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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.
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.
Registration is Open for the June 2025 Online Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy Program!
Are you ready to learn a transformative play therapy approach that combines the power of play with the latest in interpersonal neurobiology?Discover the Program:
The level 1 Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy program is designed for both beginning and experienced practitioners, offering the tools to deepen your understanding of play therapy and apply cutting-edge neuroscience in your practice. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll explore:Regulation:
- Become an external regulator to support repatterning a child's nervous system for integration and healing.
- Learn how to teach a child interoceptive (body) awareness (the key ingredient for self-regulation and co-regulation).
- Understand how nervous system activation connects to mental health symptoms.
The Brain & Neuroscience:
- Learn how to create a neuroception of safety during emotional flooding.
- Set boundaries that support brain integration while keeping children engaged in therapy.
- Use reflections and responses that target multiple areas of the brain for deeper healing.
Collaborative Relationships:
- Build effective partnerships with caregivers to support the therapeutic process.
- Help caregivers recognize that all behaviors make sense, even challenging ones.
- Set goals, track a child's therapeutic progress, and translate the child's play to their caregivers and others.
Authenticity & Congruence:
- Use therapist authenticity to promote profound client change and prevent burnout.
- Explore aggressive play, sand, and art through the lenses of regulation, mindfulness, and attachment.
- Cultivate cultural sensitivity to honor the unique experiences and needs of each client.
Join the growing number of mental health professionals and those in related roles (child life specialists, school counselors, occupational therapists, etc.) who are learning Synergetic Play Therapy!
“I’m learning Synergetic Play Therapy with Lisa Dion after over 20 years of providing play therapy and 10+ years of providing play therapy training and supervision. I'm here today to tell you that what she is teaching is a game changer. Every one of us needs to understand in an embodied way what it means to combine neurobiology and relationship as the foundation of all the work we are doing with clients, but also with colleagues, friends, family members and SELF. Much of what I’m learning, I've known and done intuitively for years but it is SO liberating to connect the dots and have an understanding through the neurobiological lens of WHY we need to utilize and trust what we feel in our own bodies when in connection with another person.”“It’s been over 2 years since I took the Synergetic Play Therapy [program]. One of the best choices I’ve ever made. The magnitude of deeply attuning with our clients...and ourselves...is immeasurable!”“I personally took a lot out of this [program], not all of it was new, but what was new was extremely useful and impactful. What wasn’t new was an excellent reminder to go back to my roots of attachment and emotional work when working with children just like I have worked with youth and adults over the years but in a slightly different context. My entire team has felt the positive impact of this training on our work and we are very happy that we all did it at the same time. We will be able to continue to practice it together and that is very exciting.”“This experience has been validating to my entire human experience, and offered a clear framework to better connect with myself, client, and world! I know this was only the tip of the iceberg into integrating these powerful concepts, and I'm so hooked, I've already signed up for certification to continue my journey!”“This [program] was a perfect combination of understanding the current science/research, gaining clinical understanding and learning new practical skills in order to find the perfect balance of how to work with clients and their families.”“This [program] really was more of an experience. I connected with myself on a deeper level and feel it is going to help me immensely in my work. Lisa explained the content in a simple way that I was able to understand, including multiple learning tools to solidify concepts. It was phenomenal!”Upcoming Registration Deadlines:
- June 2025 Online Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy Program
- *Early Bird Deadline: May 13, 2025 (Use Coupon Code "June2025Intro" at checkout for discount!)
- Final Registration Deadline: June 23, 2025, at 12pm Mountain Time (Denver)
*Register by the Early Bird deadline for $50 USD off the total cost of the program.
For full program details including cost, dates, learning objectives, and more, keep scrolling!
The Synergetic Play Therapy Institute® in collaboration with PIP Solutions presents “Working with Adopted Children in Play Therapy”. Many adopted children have unique challenges which present in different ways in the playroom. Play Therapists can often feel unsure but are aware of the importance of responding through a different lens. In this course, there will be an emphasis on the importance of working with the child’s neuro-biological processes such as regulation and dys-regulation, as well as the importance of educating and working with the child’s adoptive parents.
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)
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.
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 course 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. This course is designed to enhance or increase the professional knowledge of graduate-level counselors.
We live in a technological age: there is no pacifying Pac-Man, no axing Apple. But screen time doesn’t always mean zoning out. In moderation, Mickey Mouse and Mario can be our allies, helping children better connect to the world around them. This webinar explores the therapeutic value of screen time and how to use it as part of a play therapy process. Learn how to recognize when a child is using it to avoid and when a child’s use of technology is the perfect entry into the therapeutic alliance.
