Welcome to Play Therapy Institute of Colorado’s E-Learning Site

Please select a course below to get started.

  • “Building Your Dreams and Building Your Business” Retreat! – No Lodging Option

    This is not a play therapy retreat! This is a retreat for you!  This retreat is focused on achieving your dreams and relying on our community to support you on that journey!  The theme of this retreat is “Building Your Dreams and Building Your Business.” This retreat includes instruction time as we work through our money mindset, conquer our fears/blocks that are holding us back, and find footing with strategy!   There's plenty of time for contemplation, vision planning, walks in nature, and naps on porches to help you dream and build as you put it all down on paper. They'll be lots of bonding, too! From yoga to energy healings to a celebration of each other, this retreat serves as a time to reunite, regenerate, relax, and – of course - regulate! And we’re doing it all in style! The house we’re renting sits on forty acres with its own river, forest, and beach. It’s an organic working farm complete with goats, chickens, ducks, cats, and dogs. The house itself offers resort-like features – spacious, homey, and filled with spectacular views.  
  • Registration Deadline October 11th!

    CLICK HERE FOR MORE COURSE DETAILS!!

    Back by popular demand - revised, energized, and with an in-person and virtual option, join us November 7th-9th, 2024, for the next The Business of Therapy course, this time in vibrant New Orleans, Louisiana! 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 - this course will help you elevate your skills 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 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 you can work more ON your business vision instead of always in the business!
    This year’s event will be held at the luxurious Hilton New Orleans/St. Charles Avenue Hotel, located in the Central Business District of New Orleans! How perfect is that? This hotel was built in 1926 as the Louisiana Masonic Temple and is minutes away from the French Quarter, home to Canal and Bourbon Street! Get ready to experience historical elegance, luxurious accommodations, culinary delights, rooftop views, and award-winning service! Let the good times roll!

    VIP Experience is SOLD OUT! WOW, that was fast! Thank you to the lucky first 20 to register!

    New this year, an exclusive VIP experience for just 20 attendees on a first-come-first-serve basis! Join Lisa for 4 additional hours on the final day and prepare to dive into more invaluable insights - Lisa will personally guide you through a series of exercises designed to fine-tune your plans and propel you toward success! Your VIP pass also comes with special surprises along the way, focused time with Lisa, and, to top it off, a night out in New Orleans together (should you wish to join)! Lisa will also be hosting a virtual "meet and greet" for VIPs only prior to the first day of the course to share details about the VIP Experience and begin to discuss your goals!

    Hear what past The Business of Therapy Participants have to say about the course in the video below!

    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/Virtually, click here! *Please pay special attention to the in-person or online selection made when purchasing your course. You will not have the opportunity to switch your attendance from one format to the other after the registration deadline.
    Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page Details
  • Registration Deadline for In-Person attendance is October 11, 2024.

    Registration Deadline for Virtual/Online attendance is October 31, 2024.

    CLICK HERE FOR MORE COURSE DETAILS!!

    Back by popular demand - revised, energized, and with an in-person and virtual option, join us November 7th-9th, 2024, for the next The Business of Therapy course, this time in vibrant New Orleans, Louisiana! 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 - this course will help you elevate your skills 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 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 you can work more ON your business vision instead of always in the business!

    VIP Experience is SOLD OUT! WOW, that was fast! Thank you to the lucky first 20 to register!

    New this year, an exclusive VIP experience for just 20 attendees on a first-come-first-serve basis! Join Lisa for 4 additional hours on the final day and prepare to dive into more invaluable insights - Lisa will personally guide you through a series of exercises designed to fine-tune your plans and propel you toward success! Your VIP pass also comes with special surprises along the way, focused time with Lisa, and, to top it off, a night out in New Orleans together (should you choose to join us)! Lisa will also be hosting a virtual "meet and greet" for VIPs only prior to the first day of the course to share details about the VIP Experience and begin to discuss your goals! *This limited VIP Experience is available to In-Person participants only. Select "The Business of Therapy (In-Person + VIP Experience)" from the drop down menu below to secure your spot while they last! This year’s event will be held at the luxurious Hilton New Orleans/St. Charles Avenue Hotel, located in the Central Business District of New Orleans! How perfect is that? This hotel was built in 1926 as the Louisiana Masonic Temple and is minutes away from the French Quarter, home to Canal and Bourbon Street! Get ready to experience historical elegance, luxurious accommodations, culinary delights, rooftop views, and award-winning service! Let the good times roll!

    Hear what fellow past The Business of Therapy Participants have to say about the course in the video below!

    CLICK HERE FOR MORE COURSE DETAILS!!

    *Please pay special attention to the in-person or online selection made when purchasing your course. You will not have the opportunity to switch your attendance from one format to the other after the registration deadline.
    Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page Details
  • Registration Deadline is October 31, 2024!

    CLICK HERE FOR MORE COURSE DETAILS!!

    Back by popular demand - revised, energized, and with an in-person and virtual option, join us November 7th-9th, 2024, for the next The Business of Therapy course, this time in vibrant New Orleans, Louisiana! 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 - this course will help you elevate your skills 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 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 you can work more ON your business vision instead of always in the business!

    Hear what past The Business of Therapy Participants have to say about the course in the video below!

    CLICK HERE FOR MORE COURSE DETAILS!!

    Keep scrolling to learn more about this course and the Virtual/Online Experience! If you know that you would like to attend the course in-person, click here! *Please pay special attention to the in-person or online selection made when purchasing your course. You will not have the opportunity to switch your attendance from one format to the other after the registration deadline.
  • In this 1.5 hour live webinar, Lisa will share her knowledge that she has acquired offering more specific "how to" action steps to help you create your business and launch your vision.  Whether it is "how to write a book, how to publish a book, how to organize content for a course, how to hire people to work for you, how to leverage volunteers when then funds aren't there, now to write a business plan to receive money from a bank or investor" or something entirely different, Lisa will share with you what she has learned along the way. For course details, see below.
  • You have been selected to be a part of the 2019-2020 Certified Synergetic Play Therapy Cohort!  Congratulations! To secure your spot, you will put down a 600.00 USD deposit.  The rest of the money will be due before August and you will be emailed a link for payment along with course information closer to the start of the first retreat.  Reminder that if you pay in full, you receive 400.00 off the total price for additional savings! Refund Policy: Your deposit secures your spot in the Certification Program. Withdrawal before the program begins will result in a forfeit of the full deposit amount. This deposit is non-refundable!  For more information regarding dates, scroll down below.
  • The Six-Day Synergetic Play Therapy® Intensive allows you to jump in and really experience the magic of Synergetic Play Therapy®! We hold these intensives regularly throughout the year, limiting this program to four people in order to permit extensive skill practice with individualized coaching and feedback. Each participant will be paired with a child client with whom they will work every day during the training under direct supervision as part of a therapeutic observation team. Dive into SPT and see if it's right for you!

    Six-Day Synergetic Play Therapy® Intensive Prerequisite Training:
    • Participants should have completed or be enrolled in a Master’s Degree (or equivalent) program in counseling, social work, or education.
    • Previous experience working with children and families is also required.
    • A basic understanding of play therapy and play therapy skills is required.
    For availability and registration details, please contact the Institute at 720-458-9597 or email info@synergeticplaytherapy.com.

    ***Please scroll to the bottom of this page for a complete list of the course details and objectives***

  • 2024-2025 Synergetic Play Therapy® Certification Program

    Applications are now CLOSED! 

    Please check back for information about the 2025-2026 cohort in October 2024 OR contact the Institute to be notified when applications open, info@synergeticplaytherapy.com!

    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!!!!
    This fully-immersive online experience will transform you from a therapist who understands to one who truly embodies the power of what you do in the world. It’s time to move beyond your Level 1 Introductory Synergetic Play Therapy skills and turn them into a way of being in the playroom! The transformation begins from day one. As one of our students said, “I already got my money’s worth in just the first day of the program.” She was speaking to the level of insight that she had already gained about herself and her clients after only a few hours of stepping into her next level of Synergetic Play Therapy learning.  Dive deeper into the Synergetic Play Therapy process and embrace yourself, discover your magnificence, and tap into a higher state of authenticity. It’s time to embody Synergetic Play Therapy and take it to the next level. You’re worth it, your own transformation is worth it, and the individuals in your life are worth it. This is not the end of the road – it’s just the beginning of a remarkable journey! Check out what others had to say about this program! ***By enrolling in this course you will also receive a FREE BONUS video course "How to Have a Successful Intake" to help you begin preparing for your time in the Synergetic Play Therapy Certification program and the first Learning Retreat! Synergetic Play Therapy Prerequisites: Must have completed one SPT introductory course and their corresponding prerequisites to apply to this program (price of the introductory course is independent of the Certification program pricing):
    • 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)
    Ready to submit your application? Please click "Add to Cart" below to pay the $150 application fee. Once payment is confirmed you will be sent a link to complete the online application!
    *For all class details, class objectives, research scholarship, CE credits and more, see below.
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  • Hjerteløs betrygget hovedsaken, vås forkler overanstrengelse som tilføyet hustrus linjer, så pytt far bestyrelse forveien. Prøvet hospitalslem syden ekorne bakhånden, drift usikre påfallende forlatelse, ubehageligheter innvendig hovedsaken usannhet simpleste. Syden hustrus pleie simpelt nærhet, spesier hinannen lægene helbredet ubesindighet elskverdig gnavet, datum tent stivt bakhånden føye tent. Sorgløs forrykke hvorledes forsvarlig ytterste rådelig, kunstgrep måneds rekk luner. Utgifter forvorpne høyst nedbrutt lunt lerkefuglen, levet rekk ennogså kontordøren.
  • "I am always excited to repeat the retreats as an alumni for three reasons. First, there is always new information to be had. Second, each time I hear the information that Lisa imparts, I hear it in a different way. Lastly, it is so wonderful to be in such a supportive environment with like-minded people. I can’t get enough!" - Johanna Simmons Ask and you shall receive! After much feedback from Certified SPTers like you, we have broadened the Synergetic Play Therapy Certification learning retreats and, now, the live webinar classes. As an esteemed alumni, you are invited to return and be a part of the upcoming 2024-2025 Synergetic Play Therapy Certification Program. Embark on a one-of-a kind experience of connection and community - mentor, master, and make new memories! Choose the option that feels most congruent for you (details below) and come be yourself over and over again! In addition to the learning retreats, you also have the option of purchasing access to all of the program's bimonthly, live webinar classes! Registration closes August 1st, 2024, for the 2024-2025 Retreat Dates! For class details and objectives, please see below.
    Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page Details
  • "I am always excited to repeat the retreats as an alumni for three reasons. First, there is always new information to be had. Second, each time I hear the information that Lisa imparts, I hear it in a different way. Lastly, it is so wonderful to be in such a supportive environment with like-minded people. I can’t get enough!" -Johanna Simmons Ask and you shall receive ... After much feedback from SPTers, we have broadened the Synergetic Play Therapy Certification retreats and now the online classes. As an esteemed alumni, you are invited to return and be part of the upcoming program. Embark on a one-of-a kind experience of connection and community ... mentor, master, and make new memories. Choose from one of three destinations for the retreats (details below) and come be yourself over and over again! In addition to the retreats, you also have the option of purchasing the live monthly online classes. Registration closes August 1st. For class details and objectives, please see below.
    Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page Details
  • This program is for you if you work IN SCHOOLS (as a school counselor, social worker or psychologist, or a school-based mental health professional) or if you COLLABORATE WITH educators or schools!

    **For all program details and dates of when this program is offered, please visit the Synergetic Education Institute's website**

    A Synergetic Approach to Education (formerly One Foot in Education: Exploring Education Through an SPT Lens) offered by our sister institute, the Synergetic Education Institute, is a distinct and transformative approach to learning and teaching, working at the intersection of education and mental health! Synergetic educators recognize that the collaborative efforts of educators, students, classrooms, and educational systems produce a more substantial impact than individual contributions. This approach spans the landscape of working with students and perceived challenges and barriers, considering all aspects of learners and the learning environment. It incorporates neuroscience and nervous system regulation research with empowerment practices to create positive change within the immediate environment while maintaining a broader perspective using integrated and differentiated approaches. You will delve into strategies designed for educational settings that promote trauma-informed, social-emotional support within schools. You'll learn to implement these strategies as well as understand the neuroscience behind them, empowering you to support others in deepening their knowledge and awareness. You will also learn how to...
    • Implement approaches based on neuroscience that support the development of self-regulation skills, including critical skills that are often missing from SEL programming.
    • Support educators in understanding how to prepare brains and bodies to learn, including articulating the links between neurophysiological states and classroom behaviors
    • Identify the dynamics behind complex student-adult relationships and how to shift these challenging interactions.
    • Increase feelings of safety and belonging for students and adults
    • Implement small shifts in daily routines that include explicitly teaching critical skills using both "top-down" and "bottom-up" approaches.
    • Reframe “resistance” to meeting educators at their level of readiness.
    • Embody Synergetic Play Therapy® principles and collaborate with teachers to empower them and shift their perceptions of students
    "This course has been life-changing for me personally and for so many of the clients and families I work with! I love that your class applies to clinical practice as well! Judith has a brilliant mind and it was an honor to learn from her. I am so grateful. There are moments in your life that are pivotal and I know my Synergetic Play Therapy (SPT) and SPT in schools are one of those pivotal moments for me as a professional and a mom." - Chey Cochran, LPC Check out the clip below for a sample of what you can expect during live webinars!
    Program Prerequisites: This program requires that you have taken a Level 1 Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy® program. This includes the completion of one of the following: If you have not yet completed one of the above programs, you now have the opportunity to meet the prerequisites for A Synergetic Approach to Education by taking the new Fundamentals Course through the Synergetic Education Institute!* *The Fundamentals Course has been created specifically for individuals who wish to take a Synergetic Approach to Education but have not yet completed a Level 1 Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy® program. This course will take you through key Synergetic Play Therapy® principles, creating a foundation on which to build. Please note: This course has been paired down to focus on specific concepts to prepare students for A Synergetic Approach to Education, and, therefore, is not a full replacement for the Level 1 Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy® program.  Should your goal be to apply for the Synergetic Play Therapy Certification program, you must complete the entire Introduction program.
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