Synergetic Play Therapy, a cutting-edge model of play therapy that bridges the gap between neuroscience and psychology. Lisa teaches and supervises all over the world, helping transform the lives of thousands of therapists and children. With these podcasts, she'll teach you practical ways to transform both you and the child clients you work with. These inspiring educational lessons are sure to leave you feeling more confident and excited for your next session!
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Episodes
Lessons from the Playroom Special: The Topic We Don't Study Enough As Therapists
July 25, 2023 08:00 - 46 minutes - 64.8 MBOriginal Air Date: June 07, 2022 Lisa has a really special guest joining her for this episode and they’re doing something different today … It’s time to talk about business! - One of the most important topics we don’t talk much about as therapists. And to help Lisa out with this conversation, she has Jen Taylor who’s going to be interviewing her on her business journey. If you’ve ever wondered about Lisa and her entrepreneurial journey, what it took for her to build the Synergetic Play ...
150. Marshall Lyles: Ableism and Disablism in the Playroom
July 18, 2023 08:00 - 44 minutes - 61.7 MBThe beautiful Marshall Lyles is again joining Lisa Dion for another Lessons from the Playroom episode, but this time to talk about understanding Ableism and Disablism in the Playroom. Marshall Lyles, LMFT-S, LPC-S, RPT-S, EMDRIA Approved Consultant, has 20 years of practice in family play therapy. Drawing on lessons learned from working with attachment trauma in a variety of settings, Marshall regularly teaches on sandtray therapy and family work around the globe. In our opinion, Marshall...
Lessons from the Playroom Special: Working with a Child's Emotional Age in Play Therapy
July 11, 2023 08:00 - 27 minutes - 32.5 MB VideoOriginal Air Date: August 13, 2020 When our clients come to session it is easy to get caught up in thinking that they are their age, when in fact, they are not their age. At least not their chronological age. This episode is dedicated to helping you begin to understand the difference between emotional age and chronological age, a few clues to help you spot emotional age and regression, and how to work with these younger states in both your clients and yourself when they arise in the play r...
149. Annie Monaco: Welcoming Dissociation in the Playroom
July 04, 2023 08:00 - 40 minutes - 55.5 MBIn this episode, we’re talking about a topic that we’ve never discussed, but is such an important topic to our work as play therapists. And that is dissociation. To have this discussion, Lisa has with her the fabulous Annie Monaco. Annie is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Registered Play Therapist, and faculty member of the Child Trauma Institute. With over 20 years of experience, Annie is a global trainer and has a specialty in EMDR Therapy with children and teens, and advanced training ...
Lessons from the Playroom Special: Are Toys Necessary in Play Therapy?
June 27, 2023 13:12 - 24 minutes - 29.2 MB VideoOriginal Air Date: Jan 20, 2021 As a play therapist have you ever experienced this or felt stressed thinking ... *"OMG, I don't have enough toys in the playroom" ... *" I don't have the right kind of toys"... *"I need a certain kind of toy because I work with children who have these issues"... *"I live in a part of the world that doesn't have access to toys"... *Or, "I'm a play therapist, I'm supposed to have toys" In this episode, Lisa asks the question - Are toys really nece...
148. Stacy Jagger: Helping Kids & Families Navigate Screen Time Balance
June 20, 2023 08:00 - 46 minutes - 64 MBWe’re so excited for today’s topic (...it’s definitely a hot topic) and the amazing guest that is joining Lisa. Stacy Jagger is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor (RPT-S), as well as an AAMFT Approved Supervisor. A native of Nashville, Stacy is the founder and clinical director of Music City Family Therapy. She is the author of 30 Day Blackout, as well as the children's book, A Letter from Emma. She’s also a regular guest on the local NBC...
Lessons from the Playroom Special: Behind the Microphone - An Interview with Lisa Dion
June 13, 2023 08:00 - 26 minutes - 32.2 MB VideoThis episode aired on Oct 5, 2020. To her thousands of listeners around the world, Lisa expresses in gratitude, "Thank you for providing me with a sense of home." It's time to turn the tables! For several years, Lisa has shared play therapy knowledge and insights, interviewed special guests and helped create discussion and new learning for clinicians all over the world. But who is this person behind the microphone? In this episode, Lisa is the one in the hot seat as she is interviewed...
147. Where We are Now as an Amazing Play Therapy Field!
June 06, 2023 08:00 - 24 minutes - 33.5 MBSynergetic Play Therapy is celebrating 15 years 🎉 (... and Lisa is also celebrating her birthday this week 🥳) … And it’s a perfect time to reflect on this amazing field of play therapy that we’re all a part of including where we started as a field and where we’re headed (.... yes, there will be a bit of predicting the future happening 🚀✨). Join Lisa as she talks about the journey of the mental health field at large and how that has influenced the play therapy field … how we started with a ...
Lessons from the Playroom Special: Jayson Gaddis: Embracing Conflict in our Personal & Professional Relationships
May 30, 2023 08:00 - 40 minutes - 33.1 MB VideoOriginal Air Date: Aug 30, 2022 Lisa is joined by an incredibly important person in her life - an individual that she is excited to introduce you to (...someone outside the field of play therapy that you may not have heard of) - Jayson Gaddis is an author, podcaster, speaker, “personal trainer for relationships”, and is a global leader on interpersonal conflict and connection. In this episode, Lisa & Jayson explore conflict and how it shows up in all our relationships - the relationships...
146. Attunement: The Heart of the Therapeutic Relationship
May 23, 2023 08:00 - 29 minutes - 40.6 MBJoin Lisa to talk about attunement and how it is such an important part of the therapeutic relationship. But why is it that important you might ask … In our play therapy sessions, we can follow the script, say the right words, go down the therapeutic checklist, but if we are not attuned to our clients (or ourselves), our clients will walk away likely feeling not seen, not felt, and not met by us. So attunement is really the heart of the therapeutic exchange between us and our clients! (...by...
Lessons from the Playroom Special: A Conversation about Self-Esteem in Play Therapy
May 16, 2023 08:00 - 26 minutes - 32 MB VideoOriginal Air Date: Aug 2, 2022 Join Lisa in exploring a topic that is relevant to every single person on the planet and particularly inspired by a conversation Lisa had with her daughter who is now almost 17 years old. In this episode, you're invited to think about self-esteem in a new or different way so you can support your clients at a deeper level when self-esteem is the thing they are struggling with. Learn …. A new reframe on understanding self-worth and how it translates to ou...
145. Rachel Altvater: Perspective: How We Come to See Ourselves, Others & the World
May 09, 2023 08:00 - 48 minutes - 66.9 MBIn this next Lessons from the Playroom episode, we’re going in a totally different direction. Lisa Dion has a very special guest to talk about perspective - a topic we often don’t talk about enough (... or in some cases, at all!) and the significance of it in our work as therapists and as beings walking through the world. Lisa’s special guest is the lovely Dr. Rachel Altvater (Psy.D., RPT-S™). Rachel is an award-winning, pioneering expert, leader, researcher, international trainer, author...
Lessons from the Playroom Special: Eliana Gil: Cultural Issues in Play Therapy
May 02, 2023 08:00 - 48 minutes - 58.3 MB VideoOriginal Air Date: August 31, 2021 What does it really mean to be culturally competent?... To help us kick off the next 100 episodes, Lisa is joined by a truly amazing individual who is a leader in our play therapy field - Dr. Eliana Gil. Likely you have heard of her 😉 ... Dr. Eliana Gil is the founding partner of the Gil Institute for Trauma Recovery & Education. As one of the pioneers for working with trauma in the play therapy field, she's written several books read by countless t...
144. A Discussion on Reflective and Relational Play Therapy Supervision
April 25, 2023 08:00 - 37 minutes - 51.6 MBJoin Lisa Dion for a really important and special conversation about a topic that has never been discussed in this entire podcast series … It's about supervision. And not just any type of supervision, but reflective-relational kinds of supervision. Some of you may likely be engaged in your own supervision and some of you may be supervisors ... you're encouraged to listen to this conversation in whatever way you feel is most meaningful for you. To have this conversation, Lisa has three v...
143. Ann Beckley-Forest: Working with Adoption & Attachment Trauma/Wounding
April 18, 2023 08:00 - 47 minutes - 65.5 MBLisa Dion’s next guest has made quite the name for herself in the world of EMDR Therapy (although this is not a conversation about EMDR Therapy, if you work with the population that we’re talking about today, you might want to consider some EMDR training 😉). Join Ann Beckley-Forest and Lisa in an inspiring conversation … one that is also quite near and dear to Ann’s heart … that will help you conceptualize how to work with children and families when adoption, foster care, or some kind of pla...
Lessons from the Playroom Special: Medical Trauma in Play Therapy
April 11, 2023 11:35 - 25 minutes - 35.6 MBOriginal Air Date: July 17, 2019 Medical trauma can be prevalent for many children who have undergone medical procedures or experienced chronic and acute conditions. And it can show up in the playroom in a variety of ways, including in ways that can lead the therapist to jump to conclusions. Listen in to explore how to not only help children who have experienced this type of trauma but how to minimize future trauma as well. "One of the best ways to reduce medical trauma is by making th...
Lessons from the Playroom Special: Sueann Kenney-Noziska: Working With Childhood Sexual Abuse
April 04, 2023 12:38 - 40 minutes - 55.8 MBOriginal Air Date: December 21, 2021 This has been one of the most requested topics – Working With Childhood Sexual Abuse Lisa Dion is joined by Sueann Kenney-Noziska whose work with sexually abused children and adolescents is absolutely remarkable. In addition to maintaining a full-time private practice, she is internationally recognized as an esteemed author, guest lecturer, and professional speaker (… a phenomenal speaker!). Sueann has been educating therapists, courts, and community...
142. The Impact of Trauma Exposure on Therapists
March 28, 2023 13:13 - 33 minutes - 46.2 MBThis next episode is so unbelievably important (maybe even critical) for you as a therapist to hear … Join Lisa for a conversation about this not so widely discussed topic - the impact of trauma exposure on therapists (or really for anyone in a helping role). As a therapist (or helper of any kind), we've chosen a profession that puts us directly on the frontline. We are required to be right there in the midst of trauma exposure, day-in and day-out, session after session. We’re asked to lis...
Lessons from the Playroom Special: Pre-Teens & Teens in Play Therapy
March 21, 2023 08:00 - 25 minutes - 27.9 MB VideoOriginal Air Date: August 2, 2021 Join Lisa Dion as she demystifies working with pre-teens and teens and shares how to apply your play therapy skill set to this population (hint: you actually don't need to change much of what you're already doing 😉). She'll also tell you the reason that you might feel awkward, not good enough, unsure, and confused as therapists when working with this age group, as well as give strategies and techniques to support the pre-teen and teen to discover their a...
141. Dr. Risë VanFleet: Filial Therapy & Supporting Parents in Becoming the Primary Change Agent
March 14, 2023 08:00 - 48 minutes - 66.8 MBAnother pioneer in the field of play therapy joins Lisa for this next episode. Lisa is super excited to be joined by Dr. Risë VanFleet (learn about her amazing background below*) for a conversation about Filial Therapy and how parents and caregivers can become a change agent for their child. Join Risë and Lisa in this insightful discussion that will enhance your child client’s therapy experience through their relationship with their parent/caregiver and deepen your commitment to the model....
Lessons from the Playroom Special: Giving Children Permission to Feel in Play Therapy
March 07, 2023 09:00 - 24 minutes - 29.9 MB VideoOriginal Air Date: March 30, 2021 Sometimes we think we're feeling when we're not ... Sometimes we think we're creating space for our clients to feel when we're not ... And sometimes we are encouraging avoidance when it's hard to stay in our window of tolerance. Join Lisa in this podcast that's all about reflecting on our own inner experience and understanding this lifelong journey we're all on of learning how to feel at deeper levels so we can help our clients do the same - It's an invi...
140. How to Teach Parents & Caregivers to Become External Regulators
February 28, 2023 09:00 - 25 minutes - 35.3 MBIn this episode, Lisa revisits the topic of parents and caregivers and discusses one of the most commonly asked questions that she is asked - how to support and offer parents and caregivers templates so they can regulate themselves and ultimately regulate with their child when their child is dysregulated. Imagine being able to offer parents in the therapeutic journey co-regulatory moments to help repattern their nervous system and that supports them in being their child’s external regulat...
Lessons from the Playroom Special: Lauren Porter: Yoga & Play Therapy
February 21, 2023 09:00 - 36 minutes - 44 MB VideoOriginal Air Date: January 18, 2022 Lisa Dion’s next special guest is a Certified SPT therapist, coach, mom and yoga instructor. Lisa has known her for years – all the way back to when Lauren worked in Cape Town, South Africa. Listen as Lauren Porter and Lisa talk about how to make Yoga a practice that can support you as a therapist and redefine and unpack yoga in a way that maybe you haven’t considered… …And how getting to know yourself more and experiencing a widening of your windo...
Special: Lauren Porter: Yoga & Play Therapy
February 21, 2023 09:00 - 36 minutes - 50 MBOriginal Air Date: January 18, 2022 Lisa Dion’s next special guest is a Certified SPT therapist, coach, mom and yoga instructor. Lisa has known her for years – all the way back to when Lauren worked in Cape Town, South Africa. Listen as Lauren Porter and Lisa talk about how to make Yoga a practice that can support you as a therapist and redefine and unpack yoga in a way that maybe you haven’t considered… …And how getting to know yourself more and experiencing a widening of your windo...
139. Dr. Robert Jason Grant: AutPlay Therapy - Working with Neurodivergent Children & their Families
February 14, 2023 09:00 - 39 minutes - 54.4 MBDr. Robert Jason Grant, creator of AutPlay Therapy joins Lisa to discuss AutPlay Therapy as an integrative family play therapy approach designed to address the mental health needs of neurodivergent children and their families. Robert Jason Grant is a Licensed Professional Counselor, National Certified Counselor, Registered Play Therapist Supervisor, Consultant, Trainer, and Neurodiversity Advocate. Robert has a deep understanding of sensory differences, Autism, ADHD, implementing play the...
Lessons from the Playroom Special: Translating the Play to Parents/Caregivers
February 07, 2023 09:00 - 23 minutes - 27.8 MB VideoOriginal Air Date: January 4, 2022 Lisa is jumping into another most requested topic – Translating the Play to Parents/Caregivers. In this episode you’ll find out why this can be such a challenge for play therapists, but oh-so important! Learn 4 tips for how to translate the child’s play to parents/ caregivers including how to: Set the stage early on in the process for parents about what they can expect and to honor/protect the confidentiality of what’s going on in the room with the chi...
Special: Translating the Play to Parents/Caregivers
February 07, 2023 09:00 - 23 minutes - 27.8 MB VideoOriginal Air Date: January 4, 2022 Lisa is jumping into another most requested topic – Translating the Play to Parents/Caregivers. In this episode you’ll find out why this can be such a challenge for play therapists, but oh-so important! Learn 4 tips for how to translate the child’s play to parents/ caregivers including how to: Set the stage early on in the process for parents about what they can expect and to honor/protect the confidentiality of what’s going on in the room with the chi...
138. Joyce Mills: StoryPlay® & How Stories Are Medicine for the Soul
January 31, 2023 09:00 - 51 minutes - 71.3 MBLisa has another amazing guest speaker joining her - Dr. Joyce Mills to talk about StoryPlay®, an Ericksonian, resiliency-based, indirective process of Play Therapy that draws upon the natural inner resources, skills, and strengths of each child, adolescent, adult or family member to effect transformational healing, growth, and change. Dr. Joyce C. Mills is a nationally and internationally recognized storyteller, keynote presenter, workshop leader, consultant, trauma specialist, and progra...
Lessons from the Playroom Special: Ana Gomez: EMDR Therapy & Kids
January 24, 2023 09:15 - 45 minutes - 54.8 MB VideoOriginal Air Date: November 9, 2021 This guest, from a young age, wanted to be both a philosopher and a pilot … while life took her down a different path, she has since translated the “mysteries” of EMDR Therapy when working with children for thousands of therapists worldwide … and taken many of her clients on a journey to places within themselves, giving them wings to soar! Ana Gomez is the founder of the AGATE Institute and has focused her career on working with complex and developmen...
137. Duey Freeman: Working with Attachment from the Lens of Equine Assisted Therapy
January 17, 2023 01:00 - 55 minutes - 75.9 MBLisa is joined by an incredibly important person in her life - Duey Freeman, a former professor at Naropa University (Lisa’s alma mater) and founder of the Gestalt Institute of the Rockies and the Gestalt Equine Institute. Duey, a true “elder” (as he is described by many) and mentor in the field of attachment and human development, was Lisa’s former graduate school professor and has been one the most instrumental professors in her career. (see below for Duey's full bio*) Get ready to learn...
Lessons from the Playroom Special: Jen Taylor & Cooperative Games in Play Therapy
January 10, 2023 09:00 - 29 minutes - 41.1 MBOriginal Air Date: February 7, 2020 In this episode, Lisa is joined by special guest Jen Taylor to talk about how to use cooperative games in play therapy and how in the playroom, they are used effectively with siblings and families, reminding each player that it's not about winning; it's about the experience. "The object of the game is not to win; the object of the game is to experience playing for the sake of playing." - Jen Taylor, LCSW, RPT-S *Some of you might be very familiar wit...
136. 3 Types of Relationships That Come Into Play When Working with Parents/Caregivers
January 03, 2023 09:30 - 27 minutes - 37.9 MBJoin Lisa for a discussion to explore three different types of relationships that come into play when working with parents/caregivers … What you’re about to hear will transform your work with parents/caregivers to create a more conscious relationship that honors both you as the therapist and the parents you work with. In this episode, you’ll learn …. The three different types of relationships (... they can actually extend beyond the playroom to any and all relationships); How these dif...
Lessons from the Playroom Special: Sonya Joyce: Healing Touch in Play Therapy
December 27, 2022 09:05 - 31 minutes - 44.1 MBOriginal Air Date: January 15, 2021 Join Lisa Dion and guest Sonya Joyce as they discuss perhaps one of the most important topics in the play therapy process - touch! "Whether we like it or not, touch is a part of the play therapy experience." ... With this in mind, they explore ways to become more mindful and thoughtful about how to bring healing touch to children in the playroom, how to create a neuroception of safety around touch, how to model healthy boundaries and creative ways to b...
135. Cathy Malchiodi: Expressive Arts Therapy & Play for Deeper Trauma Healing
December 20, 2022 09:00 - 50 minutes - 69.2 MBLisa has another really special guest joining her … Dr. Cathy Malchiodi is the Founder & Director of the Trauma Informed Practices and Expressive Arts Therapy Institute. She has done countless presentations around the world and written some amazing books, one that she wrote several years ago is still one of Lisa’s all time favorite books - Understanding Children’s Drawings. Cathy is one of the pioneers in Expressive Arts Therapy. In this episode, you’ll learn what Expressive Arts Therapy ...
Lessons from the Playroom Special: Robyn Gobbel: Working with Parents of Children with Complex Trauma
December 13, 2022 09:00 - 31 minutes - 43.8 MBOriginal Air Date: May 25, 2021 How do we let parents know, that we know, how important they are in their child’s life? How can we stay grounded and connected to ourselves as play therapists when we find ourselves triggered or activated when working with overwhelmed parents? And how can we offer an “I see you” relational experience for parents that are experiencing complex trauma in their family system? Robyn Gobbel joins Lisa in this episode to answer these very questions. Not only do t...
134. Arielle Schwartz: Intergenerational Trauma & Play Therapy
December 06, 2022 09:00 - 42 minutes - 57.9 MBHave you ever wondered what intergenerational trauma can look like when it shows up in a play therapy session? If so, you have also likely wondered what you can do to support both the child and the parent to integrate the trauma. In this episode, Lisa Dion is joined by Dr. Arielle Schwartz (you might know her from the amazing books she’s published including “The Complex PTSD Workbook” or “The Post Traumatic Growth Guidebook), to discuss this very topic. You will learn: What intergenera...
Lessons from the Playroom Special: Marshall Lyles: Integrating Sandtray, Attachment & Trauma
November 29, 2022 09:00 - 40 minutes - 56.4 MBOriginal Air Date: October 12, 2021 In this episode, Lisa is joined by special therapist - a gem 💖 in the play therapy field (and he’s also a poet 😉) … Marshall Lyles joins Lisa in a discussion that brings new thought, new life, and new excitement to processes and things you may have heard about for years. Join Lisa and Marshall in conversation about … The use of Sandtray therapy in healing attachment and trauma; How attachment styles present for clients (and yourself) in the sandtray...
133. The Challenges of Working with Parents & Caregivers
November 22, 2022 09:00 - 29 minutes - 41.1 MBThis time Lisa has again invited two very important people in her life to join her. Two Certified Synergetic Play Therapists both residing in Canada – Helen Ritchie and Kristina Dixon. Join them in this conversation about working through the challenges and dilemmas that we sometimes have as therapists when working with the parents/caregivers. Find out: Why working with parents and caregivers can be more challenging than working just with our child clients. How to overcome some of the ...
Lessons from the Playroom Special: When a Child Doesn't Speak in the Playroom
November 15, 2022 09:30 - 22 minutes - 30.7 MBOriginal Air Date: November 13, 2017 A child’s refusal to speak inside the playroom can leave even the most seasoned therapist flustered. But connecting with clients involves much more than words. Silence can be golden when you know what it means and how to harness it. Join Lisa and find out how supporting a child in their healing process doesn't have to require words. "It's the child really feeling that you're with them that heals them most. Sometimes, that just doesn't require words."...
132. Play Therapy as a Spiritual Practice (Jackie Flynn interviews Lisa Dion)
November 08, 2022 08:00 - 49 minutes - 67.7 MBIn this episode the tables are turned and the lovely Jackie Flynn, host of the Play Therapy Community Podcast/Facebook group and the Neuroscience of Play Therapy Summits, interviews Lisa about how play therapy and being a play therapist has become a spiritual practice for her over the years. Join Lisa and Jackie as they talk about: What spiritual practice means and how doing our own “work” as a therapist can become a spiritual practice; How the playroom is a giant "meditation cushion"...
132: Play Therapy as a Spiritual Practice (Jackie Flynn interviews Lisa Dion)
November 08, 2022 08:00 - 49 minutes - 67.7 MBIn this episode the tables are turned and the lovely Jackie Flynn, host of the Play Therapy Community Podcast/Facebook group and the Neuroscience of Play Therapy Summits, interviews Lisa about how play therapy and being a play therapist has become a spiritual practice for her over the years. Join Lisa and Jackie as they talk about: What spiritual practice means and how doing our own “work” as a therapist can become a spiritual practice; How the playroom is a giant "meditation cushion"...
Lessons from the Playroom Special: How to Recognize Empowerment in the Playroom
November 01, 2022 08:32 - 23 minutes - 31.4 MBOriginal Air Date: March 27, 2017 Therapists are so good at identifying and working with the problem, but are we as trained to also recognize empowerment? In this podcast, Lisa addresses why it can be challenging to recognize when a child is moving into empowerment, and she shares multiple strategies to help you identify when your child clients are overcoming their challenges. "Part of play therapy is widening the child's perspective but also widening our own" - Lisa Dion Podcast Resou...
131. Bonnie Badenoch: What Non-Judgmental Presence Really Looks Like
October 25, 2022 08:00 - 45 minutes - 62.5 MBThe one-and-only Bonnie Badenoch* joins Lisa for this beautiful conversation about non-judgmental presence and how this is so critical in our role as therapists. In this episode, you’ll hear: How, as a profession, we've become concretized into the left hemisphere (e.g., in a movement toward protocols, interventions, and evidence-based therapies) and how this has pulled us more into the role of experts trying to "fix" people; What holding a “non-judgement” presence means; What the “i...
Lessons from the Playroom Special: Lynn Louise Wonders: How to Not Lose Yourself in High Conflict Divorce
October 18, 2022 08:00 - 33 minutes - 44.1 MBOriginal Air Date: July 20, 2021 Lisa is joined by guest Lynn Louise Wonders. Lynn is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Professional Mentor and Supervisor, Career, Parenting and Relationship Coach at Wonders Counseling Services, LLC. She’s an expert in navigating high conflict divorce and custody cases. Listen as Lisa and Lynn Louise discuss how to not get caught in the crossfire of high conflict divorce, what your role is as the child’s therapist, and how to be present for the child so...
130 . Exploring Adlerian Play Therapy with Terry Kottman
October 11, 2022 08:01 - 48 minutes - 66.5 MBLisa’s next guest has so many amazing contributions to the field of play therapy. Terry Kottman is the founder of Adlerian Play Therapy and the League of Extraordinary Adlerian Play Therapists. She is an unbelievably fun and engaging presenter and author who teaches around the world and writes about so many different aspects of play therapy. In 2014, she was granted a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Play Therapy; in 2017, she was given a Lifetime Achievement Award from th...
Lessons from the Playroom Special: The Importance of Studying Different Modalities
October 04, 2022 08:04 - 18 minutes - 24.9 MBOriginal Air Date: October 30, 2017 Play therapy is an evolving field with new ideas around every corner. And each theory - new and old - has something to offer. Seeking knowledge improves your practice and benefits your clients (and yourself). As play therapists, it is important to embrace the idea that growth really never ends. The moment we believe we have figured it out is precisely the moment that we stop growing. "The moment we believe we have figured it out is precisely the moment...
129. Althea T. Simpson: The Magic of Bibliotherapy for Client Healing
September 27, 2022 08:31 - 41 minutes - 56.5 MBWondering what bibliotherapy is or how to incorporate it in your client sessions? Lisa has invited another special guest to talk about using bibliotherapy with kids. Althea T. Simpson is the founder of Brighter Day Therapeutic Solutions and Unicorn Life Training. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor, Certified LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Facilitator, and host of the podcast Chronicles of a Play Therapist. She's all about innovative solutions for mental heal...
Lessons from the Playroom Special: Mirror Mirror on the Wall: The Client is You After All
September 20, 2022 08:00 - 24 minutes - 33.4 MBOriginal Air Date: May 31, 2018 As play therapists, we're often taught to check ourselves at the door. But, when the child's challenges reflect our own, this is difficult for even the most seasoned clinician. What happens when we embrace the mirror and tap into our humanness? You just might experience some of the most powerful sessions when you see yourself in your client's struggle. "The fear of going towards something in the playroom is a reflection of a wound in us that hasn't healed....
128. Regulating the Collective Nervous Systems of Families
September 13, 2022 08:07 - 24 minutes - 33.9 MBIf you’ve ever studied with Lisa, you know she loves talking about the nervous system. And in this episode, she’s going to talk about the collective nervous systems within families and how to help support the regulation of the family system. If you’re just as excited about this topic as Lisa, you’ll definitely want to take notes for this one … Here’s what you’ll hear … How nervous system expressions occur within the context of families; How all behavior (even what we term as dysfunct...
Lessons from the Playroom Special: Nora Alwah: Social Justice in Play Therapy
September 06, 2022 08:01 - 28 minutes - 39.2 MBOriginal Air Date: June 3, 2020 "To overcome systems of oppression that want institutional racism to be invisible, we need to name it! ... And make it explicit!" - Nora Alwah What is social justice? What is oppression? What is intersectionality? Join Lisa Dion and as she invites Nora Alwah, social justice educator and therapist, to explore these questions and offer guidance to therapists on how they can support children and families in ways that create connection, attunement and empow...