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.  
  • 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***

  • Registration closes July 30, 2025, for the 3.5 Day Learning Retreat!

    Did you know that as an esteemed alumnus of the Synergetic Play Therapy Certification program, you have the opportunity to return to the online learning retreats and join new cohorts of the Certification program - eager, possibly terrified, and ready to be inspired? (Remember that?)
    Why Come Back?
    As part of the ongoing commitment to keep the teaching of Synergetic Play Therapy ever-evolving, we continue to update the Certification program content. By returning to the online learning retreats, you will:
    • Be reminded of the power of the SPT Tenets
    • Receive some of the most up-to-date and current understanding of interpersonal neurobiology and SPT theory
    • Practice your Synergetic Play Therapy skills with play, sand, and art
    • Have the opportunity to do your own personal work toward growth and transformation
    • "Come home" to yourself and find even more ways to be fearlessly authentic
    • Inspire the new cohort of aspiring Certified SPTers and share your own genius
    • AND, meet FULL SPT Credential/Recertification requirements!
    If you are ready to get back into community, refresh your SPT learning, and feel the excitement of the new SPTers on their own Certification journey, we would like to invite you back to join us for the 2025-2026 Synergetic Play Therapy Certification program online learning retreats! "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, Certified Synergetic Play Therapist and Supervisor
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  • 2025-2026 Synergetic Play Therapy® Certification Program

    Early Bird Pricing Application Deadline is April 1, 2025 Final Application Deadline is June 16, 2025

    You've already seen the powerful impact of Synergetic Play Therapy through the Level 1 Introductory program—now, imagine what’s possible when you take your skills even further. Click the link below to take the first step toward transformation ....

    Click here FIRST to experience how this program can transform your work and your SELF!

    .... Now that you have begun to feel what this program has to offer you, we hope you will choose to join us on this 10-month journey! This program is designed to help you embody the therapeutic skills that will unlock profound transformation for both you and your clients. Imagine feeling more attuned, confident, and capable in every session—able to guide your clients through breakthroughs that go beyond the surface. As one participant put it, “I already got my money’s worth in just the first day!” Are you ready to embody the next level of healing and authenticity? Start your journey now to discover how this program can transform your practice.

    *Keep scrolling to learn about program dates, cost, learning objectives, scholarship opportunities, CE credit hours, and more!

    If you are ready to submit your application, 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!

  • "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.
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  • "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.
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  • 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.
  • During your journey to become a Certified Synergetic Play Therapist you studied nervous system regulation, authenticity and congruency, interoception, emotional age, and so much more to help you become more  masterful at becoming an external regulator for a child and their caregivers.  You also learned how to apply these concepts to yourself for your own growth and development in order to heal yourself and develop your capacity for self-regulation.  And now it is time to take the next step towards self mastery…. Go deeper into the development of yourself -  Deeper into understanding the body and your own activation patterns - Deeper into your mind - Deeper into integrating your perceptions and working on emotional charges that you have held onto or are holding onto. 💖 "A dazzling few days full of paradigm shifts, connection to self and others, and getting comfortable with being uncomfortable." - Machen Champion 💖 "My experience at the Advanced Certified SPT retreat was uncomfortable, mind-blowing, and ultimately life changing and I wouldn't have it any other way." - Rachel Hardies For course details and topics covered, see below.  
  • During your journey to become a Certified Synergetic Play Therapist you studied nervous system regulation, authenticity and congruency, interoception, emotional age, and so much more to help you become more  masterful at becoming an external regulator for a child and their caregivers.  You also learned how to apply these concepts to yourself for your own growth and development in order to heal yourself and develop your capacity for self-regulation.  And now it is time to take the next step towards self mastery…. Go deeper into the development of yourself -  Deeper into understanding the body and your own activation patterns - Deeper into the mind - Deeper into integrating your perceptions and working on emotional charges that are in the way of being an external regulator. For course details and topics covered, see below.
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  • SOLD OUT!

    This advanced program, designed for those who have completed the Synergetic Play Therapy® Certification, is an immersive 4-day in-person experience offering an in-depth exploration of advanced Synergetic Play Therapy® concepts. You’ll learn to apply these concepts across a broad spectrum of client groups and age ranges from children, caregivers, groups/families and teens/adults. Throughout the program, you will engage in interactive learning experiences, including dynamic role-plays and live demonstrations. These activities will allow you to observe and influence real-time therapeutic scenarios, enhancing your Synergetic Play Therapy® skills and theoretical understanding. Additionally, you’ll collaborate with fellow SPTers, sharing insights and discussing complex cases to enrich your learning experience. Day 1: Children
    • Deepen your understanding of working with children in Synergetic Play Therapy®.
    • Engage in role play scenarios to handle complex child behaviors and emotions.
    • Learn to deepen the therapeutic relationship and foster greater attachment to self and healing for your young clients.
    Day 2: Parents/Caregivers
    • Learn more ways to support and engage parents and caregivers.
    • Gain a greater understanding of how to become the caregiver's external regulator and involve them in their child’s healing process.
    Day 3: Groups/Families
    • Go deeper applying your Synergetic Play Therapy® skills with groups and families.
    • Watch Lisa facilitate complex family and group dynamic scenarios.
    • Learn to navigate and resolve challenges within group and family therapy settings.
    Day 4: Teens/Adults
    • Deepen your understanding of Synergetic Psychotherapy for teen and adult clients.
    • Apply your Synergetic Play Therapy® skills (authenticity, mindfulness, emotional congruence, reflective dialogue, regulation, etc.) and tailor them to your teen and adult clients.
    • Explore how to “SPT” your sessions with teens and adult clients, supporting them in moving from deflective awareness to reflective awareness.
    This program is crafted to integrate your existing knowledge with advanced teachings, boosting your confidence and proficiency in Synergetic Play Therapy® theory and tenets. Join us to expand your skills and deepen your practice, gaining valuable tools to enhance your therapeutic work with different client groups and across the lifespan!   See program details below.
    Sign Up Now
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