In the playroom, avoidant and dismissive attachment patterns may show up as distance, compliance, control, emotional flatness, or a child who seems determined to need nothing from you. And when a child doesn’t reach for connection, therapists can find themselves wondering: How do I reach them without pushing them further away?
Drawing from Synergetic Play Therapy and the neurobiology of attachment, this 1-hour home study course explores what may be happening beneath the child’s presentation and how the therapeutic relationship can become a place where something new is possible.
Rather than trying to make a child connect, you’ll explore how to use your own regulated, congruent presence to create the conditions for connection to emerge at the child’s pace. You’ll deepen your understanding of how avoidant attachment patterns can unfold in the therapeutic relationship and discover ways to stay attuned when a child’s greatest expression of vulnerability may be keeping you at a distance.
Because sometimes the most powerful invitation to connection is not reaching harder—it’s learning how to hold steady.
Presenter
Lisa Dion
Lisa Dion, LPC, RPT-S, is an international teacher, creator of Synergetic Play Therapy, founder and President of the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute.
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!”