Lisa is an international teacher and pioneer in the play therapy field. Her unique perspective allows her to get right to the heart of the struggles that children and families present.
Lisa calls herself “a scientist at heart,” always striving to figure out why things are the way they are. This inner drive towards knowledge created a deep yearning in her to figure out the details of the play therapy process. Coupled with her own experiences as a mother, Lisa has been on a journey to discover the details of personal transformation in children. She studied interpersonal neurobiology, the brain, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, symbolism, physics, attachment/attunement, and human development. The synthesis of this information lead to the creation of a new model of play therapy called, “Synergetic Play Therapy.”
Lisa has had the privilege of impacting and influencing thousands of therapists all over the world with her teachings and helping transform the lives of thousands of children.
With her desire to help children and families, Lisa founded the Play Therapy Institute of Colorado in 2009 with the mission to train play therapists worldwide with the most cutting edge knowledge possible, as well as create a place where children and families could receive quality mental health services that are accessible and affordable.
In her private practice, Lisa does work with children and families when she is not traveling and teaching. Contact her directly to see if she is available for play therapy sessions.
“Lisa has a natural gift for working with children. Her awareness and insight combined with her professional knowledge make her truly available. She is emotionally available to both the children she works with and the parents that demand her insight. She is physically available in her environment, playing on the floor and getting dirty in the sandbox. And she is intellectually available in that she is always processing what is happening in the moment, recognizing even the smallest amount of progress. Lisa lets the process of therapy unfold naturally and comfortably while insuring it moves forward. She is a gift.”
“I was defeated, hopeless and helpless when seeking out Lisa. My daughter was out of control. I had so much shame and guilt and I finally reached out for help. Working with Lisa helped shift our anger and resentment to love and gratitude. Lisa helped me identify how my daughter was my greatest teacher and the brilliance of the divine order of our journey together.”
“I cried every day when Ben was 3. He was just so frustrated, angy and controlling. He was miserable, and so were we. I think we brought him to you when he was 4. Ben’s play therapy was a major turning point in our lives. He went from being a frustrated, angry preschooler to an incredibly confident, affectionate and caring kid. He’s 10, and his teachers have told us that he’s one of the kindest, most mature boys they’ve had in class. He still has his moments of being a perfectionist and he gets frustrated, but it doesn’t control his life. He hugs us at least once every day and says “thanks – for everything!” Can’t ask for more appreciation than that from a 10 year old boy! Really, not a week goes by that I don’t think about how fortunate we were to have had your help. I truly believe that play therapy with you helped him become the “best” Ben he could be, and we are appreciating every moment of it!”