• Play Therapy with Sexually Traumatized Children

    Children who have been sexually traumatized are often in need of our clinical services. Both directive and non-directive play therapy approaches provide these traumatized children with healing and the repair of losses associated with sexual trauma, such as innocence, trust, and appropriate boundaries. In this course you will develop your expertise and become a more effective advocate for your child clients with the knowledge and insight offered through this presentation. You will learn about sexual development in children, the psychological markers of sexual trauma, and the special issues these children present in play therapy, including: consulting with non-offending parents, dealing with the powerful impact of countertransference, and setting limits. Scroll down for all of the course details!
  • "The Intro to SPT class is the best class I have ever taken. There is no better training for counselors! I have a deeper understanding of the process and how to help children in the playroom. It has given me a whole new perspective and changed my life both personally and professionally. Being authentic allows you to be free. There are just no words to describe it!" -Nancy Asher Online Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy® is a 22-hour course that takes you on a journey to explore the neuroscience behind what is happening in the play therapy process, how to repattern a child's nervous system, and what it means to become an external regulator in the playroom. You will also learn how to effectively work with caregivers and what it means to create a neuroception of safety allowing both the child and the caregiver to have a deeper integration. And if this wasn't enough, you will come to understand the magic of aggressive play, sand and art from the perspectives of nervous system regulation, attunement, attachment, mindfulness, and authenticity. You'll learn all this while also how to avoid burnout and compassion fatigue. Come discover what showing up in the playroom truly means and explore what is happening in the play therapy process, how change occurs, and ultimately what it takes to help children heal at profound levels. And the best part is, you get to be you on the journey! Curious what this class is all about? Get the details here. And, check out what past students have to say Online Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy® Prerequisite Training:
    • Completed or enrolled in a Master’s Degree (or equivalent) program in counseling, social work, or education
    • Previous experience working with children and families (required)
    • Basic understanding of play therapy and play therapy skills (required)
    *For class details and objectives, see below.
  • This course supports play therapists as they learn about setting boundaries from a neurobiological perspective, keeping the child’s brain and nervous system activation in mind! Drawing from Interpersonal Neurobiology and Synergetic Play Therapy, participants will learn how to set boundaries without shaming the child or stopping the child’s play, allowing for deeper integration and connection. Working with emotional flooding (the child’s and the therapist’s) will also be explored. Please scroll down for course details.
  • Helping a child heal involves helping them be themselves. One of the best ways to foster this type of environment is to cultivate safety. The therapist knowing the playroom is safe is not enough; the child must know it, too. This course explores what a neuroception of safety is and how to create it within the child and yourself.
  • Siblings are often friends and enemies, a complicated relationship that can show up in the playroom in all sorts of ways. Brothers, sisters, sharing, caring, and noogies? This webinar explores this colorful and challenging dynamic. Learn when sibling therapy is appropriate and how to embrace the different types of play powerful for pairs.

  • ENROLL NOW AND MAKE SPT PART OF YOUR NEW YEAR!

    Registration Closes January 21st
    Have you been searching for ways to create a deeper impact for your clients? Or perhaps ...
    • Looking for game-changing concepts, ideas, and techniques to repattern a child's nervous system and become a more effective external regulator in the playroom?...
    • Wanting to experience aggressive play, sand, and art from the perspectives of nervous system regulation, attunement, attachment, mindfulness and authenticity?...
    • Feeling burned out and want to find ways to come back to yourself or feel "green" again, like a new therapist full of curiosity and liveliness?...
    • Curious how to create a neuroception of safety for both the child and the caregiver to experience deeper integration?...
    • Wanting to learn a solid play therapy theory that combines the powers of play with interpersonal neurobiology?...
    • Or just wanting to feel a little more like YOU in the play therapy process?...
    Online Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy® is a 22-hour course that takes you on a journey to explore the neuroscience behind what is happening in the play therapy process, how to repattern a child's nervous system, and what it means to become an external regulator in the playroom.

    You will learn how to effectively work with caregivers and what it means to create a neuroception of safety allowing both the child and the caregiver to have a deeper integration.

    And if this wasn't enough, you will come to understand the magic of aggressive play, sand and art from the perspectives of nervous system regulation, attunement, attachment, mindfulness, and authenticity.

    You'll learn all this while also how to avoid burnout and compassion fatigue. Come discover what showing up in the playroom truly means and explore what is happening in the play therapy process, how change occurs, and ultimately what it takes to help children heal at profound levels. And the best part is, you get to be you on the journey! 

    Curious what this class is all about? ... Get the details here.

    And, check out what past students have to say

    "SPT is the missing piece in play therapy. I gained an understanding of who I am in the playroom - a humanness that wasn't there before." -Frances Donohue

    Online Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy® Prerequisite Training: (if seeking Association for Play Therapy credit, you must meet all of these prerequisites)

    • Completed or enrolled in a Master’s Degree (or equivalent) program in counseling, social work, or education 
    • Previous experience working with children and families (required)
    • Basic understanding of play therapy and play therapy skills (required)

    *For class details, objectives and payment options, see below.

  • REGISTRATION FOR THIS SESSION HAS CLOSED! YOU CAN REGISTER FOR OUR NEXT SESSION HERE. The Online Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy launches you on a personal journey towards discovering what showing up in the playroom truly means. It explores what is happening in the play therapy process, how change occurs, and ultimately what it takes to help children heal at profound levels. It invites you to be you! Curious what this class is truly about? Get all the details here. To learn what others have to say, check out our testimonials. Online Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy 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 required
    • A basic understanding of play therapy and play therapy skills is required
    This six-month course includes three, one-hour LIVE webinars with Lisa Dion, six 2.5-hour recorded videos, and monthly consultations** with a Synergetic Play Therapy™ Supervisor/Consultant to help you integrate what you are learning. It is designed for masters-level therapists and clinicians (or equivalent) and provides the chance to learn from anywhere. Connect without the commute! Special topics such as facilitating sand, art, trauma, and aggressive play are covered from the perspective of nervous system regulation, attunement, attachment, mindfulness, and authenticity. Participants will also learn how to track their client’s changes for parents, teachers, agencies, and themselves. **Do you want consultation catered to your needs? For the first time ever, we are offering the option to add consultations and customize your experience to fit your unique situation. You may opt for 50-minute sessions instead of 30-minute consultations. You can purchase additional consultations now or you can purchase after the course has begun (if choosing the latter, please contact us and we'll provide you with a link). To make monthly payments, please click here. *For class details and objectives, please see below.  
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  • The Online Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy launches you on a personal journey towards discovering what showing up in the playroom truly means. It explores what is happening in the play therapy process, how change occurs, and ultimately what it takes to help children heal at profound levels. It invites you to be you! *For class details and objectives, please see below.  
  • JOIN US FOR OUR SIGNATURE COURSE AND GROW AS A THERAPIST!

    Have you been searching for ways to create a deeper impact for your clients? Or perhaps ...
    • Looking for game-changing concepts, ideas, and techniques to repattern a child's nervous system and become a more effective external regulator in the playroom?...
    • Wanting to experience aggressive play, sand, and art from the perspectives of nervous system regulation, attunement, attachment, mindfulness and authenticity?...
    • Feeling burned out and wanting to find ways to come back to yourself or feel "green" again, like a new therapist full of curiosity and liveliness?...
    • Curious how to create a neuroception of safety for both the child and the caregiver to experience deeper integration?...
    • Wanting to learn a solid play therapy theory that combines the powers of play with interpersonal neurobiology?...
    • Or just wanting to feel a little more like YOU in the play therapy process?...
    Online Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy is a 19-hour course that takes you on a journey to explore the neuroscience behind what is happening in the play therapy process, how to repattern a child's nervous system, and what it means to become an external regulator in the playroom.

    You'll learn how to effectively work with caregivers and what it means to create a neuroception of safety allowing both the child and the caregiver to have a deeper integration.

    And if this wasn't enough, you'll come to understand the magic of aggressive play, sand and art from the perspectives of nervous system regulation, attunement, attachment, mindfulness, and authenticity.

    You'll learn all this while also how to manage burnout and compassion fatigue when it arises.

    Come discover what showing up in the playroom truly means and explore what is happening in the play therapy process, how change occurs, and ultimately what it takes to help children heal at profound levels.

    And the best part is, you get to be you on the journey! 

    Check out what past students had to say about their experiences in the course!

    "SPT is the missing piece in play therapy. I gained an understanding of who I am in the playroom - a humanness that wasn't there before." -Frances Donohue

    *For class details and objectives, see below.

  • Helping children learn how to regulate is essential, but without first strengthening the child's interoceptive sense, regulation may not be successful. This experiential workshop offers various opportunities to explore how play can develop this fundamental part of the sensory system. As play therapists, there is an understanding that regulation and co-regulation are essential skills that must be developed in order to have successful relationships and manage emotions, and are essential for trauma integration; however, what many play therapists may not fully understand is that there is a prerequisite that needs to be in place for regulation skills to be effective.  What has been understood for years in the world of Occupational Therapy is now becoming a primary focus of education for play therapists. This important understanding is that the child’s interoceptive sense, the 8th sensory system that is responsible for letting the brain know how the body is doing, must be developed first before a child can successfully regulate and co-regulate.   Without the development and strengthening of the interoceptive sense, a child may have all kinds of regulation knowledge and tools but will not be able to read their own body cues to know when to use any of them. Examples such as knowing when to use the bathroom, when to take a deep breath, when to ask for help, the ability to read non-verbal cues, knowing when emotions are feeling overwhelming, etc. all rely on interoception.   This playful workshop is designed to help play therapists learn what the interoceptive sense is and how to use play to develop interoception in their child clients setting the stage for successful regulation and co-regulation. Play therapists will have fun experientially exploring this fundamental part of the sensory system! (This course is a recording of a 2 hour live webinar held in November 2023) See course details 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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  • In today’s digital era, children’s play has expanded into new realms, where they engage, connect, and communicate in transformative ways. To support young clients effectively, play therapists must understand and embrace the evolving world of digital play. This insightful course with Dr. Rachel Altvater explores how the digital landscape shapes children’s engagement, self-expression, and identity. Starting with a reflection on your own perspectives about digital native culture, you’ll dive into how digital environments influence children and adolescents, equipping you to meet them where they are. Through practical strategies, you’ll learn to connect with clients in their digital spaces, foster meaningful therapeutic relationships, and seamlessly integrate digital tools into your play therapy practice. The session also examines the vital role of digital identity, uncovering how this space serves as more than entertainment—it’s where young clients form relationships, build resilience and navigate their world. By the end of this course, you’ll walk away with fresh insights and actionable techniques to strengthen the therapeutic alliance, deepen connections, and achieve meaningful outcomes with the digital natives you serve.
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