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You've landed in the right place! Whether you've had Synergetic Play Therapy® training and are searching for ongoing support in its application OR you're new to Synergetic Play Therapy® and would like to receive consultation through an SPT lens, we've got you covered! This is for you if you:- Have previously enrolled or are currently enrolled in an SPT course and want ongoing support to continue to learn and grow in your application of Synergetic Play Therapy®;
- Have taken any of our 1-hr, 2-hr, 3-hr courses and would like consultation from an SPT lens;
- Have ever attended an event or 2-day training with Lisa Dion and would like consultation to continue to integrate what you learned into your practice;
- Or have never taken a course through the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute® and would just love consultation support from an SPT lens!
2024-2025 Synergetic Play Therapy® Certification Program
**If you are currently enrolled in the January 2024 Online Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy program or 2024 Refresher program, your extended Early Bird application deadline is June 1, 2024.**
FINAL Application Deadline for all applicants is June 14th, 2024.
Take a moment to reflect on the growth you’ve witnessed since starting the introductory course. How have your clients evolved? How have your therapy sessions changed? Most importantly, how have you changed? Your growth is the key to unlocking your clients’ full potential for transformation. During the introductory course, you've merely scratched the surface of what's possible for client healing and transformation. Imagine delving deeper into a wealth of knowledge and skills with 85 hours of content (plus 13 hours of consultation!). This is precisely what awaits you in our 10-month SPT Certification program, designed to empower you as a therapist or other professional! Here's what you can look forward to!- Dive deeper into understanding attunement, attachment, and mindfulness to enhance your client’s reflective awareness, self-regulation, and co-regulation.
- Gain insight on how to scaffold the development of a child’s interoceptive sense.
- Cultivate an ability to hold awareness of self and other (dual awareness) in order to become an attuned external regulator.
- Explore the interconnectedness between physics and psychology.
- Learn why individuals are driven to do what they do and become who they are.
- Discover how trauma is stored in the body and mind, shaping a client’s narrative.
- Learn how to work with implicit memory to repattern the somatic imprints and protective patterns of the autonomic nervous system.
- Understand the Vagus Nerve and the role it plays in trauma integration and regulation.
- Gain profound insight into the homeostatic mechanisms within the mind and how these contribute to emotions.
- Understand how to assess and work with a child’s emotional age.
- Overcome fears related to working with caregivers and create true collaborative partnerships.
- Master the use of sand and art in both non-directive and directive approaches.
- Learn about the sensory system and how to use this information with neurodivergent children.
- Explore directive interventions for groups, families, teens, siblings, and adults using the SPT tenets.
- Learn how to work with non-verbal regressive states.
- Work with your own activation that naturally arises in sessions and repattern your own nervous system response.
- Deepen your understanding of how to track a child’s progress on the SPT Therapeutic Stages.
- Master the art of managing endings, transitions, and strategies for facilitating a meaningful “goodbye process” with caregivers and children.
- Empower both yourself and your clients within the therapy process, tracking small moments and significant empowerment experiences in a client’s therapeutic journey.
- And so much more!!!!
*For all class details, class objectives, research scholarship, CE credits and more, see below.- 6-Month Online Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy Online course
- 3-Day In-Person Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy course
- Synergetic Play Therapy Supplemental course (no longer offered)
- 6-Day SPT Intensive Training (no longer offered)
Applications Are Now CLOSED! Thank you to all that applied for the 2023-2024 program!
"The experience of becoming a Synergetic Play Therapist Supervisor has been a journey in deepening my relationship and attachment to myself and therefore to those around me. I feel better resourced and skilled to support play therapists in their work and their own journeys. This course connected me to a community that I feel deeply privileged to be a part of. During a challenging time for our planet, I felt a connection to others that sustained me." -Katrina Bevelander Are you ready to become a Certified Synergetic Play Therapy Supervisor? For Certified Synergetic Play Therapists who meet the prerequisites we offer a path to becoming a Certified Synergetic Play Therapy Supervisor*. These courses also count towards Registered Play Therapy Supervisor requirements (please check with APT to determine full requirements). In this training, students will learn how to apply the Synergetic Play Therapy® philosophy and tenets to the supervisory relationship. Through video observation, didactic learning, group discussion, and self study (this course is heavy on independent study), students will learn how to step into the role of play therapy supervisor - one of the most important and influential roles in a play therapist's journey. Course Prerequisites: • At least two years post SPT Certification, holding a clinical caseload during that time with a focus on the application of Synergetic Play Therapy® principles • Demonstrate at least a year's worth of post-certification supervision/consultation with a Certified Synergetic Play Therapy Supervisor within 2 years of starting this course • Hold current LPC or LCSW Mental Health license or equivalent licensure/ability to offer supervision in your state or country • Hold "current" status of the Certified Synergetic Play Therapist™ credential • At least one year of purchase and participation in the SPT Community Membership within 2 years of starting this course Click Here to Submit Your Application for Fall 2023 (Applications have Closed) Please note: Completion of a Legal and Ethical Issues in Play Therapy Supervision course is not a prerequisite for this course, however, it must be completed before you can obtain the designation Certified Synergetic Play Therapy Supervisor. You will be asked to provide documentation of completion of a Legal and Ethical issues in Play Therapy supervision course. You will also need to have two supervisees during the six months of the course and that are willing to be video-taped. *Certified Synergetic Play Therapy Supervisor is a protected title held by those who have taken and completed all requirements of this training. Hear what other Certified SPT Therapists/Supervisors had to say about the course! Please scroll down for course details!
LEARN A SOLID PLAY THERAPY THEORY THAT COMBINES THE POWER OF PLAY WITH INTERPERSONAL NEUROBIOLOGY!
Registration deadline is June 17th, 2024, 12pm Mountain Time, Denver
CLICK HERE FOR MORE PROGRAM DETAILS!!
Have you been searching for ways to create a deeper impact for your clients? Or perhaps you are wanting to improve or learn more about ...- Becoming an external regulator to support children with integration and repatterning the activation of their nervous system.
- Supporting healing at deeper levels through right brain to right brain attuned communication.
- Teaching children interoceptive (body) awareness (...the key ingredient for self-regulation and co-regulation).
- Creating a neuroception of safety for a child when emotional flooding happens.
- Setting boundaries with the brain in mind to not minimize, shame or shut down the child's play, but keep them engaged in their therapy process.
- Building collaborative relationships with caregivers to support their child's therapeutic process.
- Developing goals, tracking a child's therapeutic process, and translating what's happening during the child's therapy session to their caregiver(s) and others in the world.
- Helping children develop a secure attachment to themselves (...a foundation of resilience).
- Applying SPT concepts from a cultural lens for a more inclusive and culturally sensitive clinical orientation where a client's unique experiences and needs are honored.
- How to feel a little more like YOU in the therapy process (...because we know inauthenticity is the fastest way to burnout and compassion fatigue).
Come discover what showing up in the playroom truly means and explore what is happening in the play therapy process, how change occurs, and ultimately what it takes to help children heal at profound levels. And the best part is, you get to be you on the journey!
Check out what past students had to say about their experiences in the course!
"SPT is the missing piece in play therapy. I gained an understanding of who I am in the playroom - a humanness that wasn't there before." -Frances Donohue
Join the growing number of mental health professionals, those in related roles (Child Life Specialists, School Counselors, Occupational Therapists, Coaches, etc.) and parents/caregivers who are learning SPT!
*For program details and objectives, see below.
Embark on an enlightening journey with Lisa Dion as she delves into strategies for optimizing the intake process! In this course, you will gain insights into how the foundation of a therapeutic relationship is laid during the intake session and how this extends throughout the entire intake and into the clinical engagement. Lisa will impart valuable lessons on structuring the intake, commencing from the initial point of contact all the way to the conclusion of the session. Witness how Lisa skillfully incorporates key themes from Synergetic Play Therapy®, such as the regulation of the nervous system and a nuanced understanding of how the brain functions, into the intake process. We will also explore the pivotal and validating role of the therapist in the playroom, emphasizing how their presence can significantly influence the dynamics of the therapeutic relationship with the client, family, and beyond.
With their changing brains and hormones, finding ways to integrate play with pre-teens and teens can at times just feel “Awkward”. Learn how to navigate therapy with our clients who are no longer children, but also not quite yet adults. From twelve-year-olds to seniors in high school, adolescence is a time filled with change. This can make the notion of bringing play therapy to this population a challenge. Do we play? Do we talk? Do I ask questions? What do I do?" As such, many therapists find themselves at a loss with this age group, feeling just as confused as they do! In this workshop, play therapists will delve into the mysteries of the teenage mind as we bust myths and glean insight into how to best offer therapeutic support. Using neuroscience, Developmental, Synergetic, and Systemic theories, participants will explore how to navigate this "awkward" and sometimes "overwhelming" developmental stage using an eclectic framework of non-directive and directive play therapy approaches. Understanding how to assess the teen's emotional age, an area often missed when working with this population, will also be covered as a way to understand how to incorporate play into the therapy process. The information presented is designed to open minds and hearts as participants uncover the wisdom of the changing brain and the wisdom of the teenage years. Through lecture, demonstration, and discussion, this workshop will deconstruct this mysterious stage and support play therapists in discovering how they can help mature and remodel the teenage brain, while supporting movement towards the discovery of the authentic self- the cornerstone of the development of a teenager's identity. To get a sense for the course, check out this short video below:See course details below.
"Absolutely transformative! - connected the dots in ways I didn't know needed connecting." -Michelle Tolison In this course offered by the Synergetic Education Institute™ you'll learn strategies for use in educational settings that promote trauma-informed, social-emotional support in schools. You'll learn how to explain the neuroscience behind these strategies, as you develop your skills in supporting others in deepening their knowledge and awareness. You'll learn how to work with educators and/or within educational systems, while addressing frequently asked questions and concerns, such as:- How can an understanding of the impacts of trauma help in school environments?
- How might the expressions of trauma show up in the classroom?
- How do I know if it's trauma, or just behavior?
- Why is building relationships with some students so challenging?
- Why are the things I've always done before, not working with "these kids?"
- Why am I so exhausted all the time?
- What about the impact this is having on the "good" kids?
- The Six-Month Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy Online Course
- Six-Day Synergetic Play Therapy Intensive Training
- The Synergetic Play Therapy Supplemental Course
- Three-Day Live Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy Course
The Synergetic Play Therapy Institute® in collaboration with PIP Solutions presents “Conceptualizing Cases from a Synergetic Play Therapy® Lens”. Translating a right brain play experience into a left brain conceptualization is not an easy task. Play therapists often grapple with a sense of uncertainty when trying to comprehend a child’s unique therapeutic progression and assessing whether goals are being achieved. This course, led by Lisa Dion, aims to address this issue by introducing a structured framework derived from Synergetic Play Therapy. Students will gain insights into how to conceptualize cases effectively and apply this framework to enhance the efficacy of their therapeutic interventions.
From a stroll through the Lollipop woods of Candyland to a fight over the Thimble in Monopoly, games are part of childhood. In the playroom, certain games are more commonly used than others. How do we use chess as a pawn in our therapeutic healing? How can we call on checkers to check on the child’s state of regulation? What does a game tell us about a child’s emotional world? This webinar explores these questions and more!
Supporting a child struggling with obsessive compulsions and perfectionism can be incredibly challenging as the desire to move the child out of their rigidity and rituals can overshadow the deeper issues and stressors driving the behaviors. In this course, you will gain an understanding of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, the behavior of perfectionism, and how play therapy can support the integration of the underlying drivers of the behaviors so as not to intensify the inner struggle that is often experienced by these children as they attempt to stop, control and even deny the urges in their bodies.
Every therapist has been there – in a session with a child who doesn’t want to come in the room, a child who doesn’t want to do the task, a child who only wants to avoid the issue. This course explores what to do when a child client’s language and behavior say “no.” Join us as we explore resistance, with a focus on differentiating resistance from avoidance and differentiating resistance from the dorsal collapse in the nervous system. Emotional flooding is explored as well.
Helping a child heal involves helping them be themselves. One of the best ways to foster this type of environment is to cultivate safety. The therapist knowing the playroom is safe is not enough; the child must know it, too. This course explores what a neuroception of safety is and how to create it within the child and yourself.
Research in neuroscience and interpersonal neurobiology sheds light on the need for the play therapist to act as the external regulator supporting the child to move towards the intensity they are experiencing allowing for integration. This 3 hour video course explores this need during trauma integration for two primary reasons: 1) The child need to borrow the play therapist’s regulatory capacity as they work through their traumatic thoughts, feelings and sensations in play therapy and 2) The play therapist’s ability to regulate themselves during the intensity increases the capacity for presence and attunement with the child, while simultaneously supporting the health and longevity of their own nervous system. Without the ability of the play therapist to become the external regulator for the intensity that arises during trauma integration, both the child and the play therapist are at risk for emotional flooding and high levels of dysregulation in their nervous systems. Over time, this can significantly impact a play therapist’s longevity in the field, as well as the ability to stay attuned and present to a child in sessions. This course is a recording of a 3 hour live webinar with Trusted Provider Network. See course details below.
Divorce. The “D” word. The end of the marital road. A happily ever after run amok. It’s something that often gets a bad rap, especially when we think of the children stuck in the middle. But divorce, while it can be devastating to some kids, can also be a relief for others. Children’s perceptions are not all the same. This course explores how to support children in play therapy when they are experiencing divorce and separation.
This course supports play therapists as they learn about setting boundaries from a neurobiological perspective, keeping the child’s brain and nervous system activation in mind! Drawing from Interpersonal Neurobiology and Synergetic Play Therapy®, participants will learn how to set boundaries without shaming the child or stopping the child’s play, allowing for deeper integration and connection. Working with emotional flooding (the child’s and the therapist’s) will also be explored. Please scroll down for course details.
The Synergetic Play Therapy Institute® in collaboration with PIP Solutions presents “Working with Adopted Children in Play Therapy”. Many adopted children have unique challenges which present in different ways in the playroom. Play Therapists can often feel unsure but are aware of the importance of responding through a different lens. In this course, there will be an emphasis on the importance of working with the child’s neuro-biological processes such as regulation and dys-regulation, as well as the importance of educating and working with the child’s adoptive parents.
Aggression and death are common parts of the play therapy process, yet many therapists don’t have a clear understanding of what to do and how to facilitate intensity. This can lead to inadvertently promoting aggression and low brain disorganization. It can also lead to the therapist feeling beat up, exhausted, and hyper-aroused, ultimately impacting their ability to stay attuned, remain present, and find inspiration in this field. Enter Synergetic Play Therapy®! Through an SPT lens, and a heavy dose of neuroscience, this 2-hour course helps therapists learn how to use play in a way that supports regulation – their own and their client’s! See course details below.
Lisa Dion and Dr. Robert Jason Grant, creator of AutPlay Therapy, discuss what Sensory Processing Disorder is, how to begin to understand it in the context of play therapy, and offer helpful suggestions for therapists to get started.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) can be a part of growing up. But how can we help turn these obstacles into opportunities for growth and resilience and apply this knowledge to the play therapy process? This course explores how play therapy can be used to help mitigate the effects of ACES. Learn the major categories of ACES, along with protective factors or strategies that have been shown to be helpful both in the short-term and long-term. This course is designed to enhance or increase the professional knowledge of graduate-level counselors.
We live in a technological age: there is no pacifying Pac-Man, no axing Apple. But screen time doesn’t always mean zoning out. In moderation, Mickey Mouse and Mario can be our allies, helping children better connect to the world around them. This webinar explores the therapeutic value of screen time and how to use it as part of a play therapy process. Learn how to recognize when a child is using it to avoid and when a child’s use of technology is the perfect entry into the therapeutic alliance.
As play therapists, we are often searching for ways to help our clients regulate their emotions and body. This webinar explores how therapists can use yoga to increase their ability to connect with themselves and their clients while facilitating the regulation of emotions and body during play therapy sessions.
Eating challenges in children can show up in many ways. From the refusal to eat to eating too much, underneath often lies the need for perfectionism and control. Helping kids take these challenges off their plates involves offering choices and uncovering co-existing issues, as well as providing parental support. This course takes a look at this important struggle.
This 1.5-hour recorded webinar, in the form of a roundtable discussion, delves into the evolving landscape of diversity, inclusion, and cultural awareness in mental health, exploring how to create a more inclusive and culturally sensitive clinical practice. Led by Lisa Dion, guest panelists Marshall Lyles, Liliana Baylon, and Robert Jason Grant will share their insights and expertise on a range of essential topics, fostering a deeper understanding of the role culture plays in the therapy process, embracing neurodiversity, and creating inclusive play spaces to cater to individual needs. *The course is provided by the Synergetic Play Therapy Foundation. The Synergetic Play Therapy Foundation is dedicated to helping make play therapy trainings accessible and affordable to clinicians worldwide and to funding research initiatives in Synergetic Play Therapy®. The Synergetic Play Therapy Foundation provides scholarships to clinicians seeking post-graduate training in Synergetic Play Therapy® or another play therapy model of their choosing. Scholarships are funded through donations from webinars, donors, and supporters of Play Therapy. By purchasing this course, you are making a direct donation to the Synergetic Play Therapy Foundation. All proceeds will contribute to future scholarships and to the foundation itself! Please scroll down for course details and objectives.
Working with families as a whole presents a complex and multifaceted endeavor, often marked by intricate dynamics. This course delves into the significance of integrating families into the play therapy process, providing guidance on effectively engaging all family members during sessions and examining the myriad benefits this inclusive approach offers. You will also understand the role of the nervous system in family interactions and strategies for regulating and harmonizing family dynamics within the context of play therapy sessions.
CLARIFYING! ENERGIZING! EYE-OPENING! INSPIRING! AMAZING!!!!
These are just a few words students have used to describe this course!
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COURSE DETAILS!!
Back by popular demand - revised, energized, and with an in-person and virtual option, join us November 9th-11th, 2023, for the next The Business of Therapy course! Custom designed for therapists, coaches, helpers and healers like yourself, who are deeply committed to making an impact and want to be of greater service - whether it's one-on-one in private practice, launching a product or program, or running a company - Elevate and take your entrepreneurial dream to new heights! This course teaches you the steps involved in building a dream, as well as helps you understand the why behind them so you can think like a business entrepreneur. Plus, for 2.5 days, Lisa Dion, creator of Synergetic Play Therapy®, President of the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute and co-founder of the Synergetic Education Institute, will give you the key ingredients she's learned and discovered along her own entrepreneurial journey. "This weekend was one of the best investments in myself I have ever made." - Bianca Kisselburg This course is for you, if you:- Have a business idea and don't know where to start
- Have a successful business and want to take it to the next level
- Have launched a dream and can't seem to get traction
- Feel overwhelmed by the many to-dos and responsibilities of your business
- Feel alone, confused and filled with self doubt as you think about building and growing your dream
- Keep finding yourself in-debt and/or not able to grow your finances
- Keep finding that your fears and limiting beliefs are stopping your growth
- Want to become more efficient with the business you have (no matter the size of your business) so that your business is working for you, not you having to keep working your business
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COURSE DETAILS!!
Keep scrolling to learn more about this course and the In-Person Experience! If you know that you would like to attend the course online, click here!
CLARIFYING! ENERGIZING! EYE-OPENING! INSPIRING! AMAZING!!!!
These are just a few words students have used to describe this course!
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COURSE DETAILS!!
Back by popular demand - revised, energized, and with an in-person and virtual option, join us November 9th-11th, 2023, for the next The Business of Therapy course! Custom designed for therapists, coaches, helpers and healers like yourself, who are deeply committed to making an impact and want to be of greater service - whether it's one-on-one in private practice, launching a product or program, or running a company - Elevate and take your entrepreneurial dream to new heights! This course teaches you the steps involved in building a dream, as well as helps you understand the why behind them so you can think like a business entrepreneur. Plus, for 2.5 days, Lisa Dion, creator of Synergetic Play Therapy®, President of the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute and co-founder of the Synergetic Education Institute, will give you the key ingredients she's learned and discovered along her own entrepreneurial journey. "This weekend was one of the best investments in myself I have ever made." - Bianca Kisselburg This course is for you, if you:- Have a business idea and don't know where to start
- Have a successful business and want to take it to the next level
- Have launched a dream and can't seem to get traction
- Feel overwhelmed by the many to-dos and responsibilities of your business
- Feel alone, confused and filled with self doubt as you think about building and growing your dream
- Keep finding yourself in-debt and/or not able to grow your finances
- Keep finding that your fears and limiting beliefs are stopping your growth
- Want to become more efficient with the business you have (no matter the size of your business) so that your business is working for you, not you having to keep working your business
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COURSE DETAILS!!
Keep scrolling to learn more about this course and the In-Person Experience! If you know that you would like to attend the course online, click here!
CLARIFYING! ENERGIZING! EYE-OPENING! INSPIRING! AMAZING!!!!
These are just a few words students have used to describe this course!
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COURSE DETAILS!!
Back by popular demand - revised, energized, and with an in-person and virtual option, join us November 9th-11th, 2023, for the next The Business of Therapy course! Custom designed for therapists, coaches, helpers and healers like yourself, who are deeply committed to making an impact and want to be of greater service - whether it's one-on-one in private practice, launching a product or program, or running a company - Elevate and take your entrepreneurial dream to new heights! This course teaches you the steps involved in building a dream, as well as helps you understand the why behind them so you can think like a business entrepreneur. Plus, for 2.5 days, Lisa Dion, creator of Synergetic Play Therapy®, President of the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute and co-founder of the Synergetic Education Institute, will give you the key ingredients she's learned and discovered along her own entrepreneurial journey. "This weekend was one of the best investments in myself I have ever made." - Bianca Kisselburg This course is for you, if you:- Have a business idea and don't know where to start
- Have a successful business and want to take it to the next level
- Have launched a dream and can't seem to get traction
- Feel overwhelmed by the many to-dos and responsibilities of your business
- Feel alone, confused and filled with self doubt as you think about building and growing your dream
- Keep finding yourself in-debt and/or not able to grow your finances
- Keep finding that your fears and limiting beliefs are stopping your growth
- Want to become more efficient with the business you have (no matter the size of your business) so that your business is working for you, not you having to keep working your business
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COURSE DETAILS!!
Keep scrolling to learn more about this course and the In-Person Experience! If you know that you would like to attend the course online, click here!Title
