In this especially important episode, we shine a spotlight on the harrowing issue of child sex trafficking and explore how we can support the young survivors of this modern-day slave trade. Join Lisa for a deeply insightful conversation with Alejandro (Alex) Castro Croy, a bilingual, bicultural Trauma and Addiction Counselor, and the owner/Lead Clinician of Transcending Consulting Group in Denver, Colorado.

Alex brings his extensive experience from training law enforcement professionals and collaborating with the FBI on Crimes Against Children to the discussion. Together, they delve into the complexities of working with children who have endured compounded trauma and exploitation. Alex shares his journey into this challenging field and sheds light on the often-overlooked facets of child sex trafficking, including the surprising demographics it affects and the role of social media.

Together they discuss the indicators of sex trafficking and key red flags to watch for. Alex also provides invaluable insights into the physical and behavioral signs that therapists should be aware of to help identify survivors. Learn why some clients might go AWOL or refuse treatment and how clinicians can approach these situations with sensitivity and care.

Self-care for therapists is paramount, and Alex emphasizes the importance of mindfulness, debriefing, and the PERMS model—Physical, Emotional, Relational, Mental, and Spiritual domains of self-care—while sharing various intervention techniques and stressing the importance of honoring the human side of both therapist and client.

This episode is a must-listen for therapists and anyone in the human services field. We encourage you to breathe and regulate as you listen to this important conversation, and as we navigate the challenging but essential work of supporting child survivors of sex trafficking.

Talking Points:

• Understanding the true scope and demographics of child sex trafficking.
• The impact of social media and the daytime occurrences of trafficking.
• Recognizing indicators and key red flags.
• Identifying physical and behavioral signs of child sex trafficking survivors.
• The importance of self-care for clinicians and the PERMS model.
• Various therapeutic interventions: music, play, art, somatic, and narrative therapies.
• The importance of working with the client's protective strategies.
• Developing awareness of our own reactions as therapists to clients' trauma stories.

Join us for this so-very important conversation to better understand and support the healing journey of child sex trafficking survivors.

*Original Air Date: June 4, 2024

Additional Resources:

• For more information about Online training for introduction to Sex Trafficking: https://connect.missingkids.org/learn/learning-plans/4/introduction-to-child-sex-trafficking
• Physical and Behavioral Indicators: https://www.missingkids.org/content/dam/missingkids/pdfs/CST-Identification-Resource.pdf
• Reporting Sex trafficking:
• Local Social services and Police department
  • Call 1-800-THE-LOST (800-843-5678)
  • www.Cybertipline.org

In this episode, Lisa is joined by special guest Brian Keating, a Certified Synergetic Play Therapist and Certified Group Psychotherapist. Brian specializes in tele-play therapy and is a contributing author to Advances in Online Therapy: Emergence of a New Paradigm. He's presented on topics including grief, childhood bereavement, and the therapeutic use of the video game Minecraft, which is the focus of this episode.

Join Lisa and Brian as they demystify the use of video games in therapy, with a particular focus on Minecraft, the most popular and successful video game ever to hit the market. Here are just a few of the key takeaways from this episode:

• Gain insight into Minecraft's therapeutic potential and ways to integrate it into the therapeutic process.
• Explore transitioning from a "doing" to "being" perspective of Minecraft during therapy.
• Understand various modes of gameplay and the therapeutic themes they evoke, including how Minecraft is a version of sandtray and art therapy.
• Learn to communicate gaming's therapeutic benefits to parents and caregivers.
• Examples of directive interventions and non-directive interventions when playing the game.
• Understand how video games can support a client with body awareness and how to regulate their nervous system.
• Reflect on using Minecraft in one-on-one versus group therapy settings and learn from Brian's experiences (including his mistakes) with video games in therapy.

Tune in and discover the transformative potential of incorporating something as seemingly simple as a video game into your therapy sessions. Uncover the therapeutic magic behind Minecraft and how special it is for kids when we speak their language!

*Original Air Date: April 23, 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.

In this episode, Lisa sits down with Dave Hompes, renowned author, nutritionist, and functional medicine practitioner, to explore the fascinating connection between the mind and body.

Together, they dive into how mental health and physical symptoms are intertwined—looking at everything from nutrition and genetics to environmental influences and the stories people tell about their bodies. Dave shares insights from cases involving epilepsy, Autism Spectrum, Tourette syndrome, and more, helping therapists recognize subtle clues that point to mind-body correlations.

This conversation invites clinicians to expand their lens, asking the right questions, noticing patterns beyond lab results, and integrating a holistic perspective into their work.

Prepare to rethink mental health through the lens of the body—and discover how awareness of these connections can transform the way we support clients.

Original Air Date: March 5, 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.

Emotional flooding is inevitable; it's part of relationship. It's not about shame, but connection—providing a platform upon which real repair can flourish. – Lisa Dion

In this episode, Lisa explores emotional flooding from the therapist's perspective and why finding ourselves outside our window of tolerance is not a failure—but a natural part of relational work.

Through a nervous-system-informed lens, Lisa reframes emotional flooding as meaningful information rather than something to avoid or fix. When approached with curiosity, attunement, and repair, these moments of rawness can deepen authenticity, strengthen the therapeutic relationship, and create powerful opportunities for healing.

This conversation invites therapists to release shame, embrace humanity, and see emotional flooding as an ally in the work—both in the playroom and within themselves.

Original Air Date: March 6, 2019

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 more we try to avoid conflict, the more it shows up in our life." – Lisa Dion

Why does conflict feel so uncomfortable—and why do we work so hard to avoid it?

In this episode of Lessons from the Playroom, Lisa Dion explores why conflict is not a sign that something has gone wrong, but a necessary part of growth and relational depth. Through a nervous-system-informed lens, she unpacks what happens internally when conflict arises and how our responses are shaped by regulation, protection, and connection.

This conversation invites therapists to develop a different relationship with conflict—one that begins within ourselves and extends into our work with clients, families, and colleagues, both in and out of the playroom.

Original Air Date: September 7, 2020

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.

Re-airing in honor of the International Week of Play Therapy.

In this special episode Lisa is joined by Amit Chintan Ramlall and his father, Dr. Kumar Ramlall, for a powerful conversation about autism, identity, and the transformative impact of assuming competence.

Amit shares his lived experience of navigating Autism Spectrum Disorder and how embracing his strengths—rather than being defined by limitations—opened pathways to purpose, contribution, and connection. Together, they explore common misconceptions about autism, the importance of meeting clients where they are, and how curiosity and humility create space for genuine therapeutic relationship.

This episode invites therapists to reconsider assumptions about neuroplasticity, sensory experiences, and communication, while offering a profound reminder of the untapped potential that exists within every individual.

Assume competence—there's always more to uncover.

Language note: While many Autistic individuals prefer identity-first language, Amit prefers person-first language, which is honored throughout this conversation.

***For a transcript of this episode, please visit our website at synergeticplaytherapy.com.

Original Air Date: April 2, 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.

PANS and PANDAS are among the most misunderstood—and frequently requested—topics in the therapy world. In this episode, Lisa is joined by Dr. Montserrat Casado for a thoughtful, compassionate conversation on how these conditions impact children, families, and the therapeutic process.

Together, they explore what PANS/PANDAS are, how immune responses and brain inflammation affect behavior and nervous system regulation, and why symptoms such as OCD, rage, regression, and restrictive eating require a broader, integrative lens. Dr. Casado also shares her personal journey and decade-long commitment to educating clinicians on how to support children and caregivers navigating these complex challenges.

This episode offers clarity, context, and hope—inviting therapists to deepen their understanding, support attachment and regulation, and bring a more informed, systemic approach to their work with children affected by PANS/PANDAS.

Original Air Date: March 19, 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.

"It is a sparkling thing when I encounter realness of another person… When this happens, I leap to meet it." – Carl Rogers

Carl Rogers is one of the most influential—and often misunderstood—figures in psychology. In this episode, Lisa returns to Rogers' own words and teachings to explore what he was truly inviting clinicians to embody.

Through a nervous-system-informed lens, this conversation highlights how authenticity, presence, and self-acceptance create the conditions for felt safety and relational connection. Lisa explores why Rogers' emphasis on "realness" isn't just philosophical—it's deeply regulatory, shaping how clients experience safety, attunement, and healing in the therapeutic relationship.

Some of what emerges may challenge what you thought you knew about Rogers and deepen how you understand the embodied foundations of effective therapy.

Original Air Date: April 3, 2019

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.

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.