Alaska Association for Play Therapy Keynote: Topic TBD
2023-09-15 - 2023-09-16 | Alaska Association for Play Therapy
Save the Date! More details coming soon…

January 2024 Online Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy® (Level 1)
2024-01-23 - 2024-06-14 | Online
Have you been searching for ways to create a deeper impact for your clients? Or perhaps you are:

Looking for game-changing concepts, ideas, and techniques to repattern a child’s nervous system and become a more effective external regulator in the playroom?
Wanting to experience aggressive play, sand, and art from the perspectives of nervous system regulation, attunement, attachment, mindfulness and authenticity?
Feeling burned out and want to find ways to come back to yourself or feel “green” again, like a new therapist full of curiosity and liveliness?
Curious how to create a neuroception of safety for both the child and the caregiver to experience deeper integration?
Wanting to learn a solid play therapy theory that combines the powers of play with interpersonal neurobiology?
Or just wanting to feel a little more like YOU in the play therapy process?

Online Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy® is a 32-hour program 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 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 learning 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!
“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
When: January 23, 2024 – June 14th, 2024
Important Dates:

January 23rd, 2024: One-hour LIVE Webinar (2pm MT, Denver)
January 23rd, 2024: Module 1 released – Understanding the Set Up/Offering
February 16th, 2024: Module 2 released – Understanding States of Activation
February 16th, 2024: Video Lesson released – Synergetic Play Therapy® and Cultural Humility
March 15th, 2024: Module 3 released – Becoming an External Regulator
March 15th, 2024: Video Lesson released – 4 Threats and the Set Up Through a Cultural Lens
April 9th, 2024: One-hour LIVE Webinar (2pm MT, Denver) + BONUS VIDEO: Synergetic Play Therapy® & Teletherapy
April 19th, 2024: Module 4 released – Partnering with Caregivers/Tracking the Play
May 17th, 2024: Module 5 released – Understanding Attachment & Emotional Age
June 4th, 2024: One-hour LIVE Webinar (2pm MT, Denver)
June 14th, 2024: Module 6/Final Module released – Sand, Art, & Aggression in Synergetic Play Therapy®
June 14th, 2024: Book Review – Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach for Integrating Intensity

Cost: $1275.00 (USD) *Use coupon code: “Intro2024” at checkout for an early bird discount until January 9th.
Please click here for monthly payment option.
Registration Deadline: January 22nd, 2024 (12:00pm Mountain Time, Denver)
Refund Policy: Cancellations received before 4-weeks from the start date will receive a full refund minus a $150.00 USD administrative/processing fee. Cancellation after this time and once the class begins will forfeit the entire payment of the course. If an emergency arises, please contact us to discuss.
This is event is open to the public, please visit the organizations website for additional information. If you would like your organization to receive training in Synergetic Play Therapy, please contact the Institute at info@synergeticplaytherapy.com.

2024 The Business of Therapy Accountability Group
2024-01-31 - 2024-10-09 | Online
As a former participant of The Business of Therapy course, you’re invited to join this exclusive accountability group to take your professional development and business goals to the next level!
In this group, you’ll experience…

A blend of education, brainstorming, support, and peer accountability
A place where you can sharpen business skills and knowledge
Exponential growth and success toward your business goals with support from Lisa and your peers

There’s a saying that goes something like this, most people fail not because they never start, but because they never finish. Or, you might have heard this old cliché, most people don’t plan to fail; they fail to plan!
Lisa has given you the tools and foundation for building your business dream during The Business of Therapy course, but this group is really about continuing the work of WORKING ON YOUR BUSINESS instead of being stuck in the perpetual cycle of working IN your business. And, because this is an accountability group, you’ll receive both support and challenge (both are needed to maximize your growth ) as you continue to work toward your goals in 2024.
Give yourself a boost of energy each quarter and a renewed commitment to building your business, and life, in such a way that reflects your vision and goals. You can also think of it as “quarterly planning” at a much deeper level, one that’s going to keep your heart and soul engaged!
The truth for all of us is that building a dream and business takes time, effort, courage, and massive consistency to keep the doubts and fears at bay. Here’s an incredible opportunity to help you keep making progress all year long and continue learning even more business skills throughout 2024.
So don’t stop now! Let’s keep going, together!
This is a private group for those that have taken The Business of Therapy. If you would like more information, please contact the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute at info@synergeticplaytherapy.com.

Healing Medical Trauma in Play Therapy (LAPT Conference – Day 1)
2024-03-01 09:00 - 16:30 UTC | Loyola University New Orleans
Join Lisa as she Keynotes 2-days at the 2024 Louisiana Play Therapy Association Conference. On day 1, the topic will be Healing Medical Trauma in Play Therapy.
Description:
Medical trauma is a prevalent experience for many children who have undergone medical procedures or experienced chronic and acute conditions yet is often not included in trauma discussions. Learn how to use play to help children integrate their medical experiences.
According to the National Child Trauma Stress Network, up to 80% of children who undergo medical procedures experience some form of traumatic stress and 20-30% of parents and 15% of children experience chronic stress from medical procedures. Without knowing what medical trauma is and how the symptoms manifest, play therapists can inadvertently miss signs that the child has experienced a medical trauma or jump to conclusions regarding the child’s behaviors and play. In this 6-hour workshop, play therapists will explore medical trauma from the perspective of neuroscience and interpersonal neurobiology while drawing from Gestalt, Synergetic and Nature Based Play principles and theories. Using creative play-based ways to support children and their family’s healing process, participants will learn how to create emotional and relational safety for trauma integration. They will learn what it means to become a child’s external regulator to help integrate the activation in a child’s nervous system while safely allowing the child to access the stored trauma in their body from the trauma. Participants will also explore the symptoms often associated with medical trauma as the symptoms can often be confused with sexual or sensory trauma. Whether the child has experienced a single incident trauma or is struggling with a chronic illness, participants will learn what it really takes to integrate their experiences. As children are not the only ones affected by medical trauma, care for their caregivers will also be addressed, as well as an exploration of creative play-based ways to help the entire family system heal.
As this is a special populations workshop, it is important that participants already have a solid foundation in play therapy skills and experience. This workshop is thus geared towards an intermediate level.
This workshop helps participants gain a deeper understanding of the diverse impacts of childhood trauma, specifically medical trauma and its impact on the play therapy process. As participants learn about medical trauma, they will also be better able to create treatment goals, understand possible interventions and design a treatment process that is more congruent for the child and their family.
This is event is open to the public, please visit the organizations website for additional information. If you would like your organization to receive training in Synergetic Play Therapy, please contact the Institute at info@synergeticplaytherapy.com.

Playing Perfectly: A Play Therapist’s Guide for Working with OCD in Play Therapy (LAPT Conference – Day 2)
2024-03-02 09:00 - 16:30 | Loyola University New Orleans
Join Lisa as she Keynotes 2-days at the 2024 Louisiana Play Therapy Association Conference. On day 2, the topic will be Playing Perfectly: A Play Therapist’s Guide for Working with OCD in Play Therapy.
Description:
From perfectionism to anxiety to self-doubt, the world of a child struggling with OCD can be incredibly overwhelming. Come explore how to support these children in play therapy and discover how their need for perfection is in fact perfect.
Supporting a child struggling with obsessive compulsions and perfectionism can be incredibly challenging as the desire to move the child out of their rigidity and rituals can overshadow the deeper issues and stressors driving the behaviors. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a complex disorder as the reasons behind the behaviors vary 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, therapists often mis-label, mis-understand and mis-guide these children in how to work with and understand their rituals and need for perfectionism. Without an understanding of this disorder and how play therapy is able to support the integration of the underlying drivers of the behaviors, play therapists 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.
Drawing from Synergetic Play Therapy and interpersonal neurobiology, this workshop 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 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.
This is event is open to the public, please visit the organizations website for additional information. If you would like your organization to receive training in Synergetic Play Therapy, please contact the Institute at info@synergeticplaytherapy.com.

A Synergetic Approach to Revolutionizing Therapeutic Play with Children (Cape Town, South Africa)
2024-03-25 - 2024-03-26
Lisa Dion will be visiting Cape Town, South Africa to present a 2-day workshop on A Synergetic Approach to Revolutionizing Therapeutic Play with Children. Please check back after the new year for additional details.
This 2 day course is designed to help practitioners understand therapeutic play from a neuro-biological perspective. With the help of neuroscience, interpersonal neurobiology, and a Synergetic Play Therapy framework, practitioners will learn how to effectively work with therapeutic play in a way that supports nervous system regulation, reorganization of the child’s lower centers of the brain and promotes healing for the child. Through role play, discussion, and experiential exercises participants will learn practical techniques that can be used right away in the playroom. Topics such as boundaries, co-regulation, nervous system activation, emotional flooding and use of aggressive toys and play will be explored.
This training will also guide participants towards a deeper understanding of what it means to become a child’s external regulator during trauma play while practicing how to care for their own nervous system thereby decreasing compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma. The result is the transformation of trauma play into ways of connecting, healing, and mutual trust.
This is a 2-day in-person event is being hosted by Rene Ohlhoff. For additional information, please visit their website or contact Synergetic Play Theraot Instutute at info@synergeticplaytherapy.com.

3-Day In-Person Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy
2024-04-05 - 2024-04-07
The 3-Day In-Person Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy® is an 18 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 activation, and what it means to become an external regulator in the playroom!
You will learn how to effectively work with caregivers and what it means to create a neuroception of safety in play therapy allowing both the child and the caregiver to have a deeper integration.
And if that wasn’t enough, you will come to understand the magic of aggressive play, sand, and art from the perspectives of nervous system regulation, attunement, mindfulness, and authenticity AND how to apply these concepts to your play therapy practice!
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!
This is event is open to the public. If you would like more information or your organization is interested in training in Synergetic Play Therapy, please contact the Institute at info@synergeticplaytherapy.com.

Pia Konferans Organizasyon Ltd. Sti: Working with Aggression and Intensity in the Playroom
2024-05-04 - 2024-05-05 | Online
Lisa holding a live online workshop for future SPTers in Turkey! This workshop is designed to help play therapists understand aggression and death play from a neuro-biological perspective and a Synergetic Play Therapy lens. With the help of neuroscience and interpersonal neurobiology, therapists will learn how to effectively work with this type of play in a way that supports nervous system regulation, repatterning of the child’s autonomic activation patterns, and decreases compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma.
This workshop will take therapists to new possibilities as they explore a science-based process for working with children at the deepest, most profound levels while staying safe and sane. They will learn how to make aggressive play therapeutic while understanding what it takes to maximize growth and integration for their clients and themselves.
If you have questions or would like your organization to receive training in Synergetic Play Therapy, please contact the Institute at info@synergeticplaytherapy.com.

June 2024 Online Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy® (Level 1)
2024-06-18 - 2024-11-15 | Online
Have you been searching for ways to create a deeper impact for your clients? Or perhaps you are:

Looking for game-changing concepts, ideas, and techniques to repattern a child’s nervous system and become a more effective external regulator in the playroom?
Wanting to experience aggressive play, sand, and art from the perspectives of nervous system regulation, attunement, attachment, mindfulness and authenticity?
Feeling burned out and want to find ways to come back to yourself or feel “green” again, like a new therapist full of curiosity and liveliness?
Curious how to create a neuroception of safety for both the child and the caregiver to experience deeper integration?
Wanting to learn a solid play therapy theory that combines the powers of play with interpersonal neurobiology?
Or just wanting to feel a little more like YOU in the play therapy process?

Online Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy® is a 32-hour program 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 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 learning 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!
“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
When: June 18, 2024 – November 15, 2024
Important Dates:

June 18th, 2024: One-hour LIVE Webinar (2pm MT, Denver)
June 18th, 2024: Module 1 released – Understanding the Set Up/Offering
July 19th, 2024: Module 2 released – Understanding States of Activation
July 19th, 2024: Video Lesson released – Synergetic Play Therapy® and Cultural Humility
August 16th, 2024: Module 3 released – Becoming an External Regulator
August 16th, 2024: Video Lesson released – 4 Threats and the Set Up Through a Cultural Lens
September 10th, 2024: One-hour LIVE Webinar (2pm MT, Denver) + BONUS VIDEO: Synergetic Play Therapy® & Teletherapy
September 20th, 2024: Module 4 released – Partnering with Caregivers/Tracking the Play
October 18th, 2024: Module 5 released – Understanding Attachment & Emotional Age
November 12th, 2024: One-hour LIVE Webinar (2pm MT, Denver)
November 15th, 2024: Module 6/Final Module released – Sand, Art, & Aggression in Synergetic Play Therapy®
November 15th, 2024: Book Review – Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach for Integrating Intensity

Cost: $1275.00 USD *Use coupon code “Intro2024” at checkout for an early bird discount until May 14th, 2024.
Registration Deadline: June 17th, 2024 (12:00pm Mountain Time, Denver)
This is event is open to the public, please visit the organizations website for additional information. If you would like your organization to receive training in Synergetic Play Therapy, please contact the Institute at info@synergeticplaytherapy.com.

Advanced Self Mastery Program – Waikoloa, Hawaii
2024-06-26 - 2024-06-29 | Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, 69-275 Waikoloa Beach Drive, Waikoloa, United States
During your journey to become a Certified Synergetic Play Therapist/Play Provider you studied nervous system regulation, authenticity and congruency, interoception, emotional age, and so much more to help you become more masterful at becoming an external regulator for a child and their caregivers. You also learned how to apply these concepts to yourself for your own growth and development in order to heal yourself and develop your capacity for self-regulation. And now it is time to take the next step towards self mastery!
This advanced retreat is not your typical program — it’s a unique personal development experience designed to support you in your ongoing personal journey and deepen your understanding of yourself. Think of it as a deeper unraveling of the question “who am I?”
You’ll spend 4 days live in-person with your fellow Certified SPTers delving deeper into yourself. That’s right! These 4 days are just for you – not for your clients, but for you (… although we do know that any work we do for ourselves inevitably helps our clients).
Go deeper into the development of yourself – Deeper into understanding the body and your own activation patterns – Deeper into the mind – Deeper into integrating your perceptions and working on emotional charges that are in the way of fully becoming an external regulator.
Course Details: During this 4 day live in-person program, you will engage with your fellow Certified SPTer delving deeper into yourself. You will be taken on a journey into the mind and the body in order to gain a deeper appreciation for the interconnectedness between the two. We will flow between didactic teachings and experiential learnings so that you can further empower yourself and reclaim the parts of yourself that have been minimized, hurt, stuck and stunted by trauma and life’s challenges. You’ll also walk away with a deeper understanding of what Lisa means when she says, “Self Mastery requires regulation of the body and regulation of the mind.”
“A unique experience that enabled us to open our minds to a different way of perceiving our world and our brains.” – Kathryn Orfirer
When: June 26 – June 29, 2024
Where: Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, 69-275 Waikoloa Beach Drive, Waikoloa, Hawaii

Cost: $998 USD
*If you’re a member of the Certified Membership Community, check your email for your discount code or email the Institute @ info@synergeticplaytherapy.com.

Registration Deadline: May 21st, 2024
Please visit the organizations website for additional information. If you would like your organization to receive training in Synergetic Play Therapy, please contact the Institute at info@synergeticplaytherapy.com.

2024-2025 Synergetic Play Therapy® Certification Program (Level 2)
2024-08-22 - 2025-05-13 | Online
This online program begins with 3.5 days (21 hours) together in community with our first online learning retreat. Halfway through the course, we will reconvene for an additional 4.5 days (27 hours) together. During the program (with the exception of December and January), we will meet twice a month via live webinar (1 1/2 hours each). Students will have additional monthly assignments to integrate learning. The Certification process also includes 4 one-hour consultation sessions (pre-Certification consultation upon completion of your Level 1 Introductory course) and 9 one-hour consultation sessions (combination of group and individual) during the course with an SPT Consultant for a total of 13 consultation hours…a total of 98 hours of learning!
*CE Credit Hours are not awarded for time spent in consultation, however, consultation is a mandatory aspect of this program.
What You Will Learn: Participants will gain a greater understanding and KNOWING of the Synergetic Play Therapy model, as well as an in-depth look at the neuroscience and research behind the model. We ask therapists/providers to go within to further ask the question, “Who am I?” with the understanding that as the authentic self emerges, therapists can increase their capacity to facilitate deeper and more complex processes within the child. Therapists/providers will also learn the details of the application of Synergetic Play Therapy theory while given the opportunity to fine tune their skills.
Program Dates: August 22, 2024 – May 13, 2025 (Access to program materials ends August 31, 2025)
Learning Retreat Dates by Location: Each virtual learning retreat will be offered in a North America timezone and an Australia/Asia timezone to accommodate the most participants possible. Please review the dates below carefully as you will be asked to declare a virtual retreat location in order to finalize your application. (The virtual retreat location you select will be the same for both the 3.5 Day Learning Retreat and 4.5 Day Learning Retreat.)

3.5 Day Learning Retreat (North America): August 22 – August 25, 2024, 9-4:30 PM Mountain Time (Last day ends at 12 PM, Noon)
3.5 Day Learning Retreat (Australia/Asia): August 30 – September 2, 2024, 8-3:30 PM Australia Eastern Standard Time (Last day ends at 11 AM)
4.5 Day Learning Retreat (North America): January 8 – January 12, 2025, 9-4:30 PM Mountain Time (Last day ends at 12 PM, Noon)
4.5 Day Learning Retreat (Australia/Asia): January 18 – January 22, 2025, 9-4:30 PM Australia Eastern Daylight Time (Last day ends at 12 PM, Noon)

Important Live Webinar Dates: All live webinars will be held from 5-6:30 PM Mountain Time (Denver).

(2024 Dates) September 10th and 24th, October 8th and 22nd, November 12th and 19th
(2025 Dates) February 4th and 18th, March 4th and 18th, April 1st and 15th and 29th, May 13th

Program Requirements:

Attend both multi-day online retreats and all online monthly classes.
Complete 5 recorded sessions of your work with your clients and complete a corresponding video self observation form for each session.
Complete three (3) SPT Certification Skill Assessments with your consultant.
Complete 13 Consultation Sessions – 7 individual sessions and 2 small group sessions for a total of 9 hours during the program. 4 individual pre-certification or post certification (depending on when you completed Intro, Supplemental Intro, or Intensive.) If you are unable to complete your pre-certification consultations you can complete them during the training.
Homework: approximately 2-3 hours a month. Homework includes watching recordings of play therapy sessions, and completing video observation forms; personal reflections, and self observations of your own sessions.
Client/Child Contact Hours: In order to receive your Certification at the end of the program you need to complete a minimum number of client contact hours using the model: 250 client hours for those seeking the Certified Synergetic Play Therapist credential, 150 child contact hours for those seeking the Certified Synergetic Play Provider credential. *Hours accrued while in an introductory course (Intensive, Online, Supplemental) and then any hours accrued while under the supervision/receiving consultation from an SPT Supervisor or Consultant count towards the total client/child contact hours.

Click here for a visual representation of program requirements by SPT Credential!
Once certified, you must renew your Certified Synergetic Play Therapist or Certified Synergetic Play Provider credential every 3 years.
CE Credit Hours: 85 CE Credit Hours
The Synergetic Play Therapy Institute is an approved provider for the following associations:
Australian Play Therapists Association (APTA) Approved Provider
British Columbia Play Therapy Association (BCPTA) Approved Provider 23-01
*Please note: in order to receive SPT credit, you must have access to working with children. If you work in the mental health profession upon completion of the course you will earn the title of “Certified Synergetic Play Therapist.” If you work with children in another capacity, upon completion of the course, you will earn the title of “Certified Synergetic Play Provider.”
Partial CE credit will not be awarded. Individuals must meet all program requirements in order to receive CE credit for this program.
Cost: Click here for program pricing and payment plan options!
*A $150 USD non-refundable Application Fee is due at the time of registration and contributes to the total cost of the course. Once payment is received, you will be sent an email with the link to the online application! The rest of the payment for the course will not be due until after the application is approved. (See further details in the Refund Policy section below.)
2024-2025 Application Deadline Dates:

To receive the early bird price, applications must be submitted by: April 1, 2024
To join us for the 2024-2025 Certification year your application and payment must be submitted by: June 14, 2024

This is event is open to the public, please visit the organizations website for additional information. If you would like your organization to receive training in Synergetic Play Therapy, please contact the Institute at info@synergeticplaytherapy.com.

TBD - Be Center, Sydney Australia
2024-10-03 | Sydney’s Northern Beaches Area
Join Lisa as she travels to Australia to present to the Be Centre. We are still working out the details, so please check back for additional information.
This is event will be open to the public, please visit the organizations website for additional information. If you would like your organization to receive training in Synergetic Play Therapy, please contact the Institute at info@synergeticplaytherapy.com.

Child Counseling Center of New Mexico: Too Stressed to Play
2024-11-17 09:30 - 16:30 | Online
Join Lisa for this interactive online webinar that will help guide therapists back to themselves. With the help of neuroscience, therapists will learn how to identify their states of dysregulation beyond the common warning signs that many therapists are already familiar with. Therapists will not only learn what is happening in their own brains and nervous systems and how to regulate their bodies, but will also be able to apply the information directly to their child clients resulting in a deeper healing process.
This is event is open to the public, please visit the organization’s website for additional information. If you would like your organization to receive training in Synergetic Play Therapy, please contact the Institute at info@synergeticplaytherapy.com.
