What does play therapy look like beyond childhood?

In this episode, Lisa is joined by Tara McDonald and Karen O'Neill of PIP Solutions UK to explore how play therapy can support healing across the lifespan. Together, they discuss how play adapts from infancy through adulthood, the importance of creating safety around play for older clients, and the powerful role of symbolic repair in psychotherapy.

This conversation invites clinicians to expand their understanding of play, embrace developmentally responsive approaches, and recognize the healing potential of play at any age.

✨ Tara and Karen will also be hosting Lisa for a 3-day in-person Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy program in October 2026 in Solihull, UK. https://pipsolutions.co.uk/courses/an-introduction-to-synergetic-play-therapy/

Original Air Date: February 20, 2024

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 dysregulation in our body is information about the congruency of our decisions." – Lisa Dion

How do you know if a decision is truly aligned with who you are?

In this episode, Lisa explores how our nervous system offers critical information about the congruency of our choices. Moving beyond logic alone, you're invited to integrate left-brain reasoning with right-brain awareness to make decisions that feel grounded, authentic, and whole in this New Year.

This episode isn't just about therapy—it's about learning how to plan, reflect, and choose in ways that honor both the mind and the body. Lisa unpacks how to recognize when a decision is aligned, why discomfort doesn't automatically mean something is wrong, and how releasing the idea of "good" or "bad" decisions can open the door to greater clarity and self-trust.

Original Air Date: January 5, 2021

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: June 12, 2019

"When it comes to giftedness, one of the most important things to focus on is how these children manage their internal worlds." – Lisa Dion

Gifted children are undeniably bright, but their intellectual abilities come with unique emotional and regulatory challenges. In this episode, Lisa Dion explores the nuances of working with gifted children in play therapy, highlighting how self-imposed high standards, perfectionism, and intense inner expectations can lead to boredom, frustration, or anxiety.

What You'll Learn:

• How gifted children differ from highly intelligent children in their emotional and regulatory needs
• The impact of self-imposed standards on their emotional well-being
• Strategies to help gifted children navigate and manage their internal worlds
• Practical ways to support creativity, curiosity, and self-regulation in the playroom

Tune in for insights and practical approaches to help gifted children thrive emotionally, socially, and intellectually, while honoring their unique inner experiences.

Additional Resources:

💜 Learn more about Synergetic Play Therapy: Visit our website for courses, resources, and certification opportunities

📚 Explore Our Books and Read Aggression in Play Therapy

✨ SPT Foundation: Learn more about its mission, team, and initiatives

🔗 Follow us on Instagram

🔗 Find us on Facebook

Original Air Date: May 29, 2019

"Every family has both peace and war, dysregulation and regulation, support and challenge." – Lisa Dion

Parents often wish for a home without arguments, but sibling rivalry is an inevitable—and often valuable—part of childhood. In this episode, Lisa Dion explores how conflicts between siblings can be opportunities for learning, growth, and empowerment.

What You'll Learn:

• Why disagreement is a natural and important part of sibling relationships
• How conflicts can foster emotional regulation, problem-solving, and resilience
• Strategies to support children in navigating sibling dynamics without taking sides
• Ways to help families embrace both harmony and healthy conflict as part of a balanced household

Tune in to gain insight into the sibling dynamic and learn how to turn inevitable conflicts into meaningful opportunities for development and connection.

Additional Resources:

💜 Learn more about Synergetic Play Therapy: Visit our website for courses, resources, and certification opportunities

📚 Explore Our Books and Read Aggression in Play Therapy

✨ SPT Foundation: Learn more about its mission, team, and initiatives

🔗 Follow us on Instagram

🔗 Find us on Facebook

Original Air Date: January 02, 2024

Get ready to embrace the playful—and profound—world of villains in therapy! In this episode, Lisa Dion is joined by the amazing Maria Laquerre Diego, LMFT, RPT-S, as they explore how villain characters can offer clients a unique lens to understand themselves, their struggles, and their identities.

Together, they dive into why villains aren't "bad" or diagnosable, how heroes rely on their counterparts, and how children often see reflections of themselves in both roles.

What You'll Learn:

• Why villains are complex characters with their own narratives and motivations
• The indispensable role villains play in our lives and personal growth
• How perspective shapes our labeling of heroes and villains, challenging binary thinking
• The connection between a child's self-perception and their attraction to hero or villain characters
• Practical tools, including sand tray figures and dress-up items, to explore duality in therapy
• How to follow the client's lead, honoring their expertise in identifying with heroes or villains

This episode encourages curiosity, self-reflection, and celebration of all the parts within us. Join Lisa and Maria to challenge binary thinking and discover how understanding both heroes and villains can enrich your play therapy practice and personal growth.

Additional Resources:

💜 Learn more about Synergetic Play Therapy: Visit our website for courses, resources, and certification opportunities

📚 Explore Our Books and Read Aggression in Play Therapy

✨ SPT Foundation: Learn more about its mission, team, and initiatives

🔗 Follow us on Instagram

🔗 Find us on Facebook

Original Air Date: November 28, 2023

In this groundbreaking episode, Lisa Dion is joined by Ludmila (Mila) Golovine, CEO and President of MasterWord Services, to explore a topic rarely addressed in play therapy: working with interpreters.

Interpreters play a critical role in helping children heal, but their experience and the challenges they face are often overlooked. Lisa and Mila dive deep into how therapists can collaborate effectively with interpreters to create safe, attuned, and trauma-informed play therapy sessions.

What You'll Learn:

• The role of the interpreter and how to honor the client's preferred language
• Recognizing cues in sessions when a child speaks their primary language or the language of their trauma
• Supporting both the child and interpreter as external regulators during trauma processing
• Setting boundaries that protect interpreters' window of tolerance and emotional safety
• Why family members should not act as interpreters
• Navigating cultural and language differences, non-verbal cues, and possible session ruptures
• Understanding attribution bias and its impact on client-therapist-interpreter relationships
• Practical strategies for attuned collaboration that promote healing for children

Mila also shares trauma-informed resources for interpreters and offers actionable guidance for therapists working with children across languages and cultures.

This episode is essential listening for therapists committed to inclusivity, attunement, and best practices in cross-linguistic play therapy. Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and tools to navigate these complex and critical sessions. 💕

Additional Resources:

💜 Learn more about Synergetic Play Therapy: Visit our website for courses, resources, and certification opportunities

📚 Explore Our Books and Read Aggression in Play Therapy

✨ SPT Foundation: Learn more about its mission, team, and initiatives

🔗 Follow us on Instagram

🔗 Find us on Facebook

Original Air Date: April 17, 2019

"Twins are master co-regulators but also susceptible to losing themselves. The key is to help them find the 'I' in 'we.'" – Lisa Dion

Twins may be nature's "2-for-1 deal," but being a twin—or working with twins—comes with unique challenges that singletons rarely face. In this episode, Lisa Dion (a fraternal twin herself) is joined by Susan Stutzman (mother of identical twins) to explore the joys and complexities of supporting twins in the playroom.

What You'll Discover:

• How twins regulate each other and what happens when they struggle to find individuality
• Strategies for helping twins navigate separation anxiety and establish their own identities
• Insights from both personal and professional perspectives, bridging lived experience with play therapy expertise

Tune in for a heartfelt and informative conversation about honoring the unique dynamics of twins while supporting their growth, self-expression, and emotional well-being.

Additional Resources:

💜 Learn more about Synergetic Play Therapy: Visit our website for courses, resources, and certification opportunities

📚 Explore Our Books and Read Aggression in Play Therapy

✨ SPT Foundation: Learn more about its mission, team, and initiatives

🔗 Follow us on Instagram

🔗 Find us on Facebook

Original Air Date: June 28, 2019

"It isn't about being a parent or not. It's about showing up in the playroom and being real." – Lisa Dion

Being both a parent and a play therapist comes with unique insights—but it doesn't automatically provide all the answers in the playroom. In this episode, Lisa explores the benefits and challenges of navigating these dual roles, highlighting why every parent—and every child—is different.

Tune in to discover:

• How parenthood can inform your work with children
• Why having children doesn't equal having all the answers in therapy
• Ways to show up authentically in the playroom, regardless of your parenting experience

This episode is a thoughtful exploration of balancing personal and professional perspectives, helping therapists connect more deeply with the children they serve.

Additional Resources:

💜 Learn more about Synergetic Play Therapy: Visit our website for courses, resources, and certification opportunities

📚 Explore Our Books and Read Aggression in Play Therapy

✨ SPT Foundation: Learn more about its mission, team, and initiatives

🔗 Follow us on Instagram

🔗 Find us on Facebook

Original Air Date: November 7, 2023

Join Lisa Dion as she dives into a topic we all experience—therapists, parents, children—negative self-talk. Despite the countless affirmations we try, negative self-talk refuses to go away. But what if it wasn't meant to?

In this perspective-shifting episode, Lisa explores the purpose behind negative self-talk and how it can actually support us.

What You'll Learn:

• How negative self-talk shows up in thoughts like "I should," "I shouldn't," and "I'm not good enough"
• Why positive affirmations alone often don't work
• The surprising function of negative self-talk and what it's really trying to do
• The neuroscience behind it as a homeostatic mechanism in the mind
• Shifts in understanding depression and the role of negative self-talk
• Strategies to honor yourself while working with your inner critic
• How negative self-talk can become an ally in your journey toward authenticity

Tune in to gain a new perspective on your inner dialogue and discover how understanding negative self-talk can help you navigate life with wisdom, self-compassion, and authenticity. 💕

Additional Resources:

💜 Learn more about Synergetic Play Therapy: Visit our website for courses, resources, and certification opportunities

📚 Explore Our Books and Read Aggression in Play Therapy

✨ SPT Foundation: Learn more about its mission, team, and initiatives

🔗 Follow us on Instagram

🔗 Find us on Facebook

Original Air Date: October 24, 2023

In this captivating episode, Lisa Dion is joined by three incredible colleagues—Michelle Wayman, Mili Shoemaker, and Lisa Walton—from Argentina, Australia, and the United States. Together, they explore a fascinating question: why do therapists attract the clients they do?

Have you noticed patterns in your caseload, with clients showing up who reflect similar struggles or challenges? Lisa and her guests dive into how these connections are far from random. Clients often act as mirrors, reflecting parts of our own experiences and guiding us toward self-discovery and growth.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Why the clients who enter our therapy spaces are not random and what they reveal about our own journeys
• How clients serve as teachers, mirroring experiences we might be avoiding or haven't yet integrated
• Why countertransference can be embraced as a tool for deeper understanding and connection
• How awareness of these patterns can transform your practice, infusing it with curiosity, self-awareness, and deeper opportunities for co-regulation and healing

This episode is a heartfelt reminder that clients are more than recipients of therapy—they are guides and mirrors helping us illuminate where we need to grow, heal, and show up more fully. Tune in to explore how understanding these connections can enrich both your professional practice and personal journey. 💕

Additional Resources:

💜 Learn more about Synergetic Play Therapy: Visit our website for courses, resources, and certification opportunities

📚 Explore Our Books and Read Aggression in Play Therapy

✨ SPT Foundation: Learn more about its mission, team, and initiatives

🔗 Follow us on Instagram

🔗 Find us on Facebook