Lessons From The Playroom

"The moment we believe we have figured it out is precisely the moment we stop growing" - Lisa Dion 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. 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.

"The important message to our kids: 'All of you is welcome.'" - Lisa Dion Sexual identity and sexual orientation are not discussed often enough in the field of play therapy. But embracing these topics benefits our clients. So does refraining from black and white thinking. After all, children are colorful (and so are we). 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.

"Boredom in the playroom may be a messenger. This turns it from something negative into your greatest friend." -Lisa Dion 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. 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.

"Congruence in the playroom is one of the most important elements in creating safety" - Lisa Dion From fear of the unknown to uncomfortable incongruence, the brain is a worry wart! It's forever on the lookout for external and internal threats. And there are certain things that bother it more than others. 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.

"Everything that happens in the playroom must be linked back to goals" - Lisa Dion From the boardroom to the playroom and everywhere else, setting goals is a vital part of success. But in therapy sessions, the best goals follow certain rules, rules that allow both parent and therapist to see the progress made. After all, it is seeing this progress that acts as a catalyst of encouragement, keeping the parent bought into the play therapy process and the therapist able to celebrate the changes their clients are making. 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 play therapy, children need to know that they're in charge" - Lisa Dion A child wanting to end a session early can rattle even the most seasoned therapist. So how do you handle the situation? In this podcast, Lisa Dion discusses how to recognize flooding, return a child to their window of tolerance, and why ending a session doesn't need to end the relationship. Come learn with us! .... for recorded play therapy training webinars for Non-Contact CE hours, introductory level SPT courses, the SPT Certification program, and free webinars to support you on your life's journey join us here: https://learn.synergeticplaytherapy.com

"Game act as metaphors, providing insight into a child's feelings" - Lisa Dion From Candyland’s Gum Drop Mountain to the rungs of Chutes and Ladders, games in play therapy are more than a race to the finish line. They provide us with direct insight into the minds and nervous system states of our child clients. Learn some tips on how to make games in your play therapy sessions more than about just winning and losing. Come learn with us! .... for recorded play therapy training webinars for Non-Contact CE hours, introductory level SPT courses, the SPT Certification program, and free webinars to support you on your life's journey join us here: https://learn.synergeticplaytherapy.com

"We can work with parents to help them find a clear explanation that helps soothe their child’s potential anxiety and helps minimize apprehension." Talking to kids about why they are going to play therapy isn’t always easy. As play therapists, we can work with parents to help them find a clear explanation that helps soothe their child’s potential anxiety and helps minimize apprehension. Not only does it teach kids what to expect, but it also helps the parent get on board. Come learn with us! .... for recorded play therapy training webinars for Non-Contact CE hours, introductory level SPT courses, the SPT Certification program, and free webinars to support you on your life's journey join us here: https://learn.synergeticplaytherapy.com

"Find the wisdom. Find the blessing. Learn from your clients and allow them to be your teachers" - Lisa Dion It's easy to have gratitude for the good things in our lives, but what about the challenges? In this podcast, you'll learn how appreciation can widen your window of tolerance and open your heart. You'll also learn that clients come into our playrooms for a reason. Come learn with us! .... for recorded play therapy training webinars for Non-Contact CE hours, introductory level SPT courses, the SPT Certification program, and free webinars to support you on your life's journey join us here: https://learn.synergeticplaytherapy.com

"Play therapy is like a secret code that therapists know how to dissect" - Avery, age 11 Kids say the darndest things and they also ask the best questions. Join Lisa as she's interviewed by her eleven-year-old daughter, Avery. Listen in as they go back and forth discussing the power of play and hear Avery's advice to all play therapists. Come learn with us! .... for recorded play therapy training webinars for Non-Contact CE hours, introductory level SPT courses, the SPT Certification program, and free webinars to support you on your life's journey join us here: https://learn.synergeticplaytherapy.com  

Voicing the toy is an important part of play therapy, but it’s the child’s voice that should prove loudest. In this podcast, Lisa offers tips on helping the child stay engaged in their process. She explains why sticking to the facts helps both client and therapist experience a session that sticks as well. Come learn with us! .... for recorded play therapy training webinars for Non-Contact CE hours, introductory level SPT courses, the SPT Certification program, and free webinars to support you on your life's journey join us here: https://learn.synergeticplaytherapy.com  

How do we help kids transition at the end of a play session? How do we help them face the unknown? Find out in this week's podcast. It’s hard to say goodbye, especially for children! How do you help kids transition at the end of a play session? How do you help them transition at the conclusion of therapy altogether? How to you help them face the unknown? In this podcast, Lisa addresses why parting is sweet sorrow and how to help children accept change. Come learn with us! .... for recorded play therapy training webinars for Non-Contact CE hours, introductory level SPT courses, the SPT Certification program, and free webinars to support you on your life's journey join us here: https://learn.synergeticplaytherapy.com

Setting boundaries in the playroom can be quite the confusing process! When to set them? How to set them? Why to set them? Is it important to set them? These are just a few of the questions that Lisa will address in this podcast to help shed some light on this important topic. Come learn with us! .... for recorded play therapy training webinars for Non-Contact CE hours, introductory level SPT courses, the SPT Certification program, and free webinars to support you on your life's journey join us here: https://learn.synergeticplaytherapy.com  

"Our playrooms should be rooms that allow children to explore a range of emotion." - Lisa Dion Did you know that your playroom is a reflection of you? What you put in it and how you set it up is information to the child about where you are willing to go emotionally and what is happening in your own nervous system! Join Lisa as she discusses what your playroom says about you and explores some of the most essential toys to have in it and ideas about how to set it up. Come learn with us! .... for recorded play therapy training webinars for Non-Contact CE hours, introductory level SPT courses, the SPT Certification program, and free webinars to support you on your life's journey join us here: https://learn.synergeticplaytherapy.com

"Part of play therapy is widening the child's perspective but also widening our own" - Lisa Dion 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. Come learn with us! .... for recorded play therapy training webinars for Non-Contact CE hours, introductory level SPT courses, the SPT Certification program, and free webinars to support you on your life's journey join us here: https://learn.synergeticplaytherapy.com

"If you learn how to regulate your nervous system in a different way, you can avoid compassion fatigue" - Lisa Dion Have you ever gone home at the end of the day only to realize that you can’t stop thinking or dreaming about your clients? Once home, have you found yourself agitated or highly fatigued and not sure why? Chances are your clients came home with you! In this episode, we explore what happens when we take our clients energetically home with us and what to do so that we can leave our clients in the playroom. Come learn with us! .... for recorded play therapy training webinars for Non-Contact CE hours, introductory level SPT courses, the SPT Certification program, and free webinars to support you on your life's journey join us here: https://learn.synergeticplaytherapy.com  

"You are the most important toy in the playroom" - Lisa Dion Without learning about ourselves as the most important toy, we miss part of the magic in the playroom and we miss understanding how play therapy actually works. In this podcast, we'll explore why not recognizing our own internal states cuts off access to a deeper level of intuitive knowledge available to us during the play and leaves us missing out on the ability to fully connect with the child. Come learn with us! .... for recorded play therapy training webinars for Non-Contact CE hours, introductory level SPT courses, the SPT Certification program, and free webinars to support you on your life's journey join us here: https://learn.synergeticplaytherapy.com