"When mom and dad are in the room the power to heal can become greater. Then the relationship between the child and parent becomes your client." - Lisa Dion

Parents in the playroom can give even the most seasoned play therapists pause, leaving them feeling insecure and watched. But moms and dads are part of the healing package. Relying on the power of parents only enhances the power of play.

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 majority of relationship, any relationship is rupture. Repair is the remedy." - Lisa Dion

Rupture, repair, repeat - it's a recipe for relationship. Whether that relationship is with your client or with yourself, mis-attunement is an unavoidable but necessary occurrence. It provides the foundation of trust, opening the doors to true healing.

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.

"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 having twins) comes with unique challenges not always experienced by singletons. From separation anxiety to individuality, join Lisa Dion (who is a fraternal twin) and Susan Stutzman (a mother of identical twins) as they discuss these marvelous multiples.

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. It's so obvious when a person is not hiding behind a façade but is speaking from deep within themselves. When this happens, I leap to meet it. I want to encounter this real person." -

Carl Rogers Carl Rogers is one of the most influential psychologists in history, but he's also one of the most misunderstood. Above all, he advocated for acceptance of self so clinicians could help their clients do the same. In this podcast, Lisa takes you right into the words and teachings to help us explore what he truly wanted us to know and some of it just might surprise you.

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.

"Play therapy is about the child. It's not about navigating the conflict between feuding parents." - Lisa Dion

Divorce is often painted as a traumatizing experience, but what it looks like through the perspective of a child varies greatly. Working with high-conflict divorce requires recognizing this deviation. It also requires a neutrality and a focus on what matters most: healing the child.

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

Emotional flooding is part of therapy: it occurs in all play therapy paradigms. Looking at it not through a lens of shame but with a focus on connection turns it from an enemy into an ally. In fact, emotional flooding - because of its realness and rawness - can lead to greater levels of healing and authenticity.

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.

"If you have a child who is not playing, honor that child and meet them where they are." - Lisa Dion

A playroom without play can cause confusion. But there are many reasons a child may leave the toy box shut. Sometimes, it's a reflection of anxiety or tied to a younger emotional age. Other times, this issue isn't one at all: discovering the play requires setting aside our preconceived notions about what play entails.

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.

"If the things that are not challenging for them are promoted and highlighted, that gets to be their story, not the disability." - Lisa Dion

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is often misunderstood, with diagnoses that vary by country. In this podcast, Lisa is joined by special guest Natascha Lawrence as they work to break down the confusion surrounding FASD while exploring the ways to most effectively support these amazing and misunderstood children.

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.

"Games are platforms to help kids process their emotions. Sometimes peek-a-boo and hide-and-go-seek are just about wanting to be seen. " - Lisa Dion

Child's play is serious business and Peek-a-Boo and Hide-and-Go-Seek are no exceptions. But these games, like so many, act as a platform for the emotions a child is processing at any given time. At their heart, they may be most about wanting to be seen and wanting to be found.

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.

"Art isn't about interpreting a drawing. It's about being with and attuning to the child in the process of creation." - Lisa Dion

Art in the playroom can be a challenge, especially for therapists who believe they are artistically limited. But art provides a necessary and informative outlet for children. It's not the final product that's important; it's the process that counts. Being present and attuned keeps the therapist from painting themselves into a corner of insecurity and self-doubt.

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.