- 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)
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"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)
"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)
"The neuroscience behind this training will blow your mind!" - Keri Sawyer "I used to struggle with explaining how play therapy "works" to fathers who were more "left brain" (e.g., Lawyers, accountants, Google employees, etc). But that's not an issue for me anymore. Lisa taught me how to work with resistant fathers so they can confidently "buy" into the play therapy process!" - Susan StutzmanIn this thought-provoking yet practical workshop, participants will explore what it really takes to partner with parents. They will have the opportunity to understand how to have a successful intake session setting the stage for a higher level of investment and commitment, how to communicate to parents so that they understand what play therapy is and how it works, how to translate what is happening in the playroom so that parents understand how the goals are being worked on, what to do with resistant parents and what to do when parents just want to drop their child off to be "fixed".
Through new skills, insights and a framework rooted in relationship theory, therapists are guaranteed to leave feeling inspired to work with parents.
This course helps play therapists strengthen their work with parents so they can:
- Get More Clients
- Understand the Parent's Brain
- Be More Authentic with Parents
- Have Successful Parent Intakes
- Level-Up Their Parent Coaching Skills
Please see course details below. For a list of all available products, please go here. 
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.
"Clear, to the point information on how to set up play therapy in a home, how to set boundaries (literally and figuratively speaking), and how to work with parents." -Marina Keukens Terrell "Love the ideas and talking about setting up a space for boundaries if it is a shared space within a home!" -Carly Schrimpl Take the guesswork out of doing play therapy in the home! .... Are you an in-home play therapist finding yourself confused and even overwhelmed about how to bring play therapy into the home? Do you ever wonder where boundaries are? What toys to bring? How to structure your time? What to do with the parents when they are also there? How to talk to the parents about what you are doing? In this training you'll explore how to make your time in the home the most therapeutic experience possible while bringing clarity and certainty to your role. https://youtu.be/jP0W4Rs3AMk This course is for you if ...- Struggle with setting boundaries and structure your time for in-home play therapy sessions.
- Lost on what toys to bring with you into the home.
- Confused on how to explain play therapy sessions to parents.
- Practice in places like hospitals & schools
We know that supporting a child struggling with obsessive compulsions can be incredibly challenging. Often, the desire to move the child out of their rigidity and rituals can overshadow the deeper issues and stressors driving the behaviors. We also know that Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a complex disorder as the reasons behind the behaviors vary widely from managing anxiety to past traumas to focused energy inside of a child driving them towards their genius and that which is most meaningful. Due to the complexity, we can often mis-label, mis-understand, and mis-guide these children in how to work with and understand their rituals and need for perfectionism. We also can inadvertently intensify the inner struggle that is often experienced by these children as they attempt to stop, control, and even deny the urges in their bodies. And that is why we created this course, so you know what to do when OCD shows up in your play therapy sessions! Drawing from Synergetic Play Therapy and Interpersonal Neurobiology, this course explores non-directive and directive play based interventions to help support play therapists on a path to understand the perfection in these children's perfection, while teaching the child how to do the same. Play therapists will take a deeper look at the regulatory function of the child’s behaviors that manage the internal conflicts and anxieties these children often carry. Through discussion topics and experiential exercises, play therapists will learn how to separate the underlying drivers from the wisdom of the rituals themselves. With this knowledge, play therapists will learn how to use themselves and many forms of play to help these children access an understanding of the greatest perfection that exists, the child just as they are. “I loved Lisa's knowledge and approach - very open minded but also structured. Her personal stories of working with clients were very impactful and made it easy to attach the theories to real scenarios.” - Student testimonial See the full course description 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.
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.
Learn a solid play therapy theory that combines the power of play with interpersonal neurobiology in Brisbane, Australia!
Registration Deadline is August 29, 2025 | Space is Limited! Reserve Your Spot Today!
Use Early Bird Coupon Code “Brisbane2025” for $50 USD off until May 6th, 2025!
Click here to experience how you can transform you and your child clients from the inside out!
You asked and we answered! For those of you who have wanted to enroll in our signature Level 1 Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy program, but are seeking an in-person experience, this program is for you! Have you been searching for ways to create a deeper impact for your clients? Or perhaps you are wanting to improve or learn more about...- Becoming an external regulator to support children with integration and repatterning the activation of their nervous system.
- Supporting healing at deeper levels through right brain to right brain attuned communication
- Teaching children interoceptive (body) awareness (...the key ingredient for self-regulation and co-regulation)
- Creating a neuroception of safety for a child when emotional flooding happens
- Setting boundaries with the brain in mind to not minimize, shame or shut down the child's play, but keep them engaged in their therapy process
- Building collaborative relationships with caregivers to support their child's therapeutic process
- Developing goals, tracking a child's therapeutic process, and translating what's happening during the child's therapy session to their caregiver(s) and others in the world
- Helping children develop a secure attachment to themselves (...a foundation of resilience)
- Applying SPT concepts from a cultural lens for a more inclusive and culturally sensitive clinical orientation where a client's unique experiences and needs are honored
- How to feel a little more like YOU in the therapy process (...because we know inauthenticity is the fastest way to burnout and compassion fatigue)
- And so much more!
"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
Join the growing number of mental health professionals, those in related roles (Child Life Specialists, School Counselors, Occupational Therapists, Coaches, etc.), and parents/caregivers who are learning SPT!
Check out what past students had to say about their experiences here.
Keep scrolling to learn about program dates, cost, learning objectives, scholarship opportunities, CE credit hours, and more.
Learn a solid play therapy theory that combines the power of play with interpersonal neurobiology in Brisbane, Australia!
Registration Deadline is August 29, 2025 | Space is Limited! Reserve Your Spot Today!
Use Early Bird Coupon Code “Brisbane2025” for $50 USD off until May 6th, 2025!
Click here to experience how you can transform you and your child clients from the inside out!
You asked and we answered! For those of you who have wanted to enroll in our signature Level 1 Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy program, but are seeking an in-person experience, this program is for you! Have you been searching for ways to create a deeper impact for your clients? Or perhaps you are wanting to improve or learn more about...- Becoming an external regulator to support children with integration and repatterning the activation of their nervous system.
- Supporting healing at deeper levels through right brain to right brain attuned communication
- Teaching children interoceptive (body) awareness (...the key ingredient for self-regulation and co-regulation)
- Creating a neuroception of safety for a child when emotional flooding happens
- Setting boundaries with the brain in mind to not minimize, shame or shut down the child's play, but keep them engaged in their therapy process
- Building collaborative relationships with caregivers to support their child's therapeutic process
- Developing goals, tracking a child's therapeutic process, and translating what's happening during the child's therapy session to their caregiver(s) and others in the world
- Helping children develop a secure attachment to themselves (...a foundation of resilience)
- Applying SPT concepts from a cultural lens for a more inclusive and culturally sensitive clinical orientation where a client's unique experiences and needs are honored
- How to feel a little more like YOU in the therapy process (...because we know inauthenticity is the fastest way to burnout and compassion fatigue)
- And so much more!
"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
Join the growing number of mental health professionals, those in related roles (Child Life Specialists, School Counselors, Occupational Therapists, Coaches, etc.), and parents/caregivers who are learning SPT!
Check out what past students had to say about their experiences here.
Keep scrolling to learn about program dates, cost, learning objectives, scholarship opportunities, CE credit hours, and more.
