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The Synergetic Play Therapy Institute in collaboration with PIP Solutions presents “Conceptualizing Cases from a Synergetic Play Therapy Lens”. Translating a right brain play experience into a left brain conceptualization is not an easy task. Play therapists often grapple with a sense of uncertainty when trying to comprehend a child’s unique therapeutic progression and assessing whether goals are being achieved. This course, led by Lisa Dion, aims to address this issue by introducing a structured framework derived from Synergetic Play Therapy. Students will gain insights into how to conceptualize cases effectively and apply this framework to enhance the efficacy of their therapeutic interventions.
2024-2025 Synergetic Play Therapy® Certification Program
Please use this product to finalize your registration for the 2024-2025 Synergetic Play Therapy® Certification Program. If paying before or by the Early Bird deadline, you may use the coupon code you were provided via email at checkout to apply your discount. The final payment deadline for this program is June 28, 2024. To select your payment option, please use the dropdown menu below to choose your first, 3.5 Day Learning Retreat Online Location. (By selecting your virtual retreat location you are committing to the same location for both program learning retreats.) Your selection will finalize your registration of this program and your pricing option. *Please note: All pricing options will be displayed in USD at checkout. See details below.
With their changing brains and hormones, finding ways to integrate play with pre-teens and teens can at times just feel “Awkward”. Learn how to navigate therapy with our clients who are no longer children, but also not quite yet adults. From twelve-year-olds to seniors in high school, adolescence is a time filled with change. This can make the notion of bringing play therapy to this population a challenge. Do we play? Do we talk? Do I ask questions? What do I do?" As such, many therapists find themselves at a loss with this age group, feeling just as confused as they do! In this workshop, play therapists will delve into the mysteries of the teenage mind as we bust myths and glean insight into how to best offer therapeutic support. Using neuroscience, Developmental, Synergetic, and Systemic theories, participants will explore how to navigate this "awkward" and sometimes "overwhelming" developmental stage using an eclectic framework of non-directive and directive play therapy approaches. Understanding how to assess the teen's emotional age, an area often missed when working with this population, will also be covered as a way to understand how to incorporate play into the therapy process. The information presented is designed to open minds and hearts as participants uncover the wisdom of the changing brain and the wisdom of the teenage years. Through lecture, demonstration, and discussion, this workshop will deconstruct this mysterious stage and support play therapists in discovering how they can help mature and remodel the teenage brain, while supporting movement towards the discovery of the authentic self- the cornerstone of the development of a teenager's identity. To get a sense for the course, check out this short video below:See course details below.
Eating challenges in children can show up in many ways. From the refusal to eat to eating too much, underneath often lies the need for perfectionism and control. Helping kids take these challenges off their plates involves offering choices and uncovering co-existing issues, as well as providing parental support. This course takes a look at this important struggle.
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.
From a stroll through the Lollipop woods of Candyland to a fight over the Thimble in Monopoly, games are part of childhood. In the playroom, certain games are more commonly used than others. How do we use chess as a pawn in our therapeutic healing? How can we call on checkers to check on the child’s state of regulation? What does a game tell us about a child’s emotional world? This webinar explores these questions and more!
As play therapists, we are often searching for ways to help our clients regulate their emotions and body. This webinar explores how therapists can use yoga to increase their ability to connect with themselves and their clients while facilitating the regulation of emotions and body during play therapy sessions.
"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.
From a swingset to a grassy knoll, play therapy can happen outside of the playroom. Play therapy in a Pontiac? A sand tray in a sandlot? The setting doesn't matter! Why? Because it's the relationship between clinician and client that truly counts. This webinar explores boundaries, logistics, and how play therapy looks without toys or walls.
Thank you for your interest in the Six-Day Synergetic Play Therapy Intensive Training Program!
Intensives can only be registered for after participants have cleared availability with the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute. Please email info@synergeticplaytherapy.com for availability.
In order to secure your Intensive spot, please choose a payment option below or pay in full. Please note, the full fee must be paid by the first day of the intensive you are signed up for.
Cost: $1,750.00 (Payments are accepted in full, or over the course of 2 or 3 payments. Select your option from the drop-down menu)
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.
Divorce. The “D” word. The end of the marital road. A happily ever after run amok. It’s something that often gets a bad rap, especially when we think of the children stuck in the middle. But divorce, while it can be devastating to some kids, can also be a relief for others. Children’s perceptions are not all the same. This course explores how to support children in play therapy when they are experiencing divorce and separation.
Early Bird Pay In Full North/South America & Europe = $3900.00 USD Australia/Asia = $5230.00 AUD **Save! Get $500 (US Dollars) or $670 (Australian Dollars) off the full cost of the course when you pay in full AND by the early bird deadline for a massive discount!!* Early bird deadline depends on which course you are currently in or have taken in the past. Payment must be made 30 days from your early bird deadline. [aelia_currency_selector_widget title="Select your currency based on the retreat location you would like to attend and wait for the page to refresh before adding to cart." widget_type="dropdown"]
Thank you for your interest in the Six-Day Synergetic Play Therapy Intensive Training Program!
Intensives can only be registered for after participants have cleared availability with the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute. Please email info@synergeticplaytherapy.com for availability.
In order to secure your Intensive spot, please choose a payment option below or pay in full. Please note, the full fee must be paid by the first day of the intensive you are signed up for.
Cost: $1,750.00
Every therapist has been there – in a session with a child who doesn’t want to come in the room, a child who doesn’t want to do the task, a child who only wants to avoid the issue. This course explores what to do when a child client’s language and behavior say “no.” Join us as we explore resistance- what it is and what it is not. This course will further explore emotional avoidance and flooding as components of resistant behaviors.
Every adoption experience is unique, with a wide variety of perceptions. Yet at the heart of many stories is the deep sense of grief and loss, not only for the children but for the parents too. This can show up in and out of the playroom as complex trauma and a struggle with relationships. Healing involves helping children and parents connect to themselves, simultaneously asking therapists to become aware of the impact of the complexity and emotions that also arise within themselves. This course explores this complex issue.
Parents are the most important allies of the play therapist. But forming this alliance requires time, understanding, and lots of communication. It also requires congruence, adaptability, and an appreciation of the parents’ authentic selves. Parents and play therapists are on the same team with one common goal: promote healing for a struggling child. This one-hour home study course explores this play therapy pact.
Research in neuroscience and interpersonal neurobiology sheds light on the need for the play therapist to act as the external regulator supporting the child to move towards the intensity they are experiencing allowing for integration. This 3 hour video course explores this need during trauma integration for two primary reasons: 1) The child need to borrow the play therapist’s regulatory capacity as they work through their traumatic thoughts, feelings and sensations in play therapy and 2) The play therapist’s ability to regulate themselves during the intensity increases the capacity for presence and attunement with the child, while simultaneously supporting the health and longevity of their own nervous system. Without the ability of the play therapist to become the external regulator for the intensity that arises during trauma integration, both the child and the play therapist are at risk for emotional flooding and high levels of dysregulation in their nervous systems. Over time, this can significantly impact a play therapist’s longevity in the field, as well as the ability to stay attuned and present to a child in sessions. This course is a recording of a 3 hour live webinar with Trusted Provider Network. See course details below.
From the dad with doubts to the mom with mixed emotions, not all parents are sold on the idea of play therapy. The resistant parent is a parent who may have questions, shame, or confusion about the process. This course explores how to encourage parental understanding of the power of play and why it’s a key step in helping children heal.
Course Deposit: USD = $600.00 CAD = $788.00 AUD = $865.00 [aelia_currency_selector_widget title="Select your currency based on the retreat location you would like to attend and wait for the page to refresh before adding to cart." widget_type="dropdown"] For example: If you reside in the US but want to attend the retreats in Canada you will choose the Canadian Currency, wait for the page to refresh, and then select your plan to add to your cart.
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!
SOLD OUT!
This advanced program, designed for those who have completed the Synergetic Play Therapy® Certification program, 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 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
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:- Online or In-Person Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy® program
- Six-Day Synergetic Play Therapy® Intensive Training (no longer offered)
- Synergetic Play Therapy® Supplemental Course (no longer offered)
