In this 1-hour home study course, guest teacher Cary Hamilton draws on more than 20 years of professional and lived experience to explore how play therapy can support neurodivergent children through a neurodiversity-affirming lens. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of processing differences, executive functioning, and sensory experiences while discovering practical, play-based interventions that foster regulation, connection, emotional expression, and engagement.
Together, you’ll explore how both structured and child-led play can create opportunities for safety, relationship, and growth. Through sensory-rich experiences, therapeutic storytelling, role-play, and other playful interventions, you’ll learn ways to support each child’s unique nervous system while honoring their individual strengths, preferences, and ways of relating to the world.
Rather than asking children to fit into a therapeutic model, this course invites therapists to thoughtfully adapt their approach—creating space for authentic connection, meaningful play, and the healing that emerges when children feel understood and accepted for who they are.
Presenter
Cary Hamilton
Why Add SPT to Your Practice?
“I personally took a lot out of this [program], not all of it was new, but what was new was extremely useful and impactful. What wasn’t new was an excellent reminder to go back to my roots of attachment and emotional work when working with children just like I have worked with youth and adults over the years but in a slightly different context. My entire team has felt the positive impact of this training on our work and we are very happy that we all did it at the same time. We will be able to continue to practice it together and that is very exciting.”
“This experience has been validating to my entire human experience, and offered a clear framework to better connect with myself, client, and world! I know this was only the tip of the iceberg into integrating these powerful concepts, and I’m so hooked, I’ve already signed up for certification to continue my journey!”
“It’s been over 2 years since I took the Synergetic Play Therapy [program]. One of the best choices I’ve ever made. The magnitude of deeply attuning with our clients…and ourselves…is immeasurable!”