• Sandtray therapy prominently features the art of reflecting. In fact, it may be the therapy skill most associated with the craft. However, we can become so accustomed to the language of reflecting that we can lose contact with its intent. In this course, you will explore the skill of reflecting through the lens of the attachment theory concept of reflective functioning. Marshall Lyles will walk you through examples honoring this intersection through use of the sand tray. Scroll down for all of the 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 plan 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.
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  • Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) can be a part of growing up. But how can we help turn these obstacles into opportunities for growth and resilience? And apply this knowledge to the play therapy process? This webinar explores how play therapy can be used to help mitigate the effects of ACES. Learn the major categories of ACES, along with protective factors or strategies that have been shown to be helpful both in the short-term and long-term.
  • Aggression and death are common parts of the play therapy process, yet many therapists don’t have a clear understanding of what to do and how to facilitate intensity. This can lead to inadvertently promoting aggression and low brain disorganization. It can also lead to the therapist feeling beat up, exhausted, and hyper-aroused, ultimately impacting their ability to stay attuned, remain present, and find inspiration in this field. Enter Synergetic Play Therapy! Through an SPT lens, and a heavy dose of neuroscience, this 2-hour course helps therapists learn how to use play in a way that supports regulation – their own and their client’s! 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Early Bird Payment Plan: 9 Months:  $478 USD, Online | $641 AUD 12 Months:  $364 USD, Online | $488 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"]    
  • Lisa Dion and Dr. Robert Jason Grant, creator of AutPlay Therapy, discuss what Sensory Processing Disorder is, how to begin to understand it in the context of play therapy, and offer helpful suggestions for therapists to get started.
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