WELCOME to Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy®!

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 three full days IN PERSON. In order to help you get started, please read through the information on this page (I know it is long), but it will orient you to all of the information that you need.

As a reminder, in this 3-day in-person program we will explore the basic components of Synergetic Play Therapy® and truly have a one-of-a-kind experience. This program was designed for both beginners and advanced practitioners. The 3-day program will cover 18 hours of content and will be followed by mandatory monthly one-hour group consultations with a Synergetic Play Therapy® Consultant. You will also be required to complete 2 one-hour pre-recorded additional videos and a Book Review on the required book, Aggression in Play Therapy: a Neurological Approach to Intensity. Plus, you will get access to a Bonus video lesson on the topic of Synergetic Play Therapy® and Teletherapy! If you are interested and qualify for NBCC, BCPTA, or APTA-Approved CE Credit Hours, you will have the opportunity to collect one certificate at the end of the course after completing the Book Review.

If you have any questions, never hesitate to ask. We are here for you and want to make this a great experience for you. I am looking forward to being with you in person very soon!

Lisa

In-Person Program Schedule: March 28-30, 2025. Each day we will meet from 9:00am – 4:30pm Central Time (Chicago).

Doors will open each day at 8:30am Central Time (Chicago). We will also take an hour break for lunch. Lunch will not be provided so we ask that you please plan accordingly!

Other Important Dates: After our time together in person, you will have 6 months of group consultation with a Synergetic Play Therapy® Consultant AND will need to complete two one hour video lessons, a bonus video lesson, and a book review. These lessons will be released in the months following the 3 day in-person training to support your continued learning. 

Please take note of the following dates:

  • Pre-Recorded Video Lesson: Synergetic Play Therapy® & Cultural Humility will become available on April 1, 2025,
  • Pre-Recorded Video Lesson: 4 Threats & the Set Up Through a Cultural Lens will become available May 1, 2025, 
  • Bonus Video Lesson: Synergetic Play Therapy® and Teletherapy and Module 1 Video Review will become available on June 1, 2025,
  • Synergetic Play Therapy® & Cultural Humility and 4 Threats & the Set Up Through a Cultural Lens Quiz lesson will become available on July 1, 2025, and
  • Book Review: Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurological Approach for Integrating Intensity will become available on August 1, 2025.
  • Course access expires September 30, 2025. 

Once you have completed all of the above requirements, you will have an opportunity to print one program Certificate acknowledging the CE Credit Hours earned during this course. You must complete all program requirements by September 30, 2025, in order to receive a certificate. Keep scrolling for more information.

*Please remember that group consultation is a mandatory aspect of this program. More information regarding group consultation can be found below.

Program Location/Hotel Information: This 3-day in-person program will be held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, 220 E Chicago Ave, Chicago, Illinois, USA!

*Students will receive free admission to the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago exhibits!

If you are traveling for this program and will require lodging accommodations, please find recommended hotels below:

Park Hyatt Chicago
The Whitehall Hotel
Aloft Chicago Mag Mile
The Robey
Sonesta ES Suites Chicago Downtown Magnificent Mile

Please contact the hotels above directly for rates and availability. Be sure to mention that you are participants for an event at the MCA. These hotels were referred by the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.

What to Bring With You to the 3-Day In-Person Training:

  • Program Handouts, see below for more information
  • Your favorite way to take notes (notebook and pen, laptop, etc.)
  • The required book, Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurological Approach for Integrating Intensity, see below

Program Handouts: All handouts needed for this program can be found in the lesson titled “3-Day Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy® (March 2025) Program Handouts”. This lesson will be made available to you one week prior to the start of the program. Please print the provided handouts during that time and bring them with you on Day 1. Lisa will be referencing these handouts throughout her teachings and you will need them to take notes!

Mandatory Book: You will be expected to have purchased this book, Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach for Integrating Intensity by Lisa Dion, prior to the first day of class. The book is also currently available in Audio format, Spanish, and Japanese.

If you have not already purchased the required reading, you can get it at a 25% discount. This only applies for purchase made in the U.S. Go here to redeem: https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393713190. Use coupon code LDION21 or https://WWNorton.com/rd/LDION21.

Also, we will have copies of the book for purchase on Day 1 of the program should you be unable to obtain a copy of the book before then!

Monthly Group Consultations:  Upon registering for this program, you received a confirmation email with a link to a Group Consultation Assignment Form. This short questionnaire allowed you to choose from a selection of Group Consultation times.

If you have not already completed this short questionnaire, please do so before you arrive on March 28, 2025! *Group Consultation assignments are based on availability and are granted on a first come first serve basis so we encourage you to submit your Group Consultation Form ASAP!

Group Consultation Assignment Form

Your assigned Synergetic Play Therapy® Consultant will contact you by no later than April 2, 2025, to confirm your specific group time!

We do our best to offer Group Consultation times to meet all time zones. If you are having difficulty finding a time that meets your needs, please contact info@synergeticplaytherapy.com.

Program Agreements & Access Info:

Program Agreements: Prior to our first day together on March 28, 2025, you are required to complete the first lesson of this program, “3-Day Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy Course (March 2025) – Program Agreements”. Please click on the lesson with the same name at the bottom of this page to read the Program Agreements document and complete a short “quiz” acknowledging that you have read and agree to the Program Agreements. You will not gain access to the following lessons, including your program handouts, until you have completed this step.

Course Site Access: Access to program content will be available for 6 months following our time together in person to support you through Group Consultation. Access will expire September 30, 2025.

CE Credit Hours: 26 CE Credit Hours, NBCC Content Areas: Counseling Theory/Practice and the Counseling Relationship and Social and Cultural Foundations

Synergetic Play Therapy Institute has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7450. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Synergetic Play Therapy Institute is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

Synergetic Play Therapy Institute is also an Approved Provider for the following associations:
*Australian Play Therapists Association (APTA) Approved Provider
*British Columbia Play Therapy Association (BCPTA) Approved Provider 23-01

Continuing education credit hours may be awarded to graduate-level counselors or students enrolled in a graduate-level mental health program. If you do not qualify for continuing education credit hours and would like to receive a certificate of completion for this course please contact the Institute directly.

If you are not a mental health professional and would like to receive a certificate of completion, you may contact the Institute upon completion of the program.

Ways to connect with us: Find us through SPTI Facebook page, Instagram, and YouTube Channel, and we invite you to join the SPTI’s Facebook SPT Learning Community where you can have conversations, share posts, thoughts and questions about the course content or anything else you would love with other past and current students! Collaboration and conversation with your peers will really help you get the most out of this training!

How to connect with each other: We get to spend 3 days together to kick off this program, but just in case you didn’t get to connect in person, 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 (and perhaps yourself along the way).

  • March 2025 Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy® Program Roster (The Class Roster will be available after the program begins on March 28, 2025)