The 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 the ...
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Navigating the Impact of Trauma Exposure: Essential Insights for Therapists
33:40
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Original Air Date: March 28, 2023 Join Lisa for a crucial conversation addressing a topic often overlooked in the therapy community: the profound impact of trauma exposure on therapists and helpers alike. As therapists, we find ourselves on the front lines, intimately engaging with trauma exposure day after day, session after session. Despite the i…
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Empowering Educators & Students: Transforming Education with Judy Norman & the Synergetic Education Institute
34:08
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Original Air Date: March 14, 2022 Join Lisa and Judy Norman, Certified SPT therapist/supervisor and SPT co-teacher, as they unveil the inception of the Synergetic Education Institute (https://synergeticeducation.com/). 🎉🙌 Years in the making, their journey highlights the profound impact of integrating Synergetic Play Therapy principles into school …
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167. Defying Expectations to Embrace Human Potential: Amit Chintan Ramlall’s Journey Beyond the Label of Autism
58:31
58:31
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Join Lisa in this inspiring episode as she sits down with Amit Chintan Ramlall and his father, Dr. Kumar Ramlall, for a heartfelt conversation about navigating life with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Despite facing challenges with independent speech, Amit shares his remarkable journey and how he has embraced his talents and gifts to defy expectat…
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Special: Why the Body Never Lies: Attuning to Body Language in Play Therapy
22:03
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Original Air Date: July 29, 2020 Discover the profound language of the body in therapy! In this episode, Lisa delves into the power of attuning to both our own and the child's body language, crucial for fostering co-regulation in therapeutic settings. Gain valuable techniques for staying within your window of tolerance to guide children through the…
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166. Giving a Voice to Children with PANS/PANDAS with Dr. Montserrat Casado
52:55
52:55
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In today’s episode, we delve into one of the most requested topics of the past year. Dr. Montserrat Casado joins Lisa to shed light on PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome) and PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections), offering invaluable insights for supporting children, par…
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Special: Staying on Course: The #1 Thing That Will Get You Off Track As A Therapist
22:13
22:13
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Original Air Date: February 15, 2022 In this Lessons from the Playroom episode, Lisa discusses the #1 thing that will get you off track as a therapist ... and it's trying to be someone you’re not! Despite messages that might suggest differently, authenticity and "being yourself" is not easy and has so many implications for therapists. Join Lisa in …
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165. The Mind-Body Blueprint: How Symptoms in the Body are Connected to Mental Health with Dave Hompes
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Join us in this enlightening episode as we delve into uncharted territory with guest Dave Hompes, a renowned author, nutritionist, functional medicine practitioner, and mind-body coach. With his extensive expertise in integrative approaches to health, Dave sheds light on the intricate connection between psychology and the dynamics of the mind and b…
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Special: Engaging Children from the Start: Tips & Techniques with Liana Lowenstein
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Original Air Date: March 1st 2022 This next Lessons from the Playroom guest gave Lisa the most amazing surprise when she jumped on - it filled Lisa with so much joy, delight and an urge to connect … And this is totally what they’re talking about today - how to captivate, engage, be with (along with what to do), and create a playful connection with …
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164. Play Therapy Across the Lifespan: Nurturing Healing Through Symbolic Repair with Tara McDonald & Karen O’Neill
48:58
48:58
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Join Lisa as she hosts Tara McDonald and Karen O'Neill from PIP Solutions UK in an engaging discussion on the versatile practice of play therapy across the lifespan, with an added focus on the concept of symbolic repair. Prepare to be captivated by this episode, as it is filled with insightful content that you'll want to jot down or take notes! Key…
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Special: Empowering Parents/Caregivers as Co-Regulators for their Children
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19:30
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Original Air Date: September 28, 2021 Embark on a transformative journey with Lisa Dion in this compelling episode as she navigates the fundamental question at the core of play therapy practice: "How do I empower parents/caregivers to become a co-regulator or external regulator for their child?" Guided by the mantra of treating parents/caregivers t…
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163. Making the Tough Decisions: Navigating the Terrain of Courage, Neurobiology & Authenticity
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44:59
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In this episode, we’re turning the tables back toward Lisa’s direction to discuss what it takes to make hard decisions (both personal and professional), the courage it takes to make the hard decisions, and the reasons we don’t make hard decisions. And joining Lisa for this discussion is the perfect person to have the conversation - Robert Abel, Jr.…
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Special: Working with Attachment from the Lens of Equine Assisted Therapy with Duey Freeman
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55:19
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Original Air Date: January 16, 2023 Lisa 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…
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Special: Navigating Goodbyes & Endings for Children & Caregivers in Play Therapy
26:50
26:50
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Original Air Date: July 6, 2021 Goodbyes can stir up complex emotions for our clients, their families, and even us as therapists. In this week's episode, join Lisa Dion as she delves into the art of saying goodbye in the therapeutic context. Discover valuable insights on recognizing the right moment for a child to transition and gain practical stra…
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162. Overcoming Roadblocks to Empower Parents in Play Therapy with Tammy Schamuhn
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In this episode, Lisa is joined by Tammy Schamuhn, the Co-Founder and Director of the Institute of Child Psychology and host of the Child Psych podcast. Together, they delve into the essential topic of identifying the roadblocks that sometimes get in a parent/caregiver’s way of fully supporting their child’s therapy and healing process. Tammy, an u…
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Special: Paris Goodyear-Brown: How To Hold “Hard Stories” In Play Therapy
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Original Air Date: April 12, 2022 Lisa Dion met her next guest at her very first APT conference. She was doing a presentation on supervision. As Lisa sat in her course, she remembers thinking, “Who is this woman?! Wow!” She was so captivated by her and her teaching. And today, Lisa is delighted to be joined by Paris Goodyear-Brown, the creator of t…
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161. Villainous Revelations: Unmasking Complexity in Play Therapy with Maria Laquerre Diego
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42:53
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We have a really fun topic today! Lisa is joined by the fantabulous Maria Laquerre Diego to unravel the intriguing world of villains in play therapy! (...Learn more about Maria and some of the amazing trainings she offers to play therapists below.) In this episode, Maria shares her experiences incorporating villain characters into therapy, providin…
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Special: Play Therapy as a Spiritual Practice
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49:21
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Original Air Date: November 8, 2022 In 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 …
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160. Mandalas in Play Therapy: A Transformative Journey with Tracy Turner-Bumberry
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Join Lisa Dion and Tracy Turner-Bumberry in this episode to explore the fascinating world of mandalas and their application in our work with children (... a super cool and likely unexplored tool in your clinical practice). In today's conversation, Tracy will unravel the mystery behind mandalas and share her insights into their powerful use in thera…
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Special: Jessica Schaffer: Understanding Sleep Issues in Children
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30:15
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Original Air Date: April 15, 2018 Lisa Dion is joined by Jessica Schaffer, Registered Play Therapist, Certified Synergetic Play Therapist and Certified Sleep Consultant to help us understand sleep issues for children. From the refusal to go to sleep to an inability to stay asleep, a child’s tossing and turning speak volumes. But why do some childre…
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Special: Non-Directive vs. Directive Play Therapy
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25:38
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Original Air Date: March 15, 2021 Sometimes we can get stuck in either/or thinking when it comes to whether we use non-directive or directive play therapy modalities. But what if we could understand the significance and potential for both? What if we could go beyond to see that one is not better than the other? And what if we could honor that there…
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159. Breaking Language Barriers in Play Therapy: A Deep Dive into Using Interpreters with Ludmila Golovine
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45:33
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We’re so excited for this next topic. It’s a topic that’s never been addressed on this podcast series and a topic that is rarely explored in the field of play therapy. So settle in, grab something to take notes because Lisa is joined by Ludmila (Mila) Golovine to talk about using interpreters in play therapy. Mila is the CEO and President of Master…
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Special: Regulating the Collective Nervous Systems of Families
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24:44
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Original Air Date: September 13, 2022 If you’ve ever studied with Lisa Dion, 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 defini…
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Special: Bonnie Badenoch: What it Really Means to Hold Non-Judgmental Presence as a Therapist
45:33
45:33
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Original Air Date: October 25, 2022 The 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, interventio…
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158. Embracing Negative Self-Talk: Your Inner Feedback Mechanism
25:08
25:08
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Join Lisa Dion for a discussion on a topic that has been requested more than once since the beginning of this podcast, and it’s something we all experience (Yes … therapists, parents, children … all human beings on this planet!) …. We’re diving into the intriguing topic of negative self-talk and why we actually can’t get rid of it (... no matter ho…
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Special: Countertransference in Play Therapy
27:36
27:36
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Original Air Date: March 1, 2021 Countertransference is not something we can avoid, get out of, check at the door, or even separate from ourselves ... In this episode, Lisa discusses how transference and countertransference is really the therapeutic landscape from which to support our clients in a process of deep integration and healing. Using a le…
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