Synergetic Play Therapy Institute

Webinar: When AI Becomes a Therapist: The Hidden Risks of Using ChatGPT for Mental Health Support
2026-05-08 | Online
Lisa will be presenting a 1.5 hour webinar with Masterword.
AI chatbots are often perceived as convenient, private, and supportive—but what happens when they are used for mental health care? This one-hour presentation examines the potential dangers of relying on ChatGPT and similar tools for emotional and psychological support. Participants will learn about the limits of AI, the risks of misinformation and false reassurance, privacy concerns, and the importance of human connection in mental health treatment. The session aims to promote informed, safe, and ethical use of AI while reinforcing the value of professional support.

Echoes of Wisdom: Las Vegas Play Therapy (In-Person Symposium)
2026-05-14 - 2026-05-17 | The South Point Hotel and Casino, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd South, Las Vegas, NV, 89183, United States
As therapists, we are aware of the impact of the intergenerational transmission of unprocessed trauma. We feel this in our clients’ stories. We sense this in our own bodies. More and more attention needs to be given to this evolving area of study and practice, but we can also hold these concepts in balance with another intergenerational patterns. Wisdom and strength are also gifts handed from generation to generation. How do we honor clients’ intergenerational pain without overlooking their resilience? How do we explore generational wisdom without minimizing people’s struggles?
Join us in Las Vegas May 14-17, 2026 as we explore the Wisdom of our ancestors, the Wisdom of our Mentors and Teachers, the Wisdom in our bodies and the Wisdom of those who trust us with their healing as we move forward into our futures. Lisa Dion and Mili Shoemaker, Certified Synergetic Play Therapists, Supervisor, and Teacher-in-Training, will be featured speakers on Saturday, May 16th.
Get all registration details and register here.

Aggression in Play Therapy: A Synergetic Approach for Integrating Intensity (2-Day Keynote)
2026-06-25 - 2026-06-26
Join Lisa for the Indiana Association for Play Therapy’s 2-day conference June 25-26, 2026. She’ll be presenting on Aggression in Play Therapy: A Synergetic Approach for Integrating Intensity
Although aggression and death are a common part of the play therapy process, many therapists don’t have a clear understanding of what to do and how to facilitate the intensity when it enters the playroom during play. The result can lead to inadvertently promoting aggression and increasing low brain disorganization. It can also lead to the therapist feeling beat up, exhausted and hyper-aroused themselves, which can over time significantly impact their longevity in the field, as well as their ability to stay attuned and present to a child in the play room.
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.
Visit the Indiana APT’s website for registration details.

International Conference Play is the Future 2026 (Italy)
2026-07-02 - 2026-07-04
Join Lisa for the International Conference: Play is the Future in Chiavenna, Italy, July 2-4, 2026. She will be presenting alongside several other amazing play therapists.
Lisa will be presenting on The Inner World of the Therapist: A Synergetic Foundation for Play Therapy and Psychosocial Work.
This experiential workshop explores the inner world of the therapist as a foundational and practical element of effective play therapy and psychosocial work across diverse environments. Grounded in the principles of Synergetic Play Therapy, the session invites participants to examine how a practitioner’s internal state—emotional awareness, nervous system regulation, and authenticity—directly influences their capacity to connect with others. This capacity for connection is presented as the essential gateway through which attunement and creative responsiveness emerge, particularly in settings that extend beyond the traditional playroom, including crisis response, medical and healthcare contexts, educational environments, and work with families. Through guided reflection, gentle experiential exercises, and clinical examples drawn from real-world practice, participants will gain insight into how cultivating internal awareness supports meaningful connection, allowing attunement and creativity to naturally unfold within play-based and psychosocial interventions across settings.
Get all the details here.

Crisis Play Therapy Level 1 Training (Italy)
2026-07-06 - 2026-07-12
Embark on the new and exclusive Crisis Play Therapy Certification, July 6-12, 2026, in Italy! A specialized program led by internationally renowned experts Isabella Cassina, Lisa Dion, Clair Mellenthin, and Claudio Mochi.
Here’s a brief overview of this certification program:
The contemporary world is complex and dynamic and constantly confronts us with new challenges as people and professionals. The two-level certification program in “Crisis Play Therapy” (CPT) enables those who work with children, families, and communities to acquire fundamental, cutting-edge skills and knowledge to address a variety of crisis and high vulnerability situations induced by natural and human induced hazards.
Upon completion of the CPT two-level certification program, participants will be able to design and develop clinical interventions and neuroscience-informed psychosocial projects in crisis and high vulnerability contexts with a focus on managing stress, trauma (including intergenerational) and grief caused by a range of situations such as natural disasters (earthquakes, fires, floods), conflict, poverty and migration.
In addition to fostering professional growth and the acquisition of skills, the CPT program includes a personal development component in both levels I and II. Crisis and high vulnerability contexts impact the person and the professional directly and indirectly. The application of play and expressive arts for wellbeing and self-care is a key component of good practice.
The trainers and supervisors are international mental health experts specializing in trauma work, emergency intervention, psychosocial project development, play therapy or expressive arts. They all have a title recognized by one or more authorities in the Play Therapy world.
Get all the details here!

Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy Certificate Online Program (Embody Lab)
2026-09-01 - 2026-12-01
Are you ready to help heal trauma from a holistic and body based unified approach? Are you committed to transforming pain and challenges into growth, meaning, change and resilience?
Join Lisa for the Embody Lab’s Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy Certificate Program in 2026, a 6-hour Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy Certificate program. She’ll be presenting on Foundations of Trauma and Healing in Children.
This program brings together the world’s most renowned Somatic Trauma Therapy teachers into one 3-month online certificate program! It’s a unique opportunity to study with incredible teachers including Arielle Schwartz, Peter Levine, Bessel van der Kolk, Gabor Maté, Thomas Hübl, Deb Dana, Karine Bell, Pat Ogden, and Farzana Khan to name just a few.
What the program covers:

Key principles of somatic trauma healing approaches for both individuals and the collective.
Up to date evidence-informed approaches to treating and healing trauma.
Practical mind-body therapy tools to resource and prepare for trauma processing.
The role of Polyvagal Theory as an essential foundation in trauma reprocessing.
The dynamics of post-traumatic hyper-arousal or hypo-arousal states.
Gain a road map to facilitate resilience.
Identify self and collective-care practices for boundaries, energy and protection against vicarious trauma.

Get all the details here.

3-Day In-Person Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy (PIP Solutions - UK)
2026-10-24 09:00 - 2026-10-26 16:30 (Europe/London) | Voco St. John’s Solihull Hotel, 651 Warwick Rd, Solihull, B91 1AT, United Kingdom
This 3-Day In-Person Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy hosted by PIP Solutions in the UK will take 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 work with caregivers effectively 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 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!
Course Overview
The Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy program has six modules delivered over 3 days and includes:

18 hours in-person teaching with Lisa Dion
6 one-hour group consultations delivered online over a 6-month time period with a Synergetic Play Therapy Consultant
3 pre-recorded one-hour video lessons to further your learning
Book review of Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach to Integrating Intensity

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.

The Business of Therapy 2026 (In-Person in San Antonio, Texas or Live Online)
2026-11-12 - 2026-11-14 | The Westin Riverwalk, San Antonio, TX, United States
The Business of Therapy course is open for registration now! We’re heading to San Antonio, Texas this time—join us in-person or live online, November 12-14, 2026. Get your spot before everyone else, and take advantage of the Early Bird discount too!
You know, sometimes the moment chooses -you- ….
Two years ago, Nidhi wasn’t planning to take The Business of Therapy course. She wasn’t strategizing, saving up, or even thinking about business development. Two friends simply said: “Nidhi, you’ve gotta come.”
She quit her job and got on a flight the very next day.
Within months, she had a full private practice—with ease.
But it didn’t stop there.
Nidhi shared: “I struggled with other goals. This year, I clarified those. My timeline shifted, my expectations shifted—even what I thought was my plan shifted. Lisa’s course isn’t just a business training… it’s a lifestyle training. I have no regrets—maybe a few lingering doubts—but no regrets, only gratitude.”
This is what happens when you say yes to your dream.
This is what happens when you stop trying to figure it all out alone.
This is what happens when you learn how your nervous system, your fears, your patterns, and your brilliance shape your business.
The Business of Therapy course is a 2.5-day, high-impact immersion (November 12–14, 2026) designed specifically for therapists, healers, and heart-centered helpers who want to build or expand a business—but want to do it in a way that feels authentic, regulated, and aligned.
Inside this course, we explore:
Your vision
The neuroscience of taking action
Congruency + authenticity in business
Practical, grounded business strategy
The nuts and bolts of running a business so it works for you
Bonus: VIP Experience
Only 20 VIP attendees!

4 additional hours to get feedback from Lisa and peers
Special surprises and an optional social gathering at the end to connect with fellow VIPs

You might be one decision away from the life you’ve been imagining for years.
Because clarity doesn’t come from thinking harder— it comes from support, structure, and learning how to work -with- your nervous system instead of against it.
Join us November 12–14, 2026 for The Business of Therapy – live in San Antonio or live online.
Your future is waiting.
Your business is calling.
Your life is asking for the next version of you.
👉 Secure your spot today and take advantage of our early bird discounts!

Save $100 for in-person registration
Save $50 for live online registration
Click here if you’re returning for a discount

Working with Aggression & Intensity in the Playroom (1 Day Workshop, San Antonio, Texas)
2027-03-06
Lisa Dion will be teaching Working with Aggression and Intensity in the Playroom, hosted by Mind Works in San Antonio, Texas.
What will she be presenting on? …….
Although aggression and death are a common part of the play therapy process, many therapists don’t have a clear understanding of what to do and how to facilitate the intensity when it enters the playroom during play. The result can lead to inadvertently promoting aggression and increasing low brain disorganization. It can also lead to the therapist feeling beat up, exhausted, and hyper-aroused themselves, which can significantly impact their longevity in the field and their ability to stay attuned and present to a child in the playroom over time.
This workshop is designed to help you understand aggression and death play from a neurobiological perspective and a Synergetic Play Therapy lens. With the help of neuroscience and interpersonal neurobiology, you’ll learn how to effectively work with this type of play to support nervous system regulation, repatterning the child’s autonomic activation patterns, and decreasing compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma.
This workshop will take you to new possibilities as you explore a science-based process for working with children at the deepest, most profound levels while staying safe and sane. Learn how to make aggressive play therapeutic while understanding what it takes to maximize growth and integration for your clients and yourself!
This event is closed. Please visit the organization’s website for additional information. If you would like your organization to receive training from the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute, please contact us at info@synergeticplaytherapy.com.
