• Level 1 Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy Program (ONLINE)

    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.”
    Lynn Louise Wonders
    “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!”
    Jackie Flynn
    “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.”
    Mike Smith
    “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!”
    Jessie Brockmeier
    “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.”
    Kaity Sollenberger
    “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!”
    Kayla Barnett

    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!
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  • Working with families as a whole presents a complex and multifaceted endeavor, often marked by intricate dynamics. This course delves into the significance of integrating families into the play therapy process, providing guidance on effectively engaging all family members during sessions and examining the myriad benefits this inclusive approach offers.  You will also understand the role of the nervous system in family interactions and strategies for regulating and harmonizing family dynamics within the context of play therapy sessions.
  • 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.
  • 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.
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  • Pay in Full Early Bird - **Save! Get $500 (USD) or $600 (AUD) off the full cost of the course when you pay in full by March 22nd for a massive discount!!* North America = $3750.00 USD Australia = $4,900.00 AUD [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 USA, but want to attend the retreats in Australia, you will choose the Australian Currency, wait for the page to refresh, and then select your plan to add to your cart. If attending the Online Retreat, select USD from the drop down menu.
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  • 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.
  • *This is NOT a course. Earn non-contact continuing education credit by completing a quiz based on the book.  Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach to Integrating Intensity offers a way to work with aggressive play that allows children to learn how integrate the intensity they are experiencing from their thoughts, emotions, and sensations while simultaneously supporting regulation in the therapist's nervous system. These will help therapists understand the neurobiological processes that lead kids to dys-regulation, and help them facilitate emotional healing in their clients.  Topics Covered Include:
    • What Regulation Really Means
    • Making Aggressive Play Therapeutic
    • Authentic Expression
    • Setting Boundaries
    • Hyper-Aroused Play
    • Observing Play
    • Hypo-Aroused Play
    • Working with Parents
    • Developing Yourself as the External Regulator
    Note: Test fee does not include publication material. Purchase book prior to completing online tests. If you have not read this book or need to purchase it, please scroll down for the Amazon link.  *For additional class details and objectives, please see below.
  • 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.
  • Payment Plan Total 9 Months: $489 USD per month, North America | $656 AUD per month, Australia 12 Months: $374 USD per month,, North America | $501 AUD per month, Australia   [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"]
  • 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.
  • 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!
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