Welcome back!!! Welcome to the Synergetic Play Therapy Certification Learning Retreats with Lisa Dion and Judy Norman. We are thrilled that you have decided to join us as an alumnus/alumna of the SPT Certification program. For some of you, this is your first time joining us in an online retreat format and for others, you [...]

Welcome to the 2027-2028 Synergetic Play Therapy Certification Program! Get ready for a deep dive into understanding Synergetic Play Therapy more fully, and a greater exploration of yourself in and out of the playroom! It will be an adventure. In case it hasn't dawned on you yet, you are no longer alone in your play [...]

Rates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in young children have risen in the last 5 years, and more play therapists than ever are faced with these issues in the playroom. Clinicians often feel lost due to the lack of education on this topic, uncertainty about their capability to support children who experience suicidal ideation, [...]

This home study course provides an overview of sensory processing differences and explores how therapists can create a welcoming, affirming environment for children with sensory needs. Participants will learn practical strategies for making play therapy offices and playrooms more sensory-friendly, including thoughtful adjustments to the physical space. The training will also highlight toys, tools, and [...]

This presentation introduces a multimodal approach to EMDR therapy with children that integrates play, sandtray, and expressive arts therapies within the framework of the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model. Recognizing that children often communicate experiences through action, symbolism, creativity, and play rather than words alone, this approach provides multiple pathways for accessing, processing, and integrating [...]

Through the lens of Synergetic Play Therapy, this presentation reimagines attachment as more than a bond between child and caregiver. Instead, attachment is explored as an internal process that shapes how individuals relate to themselves in moments of stress, emotion, and connection. Participants will examine how attachment patterns develop as intelligent protective strategies, how these [...]

Welcome to Holding the Child Who Won’t Be Held: Working with Avoidant and Dismissive Attachment in the Playroom, a 1-hour course led by Lisa Dion. Please read through the information on this page carefully before completing the first lesson. *This video course is a recording of a live webinar on March 31, 2026, and has [...]

Welcome to the 2026-2027 cohort of the Certified SPT Supervisor Consultation Group with Lisa! Whether you are new to this group or are back for another year, we are so excited to have you! This group will meet 8 times over the course of 10 months, beginning in October 2026 and ending in July 2027. [...]

THANK YOU to each of you for electing to support the 2026-2027 Synergetic Play Therapy Certification program students during the online learning retreats! Each of you plays a key role on our students' SPT journey and we simply could not do this without you.   On this main page, you will find the dates and schedules [...]

WELCOME BACK! Hello SPTer! It is so good to be connected to you again! Thank you for all you are doing out in the world and for coming back to this program to renew your SPT Credential, so that you can continue your journey as a Certified Synergetic Play Therapist or Certified Synergetic Play Provider. [...]

Welcome to the Level 1 Online Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy program! I am so glad that you have chosen to sign up for this program and that we will have a chance to learn and grow together for the next six months. In order to help you get started, please read through this message [...]

Welcome to the 2027 Becoming a Certified Synergetic Play Therapy Supervisor Program! What a privilege and an honor it will be to get to spend time with you as we learn how to do this "supervision" thing!  Becoming a supervisor in someone's life is a big deal and is one of the most rewarding relationships [...]

Welcome to your Advanced Embodied Cultural Humility for Certified Synergetic Play Therapists/Providers Course Site! Culture lives in the nervous system. Identity, stories, privilege, and systemic experiences shape how clients regulate and how therapists attune and respond. Certified Synergetic Play Therapists/Providers know that true cultural humility requires more than cognitive insight; it requires embodied awareness!  During [...]

WELCOME BACK! Hi Certified SPTer! It is so good to be connected to you again, and this time in person!  Thank you for all you are doing out in the world and for coming back to this program to renew your Synergetic Play Therapy Credential, so that you can continue your journey as a Certified [...]

WELCOME to Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy! We are so glad that you have chosen to sign up for this program and that we will have a chance to learn and grow together for three full days IN PERSON. In order to help you get started, please read through the information on this page (we [...]

Welcome to the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute Externship Consultant Training Program! The Synergetic Play Therapy Institute Externship Consultant Training Program is designed to offer a clinically-rich learning environment as well as introduce potential Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy Consultants to the SPTI programming. During the Externship, externs have the opportunity to learn while getting a [...]

This webinar will explore the myriad ways in which children show us the hard things that have happened to them. There are as many ways for children to share their pain with us as there are stories to be told. After three decades of Storykeeping, TraumaPlay has identified three primary posttraumatic play pathways that children [...]

Play therapists often believe that they are lost in understanding the play and perspective of children in the play therapy process. This limitation leads to doubts about how to respond to children and how to conceptualize what is happening in play therapy. Through discovering themes of children and their play, a play therapist can empathically [...]

This workshop equips play therapists with practical, role-affirming strategies to strengthen collaboration with educators. You’ll discover how to support teachers in ways that honor their expertise and responsibilities—while still bringing your own clinical lens to the table. In compliance-heavy, high-stress environments, educators often feel unseen or overwhelmed. Together, we’ll examine how we may unintentionally be [...]

While adoption is often seen as the solution to the problem of child maltreatment, the disruption of primary attachments is also a risk factor for children after placement. Play therapists can play an important role in recognizing the impact of these attachment wounds as well as themes of belonging and identity formation that become increasingly [...]