When You’re Feeling Stuck
The other thing I know with certainty is that the very thing Iâm afraid of is precisely the direction I need to go. My brain likes to tell me otherwise […]
Exploring Neurobiological Links Between Synergetic Play Therapy & Art Psychotherapy
This post is something I am very passionate about. Iâve noticed that both art and play therapy leave people thinking what is that, how does that work? So, I thought […]
Making New Memories: Every Moment Is A New Encounter
It can be so easy to assume weâve seen or experienced something simply because itâs familiar. And yet each encounter is never the same – you are not the same, […]
How to Truly Practice Self Care
We know that self-care is really important. We tend to think of it as perhaps having a cup of tea, taking a bath, finding some quiet time, or listening to […]
Resources and Links to Advance Your Practice
It may not come as surprise that the most requested topics people asked me to talk about last year was why regulation doesnât mean âcalmâ and how to become the […]
An Examination of Child-Centered Play Therapy & Synergetic Play Therapy
By Bethany J. Townsend, Ph.D., Lindsay Ishman, Lisa Dion & Kara L. Carnes-Holt Original Manuscript: To read the author’s original manuscript (pdf version) for free, please click here. Abstract: Child-Centered […]
Spring Cleaning Your Playroom: Donât Throw Away the Broken
Spring (or even Fall if you reside in a country in the Southern hemisphere đ) comes with many things – longer days, warmer weather, blooming trees and flowers. It also […]
When a Child’s Nervous System is in Collapse Response / SHUT DOWN
Collapse (also called âhypo-arousalâ) is a response like fight-or-flight, but we shut down instead of jump into action. It is a survival response that causes us to shut down as […]
Neuroception of Safety: Not Always What We Think
Creating a neuroception of safety inside the playroom is something that we, as therapists, strive to do. But what, exactly, does this mean? Does it mean knowing how to support […]
Letâs Not Forget the Perfect Child
Have you ever noticed that the children who tend to make their way to your office are the ones that are acting out, aggressive, non-compliant, and anxious? And then sprinkled […]
Keeping the Connection When a Child Wants to Leave
From frogs inside of pockets to the darndest things they say, children are full of surprises. In many ways, this is wonderful: they make us laugh and smile and see […]
Body Image: How You Can Help Your Child Develop a Healthy Relationship with Food
By Chelsea Hester In a world that is populated with diets, food advertisements, and models of only certain shapes and colors, children of all ages are being bombarded by external […]
Teaming with Teachers – Working With a Client’s School
Have you tried working with a clientâs school and found it challenging? If so, you are not alone; this is often the case. While everyone may want to work together […]
Help Your Child Overcome Nameless Anxiety
Children share their emotional and body-based experiences in an attempt to integrate life events; including experiences in utero, at birth and post birth. These pre-cognitive events shape a childâs behavior, […]
An Antidote to Anxiety? Predictability
One of the main sources of heightened anxiety in all of us is our unknown futures. Of course we canât predict our futures, but most of the time we can predictably […]