The Illusion of Safety: A Reflection for Play Therapists
Safety, as we commonly speak of it, feels like something solid—something we can find, build, or secure. But what if safety isn’t a place or even a state… but a perception? [...]
Poetry as a Gift in Therapy
Poetry has long been recognized as a medium for self-expression, reflection, and healing. But have you ever considered its role in play therapy? Just as play offers a space for children [...]
Whole Body Play: Inviting More Movement Into Play Therapy
Play therapists accept that "Play is the child's language... toys are the child's words" (Landreth, 2012). Somatic approaches to play therapy reveal what is held below the toys and the symbolic tale: [...]
Regulating the Collective Nervous System of Families
In therapeutic work with families, we often focus on individuals’ nervous systems—whether it’s the child’s, the caregiver’s, or even each family member separately. However, there’s another layer to family dynamics worth [...]
Embracing Evolution in Play Therapy: An Interview with Lisa Dion
In the world of mental health, change is often met with resistance. Lisa joins Liliana Baylon, LMFT-S, RPT-S and Maria Laquerre-Diego, LMFT-S, RPT-S for an episode of A Hero’s Welcome podcast [...]
Breaking Free from Paradigms: Unlocking Innovation and Personal Evolution
Albert Einstein famously said, “We can’t solve problems by using the same thinking we used when we created them.” Yet, often, we find ourselves stuck in repetitive patterns and ways of [...]
From Panic to Poise: The Power of Reconnecting with Self
I facilitated my own play therapy session using Synergetic Play Therapy principles.... A while back, when I was teaching a six-hour seminar on Working with Sand in Play Therapy, I went [...]
Impact of Trauma Exposure for Therapists
As therapists, we've chosen a profession that puts us directly on the frontlines of trauma exposure .... Day in and day out, we’re immersed in our clients’ struggles, witnessing, listening, and [...]
PART 2: Have We Forgotten the Most Important Toy in the Playroom?
Let’s continue our conversation …. As I mentioned in Part 1, the more we understand neuroscience, brain function, nervous system states, and what is really going on between the child and [...]
PART 1: Have We Forgotten the Most Important Toy in the Playroom?
We’re dedicated individuals. We work tirelessly to support the children and families we work with. We also study, a lot..... We sometimes spend weekends away from our loved ones and our [...]