Level 1 Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy Program (ONLINE)

Registration is Open for the June 2025 Online Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy Program!

Are you ready to learn a transformative play therapy approach that combines the power of play with the latest in interpersonal neurobiology?

Discover the Program:

The level 1 Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy program is designed for both beginning and experienced practitioners, offering the tools to deepen your understanding of play therapy and apply cutting-edge neuroscience in your practice. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll explore:

Regulation:

  • Become an external regulator to support repatterning a child’s nervous system for integration and healing.
  • Learn how to teach a child interoceptive (body) awareness (the key ingredient for self-regulation and co-regulation).
  • Understand how nervous system activation connects to mental health symptoms.

The Brain & Neuroscience:

  • Learn how to create a neuroception of safety during emotional flooding.
  • Set boundaries that support brain integration while keeping children engaged in therapy.
  • Use reflections and responses that target multiple areas of the brain for deeper healing.

Collaborative Relationships:

  • Build effective partnerships with caregivers to support the therapeutic process.
  • Help caregivers recognize that all behaviors make sense, even challenging ones.
  • Set goals, track a child’s therapeutic progress, and translate the child’s play to their caregivers and others.

Authenticity & Congruence:

  • Use therapist authenticity to promote profound client change and prevent burnout.
  • Explore aggressive play, sand, and art through the lenses of regulation, mindfulness, and attachment.
  • Cultivate cultural sensitivity to honor the unique experiences and needs of each client.

Join the growing number of mental health professionals and those in related roles (child life specialists, school counselors, occupational therapists, etc.) who are learning Synergetic Play Therapy!

“I’m learning Synergetic Play Therapy with Lisa Dion after over 20 years of providing play therapy and 10+ years of providing play therapy training and supervision. I’m here today to tell you that what she is teaching is a game changer. Every one of us needs to understand in an embodied way what it means to combine neurobiology and relationship as the foundation of all the work we are doing with clients, but also with colleagues, friends, family members and SELF. Much of what I’m learning, I’ve known and done intuitively for years but it is SO liberating to connect the dots and have an understanding through the neurobiological lens of WHY we need to utilize and trust what we feel in our own bodies when in connection with another person.”

Lynn Louise Wonders

“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!”

Jackie Flynn

“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.”

Mike Smith

“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!”

Jessie Brockmeier

“This [program] was a perfect combination of understanding the current science/research, gaining clinical understanding and learning new practical skills in order to find the perfect balance of how to work with clients and their families.”

Kaity Sollenberger

“This [program] really was more of an experience. I connected with myself on a deeper level and feel it is going to help me immensely in my work. Lisa explained the content in a simple way that I was able to understand, including multiple learning tools to solidify concepts. It was phenomenal!”

Kayla Barnett

Upcoming Registration Deadlines:

  • June 2025 Online Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy Program
    • *Early Bird Deadline: May 13, 2025 (Use Coupon Code “June2025Introat checkout for discount!)
    • Final Registration Deadline: June 23, 2025, at 12pm Mountain Time (Denver)

*Register by the Early Bird deadline for $50 USD off the total cost of the program. 

For full program details including cost, dates, learning objectives, and more, keep scrolling!

SKU: N/A Category:

Description

Program Prerequisites:

  • Must have completed or be actively enrolled in a graduate level counseling/mental health program (or equivalent within your country).
  • Must have previously worked or currently be working with children.

Program Details: 

This six-month online program includes three, one-hour LIVE webinars with Lisa Dion, six 2.5-hour recorded videos, two additional 1 hour video lessons, a Book Review, and monthly group consultations with a Synergetic Play Therapy Consultant, adding up to about 32 hours of engagement! 

*Please note that consultation is a mandatory part of the program to help you integrate what you are learning, however, the 6 hours spent in consultation do not count toward total CE Credit Hours.

Consultation is provided to accommodate ALL time zones. Students will be provided with a questionnaire to select their group consultation times upon purchasing this program in a confirmation email. Group consultation assignments will be first come, first serve.

Program Dates:

Please click on each of the program offerings, below, to view the full program schedule including live webinar and module release dates.

*2026 program dates coming soon!

Program Dates: June 24th, 2025 – November 14th, 2025

Live Webinar and Module Release Dates:

  • June 24th Webinar 1: One-hour LIVE Webinar (2:00pm Mountain Time, Denver)
  • June 24th: Module 1 released – Understanding the Set Up/Offering
  • July 18th: Module 2 released – Understanding States of Activation
  • August 15th: Module 3 released – Becoming an External Regulator
  • September 9th: Webinar 2: One-hour LIVE Webinar (2:00pm Mountain Time, Denver) + Bonus video: Synergetic Play Therapy & Teletherapy released
  • September 9th: Video Lessons released – Synergetic Play Therapy and Cultural Humility AND 4 Threats and the Set Up Through a Cultural Lens
  • September 19th: Module 4 released – Partnering with Caregivers/Tracking the Play
  • October 17th: Module 5 released – Understanding Attachment & Emotional Age
  • November 11th: Webinar 3: One-hour LIVE Webinar (2:00pm Mountain Time, Denver)
  • November 14th: Module 6 released – Sand, Art, & Aggression in Synergetic Play Therapy 
  • November 14th: Video Lessons Synergetic Play Therapy and Cultural Humility AND 4 Threats and the Set Up Through a Cultural Lens Quiz released
  • November 14th: Book Review released – Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach for Integrating Intensity

*Access to the program course site and materials will expire January 31, 2026.

Program Dates: October 14, 2025 – March 20, 2026

Live Webinar and Module Release Dates:

  • October 14th: Webinar 1: One-hour LIVE Webinar (2:00pm Mountain Time, Denver)
  • October 14th: Module 1 released – Understanding the Set Up/Offering
  • November 14th: Module 2 released – Understanding States of Activation
  • December 19th: Module 3 released – Becoming an External Regulator
  • January 13th Webinar 2: One-hour LIVE Webinar (2:00pm Mountain Time, Denver) + Bonus video: Synergetic Play Therapy & Teletherapy
  • January 13th: Video Lessons released – Synergetic Play Therapy and Cultural Humility AND 4 Threats and the Set Up Through a Cultural Lens
  • January 23rd: Module 4 released – Partnering with Caregivers/Tracking the Play
  • February 20th: Module 5 released – Understanding Attachment & Emotional Age
  • March 17th: Webinar 3: One-hour LIVE Webinar (2:00pm Mountain Time, Denver)
  • March 20th: Module 6 released – Sand, Art, & Aggression in Synergetic Play Therapy
  • March 20th: Video Lessons Synergetic Play Therapy and Cultural Humility AND 4 Threats and the Set Up Through a Cultural Lens Quiz released
  • March 20th: Book Review released – Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach for Integrating Intensity

*Access to the program course site and materials will expire May 31, 2026.

What You’ll Learn:

Throughout this comprehensive 6-month online program, you’ll delve into topics including: the neuroscience behind what’s happening in the playroom; how to repattern the activation within your client’s nervous system; what it means to become an external regulator; how to work with aggression and create a neuroception of safety; how to more effectively work with caregivers/parents; a deeper understanding of attachment theory and ways to help children develop a secure attachment to themselves (a foundation for resilience); ways to honor a client’s culture in the play therapy process; offering sand and art from the perspectives of nervous system regulation, attunement, attachment, mindfulness, and authenticity; the importance of developing a child’s interoceptive awareness (a crucial skill for regulation); and so much more! 

Module 1 / Webinar 1 – Understanding the Set Up / Offering

  • Describe how Synergetic Play Therapy was inspired, the tenets, the history, and its main play therapy influences
  • Explain how children use The Set Up/Offering in play therapy to set the toys and the therapist up to feel how they feel
  • Describe how children are looking for templates to help pattern and re-pattern their states of activation

Module 2 – Understanding States of Activation

  • Explain the link between nervous system states and the symptoms that show up in the playroom
  • Describe the importance of regulation in the playroom
  • Explain what regulation is and isn’t according to Synergetic Play Therapy

Module 3 / Webinar 2 – Becoming an External Regulator

  • Explain the “funnel analogy” as a way to understand what children are attempting to integrate in their play therapy sessions
  • Describe how Synergetic Play Therapy approaches boundary setting
  • Describe what it means to become the external regulator in a session to help a child integrate their challenges

Video Lesson – Synergetic Play Therapy and Cultural Humility 

  • Identify the importance of differences in how a child approaches play therapy depending on an individual’s culture
  • Explain what it means for play therapists to have “done the work” to become curious with their clients in play therapy using a cultural approach
  • Understand the term “microaggressions’ and how to apply Synergetic Play Therapy concepts in the play therapy process

Video Lesson – 4 Threats and the Set Up Through a Cultural Lens 

  • Explain why culture is important when considering the 4 Threats in play therapy
  • Understand how culture impacts the Set Up and Offering in play therapy
  • Demonstrate ways that as a therapist culture can be considered in the play therapy process

Module 4 – Partnering with Caregivers / Tracking the Play

  • Discuss the implications for caregivers being in their own grief process when they bring their children to play therapy
  • Describe what it means to become a caregiver’s external regulator
  • Discuss the importance of setting goals and speaking in terms of what is important to the caregiver when partnering with them in therapy
  • Describe the Therapeutic Stages in Synergetic Play Therapy

Module 5 – Understanding Attachment & Emotional Age

  • Discuss Synergetic Play Therapy’s perspective on attachment
  • Explain why interoception is the pre-req for the ability to regulate and co-regulate and why this is a key focus in a Synergetic Play Therapy session
  • Describe the difference between a child’s emotional age and their chronological age

Module 6 / Webinar 3 – Sand, Art, & Aggression in Synergetic Play Therapy

  • Explain how to use regulation as a way to help integrate aggressive energy in the playroom
  • Describe how to facilitate the use of sand from a Synergetic Play Therapy perspective in the playroom
  • Explain how to facilitate the use of art from a Synergetic Play Therapy perspective in the playroom

Book Review: Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach for Integrating Intensity 

  • Develop an understanding of aggression and death play that is based on brain function and neuroscience in the play therapy process.
  • Explain the four threats to the brain that activate a fight/flight/freeze/collapse response and why this is so important to know when working with children in play therapy.
  • Assess the concept of “one foot in and one foot out” and its impact on the play therapy process.
  • Understand the practical ways to authentically work with the intensity of aggression and death play, without causing compassion fatigue or burnout in play therapy.
  • Develop an understanding of how to set boundaries without shaming or shutting the child down in the play therapy process.
  • Identify ways to regulate yourself in the midst of an intense play therapy session so as to model to the child client how to do the same, thereby enhancing the child’s capacity for self-regulation.


Mandatory Book:

Please purchase this required book, Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach for Integrating Intensity by Lisa Dion, before your training. Lisa will be using it as a reference to provide supplemental readings.

To purchase, go to: https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393713190 and use coupon code LDION21 for 20% off! (This only applies to purchases made in the U.S.)

The book is also available in Audio format and two translations: Spanish and Japanese!

If you reside in Australia/New Zealand, you can order the book through Booktopia, Dymocks, QBD, Amazon AU, etc. Search the ISBN, 9780393713190 to pull results quickly. If you are unable to locate the book in your country, please email us at info@synergeticplaytherapy.com, so we can contact the publisher and assist you in obtaining a copy.

 

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 program please contact the Institute directly.

Presenter: Lisa Dion, LPC, RPT-S

Lisa Dion, LPC, RPT-S, is an international teacher, creator of Synergetic Play Therapy, founder and President of the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute, co-founder of the Synergetic Education Institute, 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 and is the 2015 recipient of the Association for Play Therapy’s Professional Education and Training Award of Excellence.

Cost: $1295.00 USD*

*Register by the Early Bird deadline for $50 USD off the total cost of the program. See Registration Deadlines above.

Click here for payment plan options

*If you are an organization with 4 or more individuals interested in registering for one of our signature programs, you may be eligible for a discount! Please contact the Institute to learn more about Organizational Partnerships!

Refund Policy:

A full refund of the program fee, minus a $150 USD non-refundable administrative fee, will be provided if the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute is notified within 30 calendar days of registration/enrollment in the program.

No refunds will be issued after 30 calendar days from the date of registration/enrollment in the program or after 4 weeks before the start of the program, whichever comes first. However, participants may transfer their payment to another program offered by the Institute or transfer their registration to a different year. Requests for transfers must be made at least 30 days before the start of the originally registered program.

In the case of an emergency situation that prevents participation in the program, please contact the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute directly to discuss your circumstances. Emergency considerations will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis at the Institute’s discretion.


Interested in Scholarship opportunities? Partial and full scholarships are offered through the Synergetic Play Therapy Foundation! For application details please visit the SPT Foundation Scholarship page.

Additional information

Select your online program:

June 2025 Online Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy, October 2025 Online Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy (COMING SOON), January 2026 Online Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy (COMING SOON), June 2026 Online Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy (COMING SOON), October 2026 Online Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy (COMING SOON)

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