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 therapy journey. You are joining a global community of more than 800 like-minded clinicians. Your cohort is comprised of professionals from multiple countries and states from around the world with a similar vision, a yearning to grow, and a desire to develop themselves and understand what it really takes to transform a child.

Not only are you surrounded by other amazing therapists and clinicians but you also have an incredible team of Synergetic Play Therapy Consultants that will be with you every step of the way: Mary Hagen, Lauren Forsythe, Lindsay Ishman, Helen Ritchie, Katie Mathis, Gemma Taylor, Kristin Spiegel, Lora Schultz and Valerie Mitchell – Supported by the SPTI’s Program Consultant Coordinator, Corinne Elms, and Supervisor Trainer, Mili Shoemaker!

Our Certification Consultant team will guide you, support you, challenge you, and do everything they can to help you get the most out of this learning experience. (You will have a Pre-Certification Consultation Group with your Certification Consultant in July to help you orient and prep for the program and our first online retreat together). 

This program uses technology, which we know isn’t always cooperative. To help you with any issues that may come up regarding payments, webinar access, navigating your online learning platform, or uploading assignments to your homework folder, please contact Kylie O’Brien, the Institute’s Program Director. You can reach her by emailing info@synergeticplaytherapy.com

Lastly, this program holds a very special place in our hearts. Please know that we feel beyond privileged to finally get the opportunity to teach and engage with you directly and will do everything we can to make this a program you will never forget.

Please read through the information on this homepage, carefully, as you will need it to get started!

Much Love,  

Your co-instructors Lisa Dion & Judith Norman

Meet Your Instructors:

This program is co-taught by Lisa Dion and Judy Norman. Throughout this program, you will have the joy of learning from both of these teachers, each bringing their own “flare” to the material and giving you the opportunity to hear the content in a number of ways!

Lisa Dion, LPC, RPT-S, is an international teacher, creator of Synergetic Play Therapy, and founder and President of the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute. She is also co-founder of the Synergetic Education Institute. Lisa is the creator of The Business of Therapy and host of the Lessons from the Playroom podcast. She is the author of Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach for Integrating Intensity, co-author of multiple book chapters and a recipient of the Association for Play Therapy’s Professional Education and Training Award of Excellence. Through her teaching, Lisa has trained thousands of professionals worldwide across clinical, educational, and organizational settings, offering a model that integrates interpersonal neurobiology, authenticity, and the use of self as the primary tool for transformation.

Judith Norman, LPC, LSC, RPT-S, is a co-founder and lead trainer of the Synergetic Education institute™. She is a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor and is a Certified Synergetic Play Therapy Supervisor and Teacher. She is a Parent Educator, Certified in EMDR Therapy and is trained in Mindfulness in Education. She has been utilizing the tenets of Synergetic Play Therapy in educational settings for the past 10 years. Her experience has led to the development of social-emotional, trauma-informed programming to support students and educators in schools.

 

Lisa and Judy make a team like no other! You could not be in better hands as you embark on this transformational journey!

Monthly Live Webinar Class Dates:

The following dates are important so please mark your calendars now! Each live webinar class will be conducted via Zoom.

Live webinar attendance is required to inspire interaction, participation, connection, and integration. If a live webinar is missed, you must contact your Certification Consultation and they will walk you through the necessary steps. *If there is a time zone concern making live attendance incredibly challenging, please discuss with your Certification Consultant.

Time: 3:00-4:30pm Mountain Time (Denver, Colorado)

  • 2027 Dates: September 14th and September 28th, October 12th and October 26th, November 9th and November 30th
  • 2028 Dates: February 8th and February 22nd, March 7th and March 21st, April 4th and April 18th, May 2nd and 16th (Graduation)

*Please check your time zone and daylight savings to adjust accordingly. You may use this Time Conversion Tool to help!

Zoom meeting Link for ALL MONTHLY WEBINARS: 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87013621793

Reminder Zoom Videos Must be ON: Please remember that you must have your video turned on to meet program requirements. Prepare accordingly.

Online Learning Retreat Dates:

This program consists of two online learning retreats, a 3.5 Day Learning Retreat to kick off the program and a 4.5 Day Learning Retreat that is held half-way through. The Institute will send you an email prior to each retreat with Zoom Registration links and instructions as to how to best prepare. (Your Certification Consultant will also assist you in preparing for each retreat!)

3.5 Day Online Learning Retreat

  • Retreat A: August 19 – August 22, 2027, 7am-2:30pm Mountain Time (Denver) – (the last day ends at 10am MT)
  • Retreat B: August 28 – August 31, 2027, 3-10:30pm Mountain Time (Denver) – (the last day ends at 6pm MT) *August 29 – September 1, 2027, 7am-2:30pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) – (the last day ends at 10am AEST)

4.5 Day Online Learning Retreat

  • Retreat A: January 12 – January 16, 2028, 7am-2:30pm Mountain Time (Denver) – (the last day ends at 10am MT) 
  • Retreat B: January 22 – January 26, 2028, 2-9:30pm Mountain Time (Denver) – (the last day ends at 5pm MT) *January 23 – January 27, 2028, 7am-2:30pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) – (the last day ends at 10am AEDT)

*You received your retreat assignment, Retreat A or Retreat B, at the time of your official program acceptance. If you are unsure of your retreat assignment, please contact the Institute for support.

Program Requirements:

In order to graduate from the program and be awarded the title of Certified Synergetic Play Therapist or Certified Synergetic Play Provider, you must successfully complete all program requirements, including:

  • Completion of a total of 13 hours of consultation: 4 Pre-Certification Consultations before the program begins and 9 Certification Consultations during the program (7 individual and 2 group) *If you are unable to complete all four Pre-Certification Consultations before the program begins, you will complete them during the program with your consultant.
  • Full attendance and completion of both online learning retreats during the program
  • Full attendance at all live webinars during the program
  • Completion of all homework assignments during the program, approximately 2-3 hours a month. Homework includes watching recordings of play therapy sessions, completing video observation forms, and personal reflections.
  • Completion of 5 recorded sessions with clients and the corresponding Self Observation Forms (One of these sessions must be with a parent/caregiver)
  • Completion of 4 skill assessments with an SPT Consultant (the Introduction to SPT to Skill Development form during Pre-Certification and three Certification Skill Development forms during the program)
  • Demonstration of proficiency in 100% of Intro to SPT Skills and at least 80% of Certification Skills by end of program
  • Completion of Client/Child Contact Hours: If seeking the Certified Synergetic Play Therapist credential, completion of 250 contact hours. If seeking the Certified Synergetic Play Provider credential, 150 contact hours. *Hours accrued while in a Level 1 program, plus any hours accrued while under the supervision/receiving consultation from an SPT Supervisor or Consultant may count towards the total client/child contact hours needed. (No more than half of the total required hours can be accrued during the Level 1 program)

Program Access:

If you want to continue to review the program materials after graduation, you will have access to this course site and all program content until August 31st, 2028.

Program Roster:

To get the most out of your Synergetic Play Therapy experience, we encourage you to cultivate community with your peers. When the program starts, the program roster will be uploaded for you, below. The roster will include the name, city, state, and country of each student enrolled in this Synergetic Play Therapy Certification program cohort.

Please feel free to use Facebook or a quick Google search to reach out to those near (or far) and get to know each other. If you have a conflict of interest or dual relationship with anyone attending, please email us privately.

Synergetic Play Therapy Certification Cohort 2027-2028 (Roster will become available after the first retreat begins!)

All lessons must be completed in order. You must complete the first lesson before you will gain access to the following lesson.

You will be required to complete a quiz or will be prompted to mark a lesson as “complete” before you will be granted access to the next lesson. If you have any questions or fall behind in your course site, please contact your Synergetic Play Therapy Certification Consultant or email info@synergeticplaytherapy.com for assistance. Enjoy!

Click on the lesson below to get started! Your first lesson, SPT Certification 2027-2028: Pre-Certification & Certification Consultation Prep, is available now!