What makes this class unique:

1. We take cutting-edge research in interpersonal neural anatomy, mindfulness, attachment theory and brain development from researchers like Daniel Siegel, Allan Schore, Stephan Porges, John Demartini and others, and then translate these findings into practical ways of working with children and parents.
2. Attachment is a buzz word in child development. However, few theorists recognize and understand how the attachment process actually works and the importance of attaching to one’s self first and foremost. Synergetic Play Therapy™ is the first play therapy model that integrates this key element into the therapeutic process. As the cornerstone of all healing, this class will give you insight into what attaching to one’s self means and how to facilitate yourself and your clients in the process of attaching to themselves.
3. Research shows that when we name our emotional state, we decrease our fight/flight/freeze/fall asleep response and increase our ability to make decisions and connect with self and other. You will learn the importance of the therapist’s congruent emotional expression in the playroom and how this is a key element of helping re-pattern a child’s nervous system.
4. All client symptoms are the result of a dys-regulated nervous system. You will learn how to identify the types of dys-regulation, how to model regulating activities to clients and how to translate this information to parents.
5. We will also cover the standard play therapy topics such as, how to facilitate sand, art, trauma and aggressive play. However, we will cover these topics from the perspective of nervous system regulation, attunement, attachment to self, mindfulness and authenticity.
6. With all of these new skills, it’s important to know how to track the client’s changes for parents, teachers, agencies and yourself.  You will learn how to track a client’s transformation in a simple, yet comprehensive way.

Each month we will build your skill set by exploring different topics through teachings, supervision, practice and video observation.