Lisa Dion, LPC, RPT-S, is the founder and President of the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute. She is an international teacher, the creator of Synergetic Play Therapy®, host of the Lessons from the Playroom podcast and webinar series and author of Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach for Integrating Intensity. She is the 2015 recipient of the Association for Play Therapy’s Professional Education and Training Award of Excellence.
Judith is a co-founder and lead trainer of the Synergetic Education institute™. She is a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor and is a Certified Synergetic Play Therapy Supervisor. She is a Parent Educator, Certified in EMDR Therapy and is trained in Mindfulness in Education. She has been utilizing the tenets of Synergetic Play Therapy in educational settings for the past 10 years. Her experience has led to the development of social-emotional, trauma-informed programming to support students and educators in schools.
Robert currently serves as the Operations Director for Synergetic Play Therapy Institute®. Robert’s early career started as a secondary education teacher, teaching advanced placement psychology and history. In addition, over the last 20 years, he has worked for both regionally and nationally accredited higher education institutions, serving in various academic administrative positions, with his most recent post as Chief Academic Officer. Robert has experience serving on various non-profit boards, focusing on LGBTQ+ empowerment and mentorship, empowering middle & high school youth to build their confidence for college, career, and community advancement by teaching the art of storytelling and connecting senior volunteers to schools to engage youth and senior connections, and enrich student education. Robert holds a Doctor of Philosophy, in Psychology, from Northcentral University with a focus on Clinical and Adolescent Development.
Kylie is the Program Director at the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute overseeing all aspects of the Institute’s signature programs and course offerings and serves as the primary point of contact for all correspondence directed to the Institute. Located in Los Angeles, California, Kylie brings a background in student success, project management, and professional development and training to her leadership role at the SPTI. Through a people-centered approach, Kylie is dedicated to cultivating relationships that welcome others to be their authentic selves and to creating a safe space for our SPT community. Kylie also serves as the Operations Director at Synergetic Education Institute.
Lindsay Ishman has a private practice in Grand Junction, Colorado where she works with children, adolescents, adults, and families. Her passion is in working in areas of complex trauma/developmental trauma, attachment, and resilience. Additionally, as a clinical supervisor, Lindsay is inspired to help other professionals grow while enhancing a belief in themselves and their abilities.
Liliana is a Certified Synergetic Play Therapist Consultant, EMDR Certified, EMDRIA Consultant-in-Training, and AAMFT Approved Supervisor. Liliana is a bilingual and bicultural therapist and the owner of Healing Relationships Counseling Services, PLLC, in Colorado where she provides therapy and supervision.
Liliana is a Certified Synergetic Play Therapist Consultant, EMDR Certified, EMDRIA Consultant-in-Training, and AAMFT Approved Supervisor. Liliana is a bilingual and bicultural therapist and the owner of Healing Relationships Counseling Services, PLLC, in Colorado where she provides therapy and supervision.
Polly is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Certified Synergetic Play Therapist and Supervisor, a Registered Play Therapy Supervisor and EMDR and Internal Family Systems trained. She has a private practice in Boulder, Colorado as well as a parent coaching business. An Associate with the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute since 2013, Polly’s passion is supervision. Her inspiration is witnessing other clinicians transform professionally and personally while learning and applying SPT to their work and lives. Synergetic Play Therapy, Relational Neuroscience and Internal Family Systems Theory guide Polly’ work with clinicians and her clients.
Katherine has a private practice in Corvallis, Oregon where she offers counseling for children and families; parent coaching; supervision for play therapists; and classes for the community. All aspects of Katherine’s professional services are highly influenced by Synergetic Play Therapy, most notably helping children and families thrive in authenticity. Visit her website at www.katherineeastlake.com.
Kim is a Certified Synergetic Play Therapist and Supervisor. She has a private practice near Salem, Oregon focused on serving children, teens and their families. Kim has been a SPT Intro Consultant since 2018 and loves the connections she has made in that role. Nature is her favorite external regulator and most trusted guide, feeling deeply is her superpower and she thrives in connection. Kim is honored to be in the new role of Student Engagement Liaison and looks forward to supporting SPT’s growing community.
Mary Margaret Hagen currently works as the Counseling Coordinator at a supportive housing facility in Denver, CO where she supervises interns, manages the counseling program, teaches classes for parents, and utilizes Synergetic Play Therapy with her young clients. As a former teacher in a low-income school, she has a passion for serving the mental health needs of children who live in poverty and those who have been through trauma, including abuse and neglect. Becoming certified in Synergetic Play Therapy was truly transformative for her, leading her down the path of authenticity and attaching to self, and she greatly enjoys consulting and supervising others who are on the same journey!
Mili was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is a bilingual, cross-cultural and international therapist and supervisor. Her background allows her to navigate the challenges and benefits of being in one place and experience more than one culture at the same time. Much of her clinical work has been with the Latino community in Colorado, all ages. She has been studying and practicing SPT since 2010. Mili offers RPT supervision. She loves witnessing the growth and transformation supervisees go through during their supervision process. Mili has been in private practice since 2013. She is an LPC, RPT-S, LSW in Argentina, EMDR trained, and is currently studying a certification program in Gestalt and Family Constellation.
Kelly Miller is the founder of Play Therapy Connection located in Littleton, Colorado. She is passionate about working with children, teens, and adults from around the world to help them find their way back to themselves. As a Certified Synergetic Play Therapist/Consultant, Kelly provides therapy, supervision, and training. She strives to be a guide in healing to make true transformation possible. When Kelly is not working, she is teaching or practicing yoga, spending time with family and friends, enjoying the outdoors, and traveling the world.
Corinne Elms is the co-founder of Grow Strong Play Therapy and Wellness Center in Salem, Oregon where she provides Synergetic Play Therapy to Children ages 3-12. She also utilizes SPT in her work with teenagers. Corinne’s passion is supervision. She loves helping clinicians free themselves from their “should’s” and discover their authentic self in and out of the therapy room.
Lauren is a Certified Synergetic Play Therapist and Consultant with a private practice in Longmont, CO. Lauren provides Synergetic Play Therapy to Children ages 3-12, works with teens and young adults, and supervises new therapists. Her style is highly relational, down to earth, and experiential–working to guide clients towards wholeness.
Erin has a private practice in Littleton CO providing play therapy for children age 2-12 with a heavy emphasis on supporting parents to maximize identified goals and outcomes. Erin enjoys not only the clinical aspects of being in private practice but also the ins and outs of being an entrepreneur and business owner. A busy Mom of 2 quickly growing children Erin is learning to embrace the hours spent in her car transporting her kids and then hanging out while they are at a variety of activities, often filling that time by listening to audible books or podcasts.
Kathryn (Katie) Mathis is founder and owner of Inspire Coaching & Counseling, located in Littleton, Colorado and serving families living all around the globe – from Colorado to Asia. She is honored to walk alongside children, teens, and adults as they uncover their authentic selves, build new neural pathways to optimize brain health, and discover what inspires them! As a supervisor, she loves supporting therapists to discover their voice, intuition, and inner wisdom both within the play room and outside the playroom.
Helen is a Certified SPT Supervisor in private practice in Vancouver, Canada who enjoys working with children, teens, and adults, and parents using SPT, play therapy, Sandtray therapy, and EMDR, and is passionate about supporting play therapists as they discover their authentic selves. With a background of over 25 years of elementary school counselling and high school science teaching, she highly values teaching the neuroscience of behaviour from an SPT lens to school counsellors and teachers, and training school counsellors in play therapy and SPT principles. Helen is the President of the BC Play Therapy Association.
Johanna has a virtual private practice in British Columbia, Canada where she works with children, teens, adults and families. She especially enjoys working with parents and watching the shifts in the family as they integrate the principles of SPT into their family life and discover its value for all relationships. For optimal growth, Johanna believes that connection to self is the cornerstone to healing. Johanna sits on the board of the British Columbia Play Therapy Association and is adjunct faculty at Adler University where she teaches child development and counselling and supervises counsellling interns.
Donna is a registered Arts Therapist (AThR), Certified Synergetic Play Therapist and Supervisor, ANZACATA approved Supervisor, Educator, and heads a team of creative therapists in her private practice in Adelaide, Australia. Donna has a passion for educating and supporting clients, parents, and therapists in creative ways. The SPT principles underpin all the different work Donna does.
Rose LaPiere, LPC, RPT-S is a family therapist, writer, presenter, and EMDR consultant. She works with children and adults through the lens of attachment, mindfulness, therapeutic powers of play, interpersonal neurobiology and family system theory. Rose has a passion for integrating nature and sand tray into her therapy practice. She is currently serving on the board of the World Association of Sand Therapy Professionals and is and one of the editor’s and author’s of the book Nature-Based Play and Expressive Therapies: Interventions working with children, teens and families.
Katrina is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, Certified Synergetic Play Therapist, Supervisor and Consultant based in Echuca/Moama, Australia. Katrina has a private practice, The Tree House Therapy & Wellness, where she provides therapy, supervision, consultation and coaching each with an SPT influence. She is particularly interested in working with children and young people and the adults and caregivers that heal, help and hold space for them. Katrina also teaches restorative yoga and yoga nidra at a local studio as she highly values supporting others to develop nurturing self care practices, find their authentic selves and nourish their nervous systems so they can both benefit and model this for others in their lives.
Nicole is Administrative Support at the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute and a Licensed Mental Health Therapist and Certified Synergetic Play Therapist in Olympia, WA. In her private practice, Nicole works with children, families and adults by supporting them through healing and growth using SPT Principles. She is also trained in EMDR, DBT and CBT. Nicole values her two children, career and traveling. She is also on staff with SPTI taking on a variety of tasks and projects. Nicole is committed to living an authentic life and feels inspired by helping others do the same.
Lisa Dion, LPC, RPT-S, is the founder and President of the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute. She is an international teacher, the creator of Synergetic Play Therapy®, host of the Lessons from the Playroom podcast and webinar series and author of Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach for Integrating Intensity. She is the 2015 recipient of the Association for Play Therapy’s Professional Education and Training Award of Excellence.
Judith is a co-founder and lead trainer of the Synergetic Education institute™. She is a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor and is a Certified Synergetic Play Therapy Supervisor. She is a Parent Educator, Certified in EMDR Therapy and is trained in Mindfulness in Education. She has been utilizing the tenets of Synergetic Play Therapy in educational settings for the past 10 years. Her experience has led to the development of social-emotional, trauma-informed programming to support students and educators in schools.
Robert currently serves as the Operations Director for Synergetic Play Therapy Institute®. Robert’s early career started as a secondary education teacher, teaching advanced placement psychology and history. In addition, over the last 20 years, he has worked for both regionally and nationally accredited higher education institutions, serving in various academic administrative positions, with his most recent post as Chief Academic Officer. Robert has experience serving on various non-profit boards, focusing on LGBTQ+ empowerment and mentorship, empowering middle & high school youth to build their confidence for college, career, and community advancement by teaching the art of storytelling and connecting senior volunteers to schools to engage youth and senior connections, and enrich student education. Robert holds a Doctor of Philosophy, in Psychology, from Northcentral University with a focus on Clinical and Adolescent Development.
Kylie is the Program Director at the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute overseeing all aspects of the Institute’s signature programs and course offerings and serves as the primary point of contact for all correspondence directed to the Institute. Located in Los Angeles, California, Kylie brings a background in student success, project management, and professional development and training to her leadership role at the SPTI. Through a people-centered approach, Kylie is dedicated to cultivating relationships that welcome others to be their authentic selves and to creating a safe space for our SPT community. Kylie also serves as the Operations Director at Synergetic Education Institute.
Lindsay Ishman has a private practice in Grand Junction, Colorado where she works with children, adolescents, adults, and families. Her passion is in working in areas of complex trauma/developmental trauma, attachment, and resilience. Additionally, as a clinical supervisor, Lindsay is inspired to help other professionals grow while enhancing a belief in themselves and their abilities.
Liliana is a Certified Synergetic Play Therapist Consultant, EMDR Certified, EMDRIA Consultant-in-Training, and AAMFT Approved Supervisor. Liliana is a bilingual and bicultural therapist and the owner of Healing Relationships Counseling Services, PLLC, in Colorado where she provides therapy and supervision.
Liliana is a Certified Synergetic Play Therapist Consultant, EMDR Certified, EMDRIA Consultant-in-Training, and AAMFT Approved Supervisor. Liliana is a bilingual and bicultural therapist and the owner of Healing Relationships Counseling Services, PLLC, in Colorado where she provides therapy and supervision.
Polly is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Certified Synergetic Play Therapist and Supervisor, a Registered Play Therapy Supervisor and EMDR and Internal Family Systems trained. She has a private practice in Boulder, Colorado as well as a parent coaching business. An Associate with the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute since 2013, Polly’s passion is supervision. Her inspiration is witnessing other clinicians transform professionally and personally while learning and applying SPT to their work and lives. Synergetic Play Therapy, Relational Neuroscience and Internal Family Systems Theory guide Polly’ work with clinicians and her clients.
Katherine has a private practice in Corvallis, Oregon where she offers counseling for children and families; parent coaching; supervision for play therapists; and classes for the community. All aspects of Katherine’s professional services are highly influenced by Synergetic Play Therapy, most notably helping children and families thrive in authenticity. Visit her website at www.katherineeastlake.com.
Kim is a Certified Synergetic Play Therapist and Supervisor. She has a private practice near Salem, Oregon focused on serving children, teens and their families. Kim has been a SPT Intro Consultant since 2018 and loves the connections she has made in that role. Nature is her favorite external regulator and most trusted guide, feeling deeply is her superpower and she thrives in connection. Kim is honored to be in the new role of Student Engagement Liaison and looks forward to supporting SPT’s growing community.
Mary Margaret Hagen currently works as the Counseling Coordinator at a supportive housing facility in Denver, CO where she supervises interns, manages the counseling program, teaches classes for parents, and utilizes Synergetic Play Therapy with her young clients. As a former teacher in a low-income school, she has a passion for serving the mental health needs of children who live in poverty and those who have been through trauma, including abuse and neglect. Becoming certified in Synergetic Play Therapy was truly transformative for her, leading her down the path of authenticity and attaching to self, and she greatly enjoys consulting and supervising others who are on the same journey!
Mili was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She speaks Spanish as her first language and perceives herself as bilingual and bicultural. Mili has been studying SPT since 2010. She loves working with families and helping parents connect with their own wisdom in their parenting journey. Mili offers RPT supervision. She loves witnessing the growth and transformation supervisees go through during their supervision process. Mili has been in private practice since 2013. She is an RPT-S, EMDR trained, and continues to study Gestalt, Bioemotional Decoding and the Demartini Method.
Kelly Miller is the founder of Play Therapy Connection located in Littleton, Colorado. She is passionate about working with children, teens, and adults from around the world to help them find their way back to themselves. As a Certified Synergetic Play Therapist/Consultant, Kelly provides therapy, supervision, and training. She strives to be a guide in healing to make true transformation possible. When Kelly is not working, she is teaching or practicing yoga, spending time with family and friends, enjoying the outdoors, and traveling the world.
Corinne Elms is the co-founder of Grow Strong Play Therapy and Wellness Center in Salem, Oregon where she provides Synergetic Play Therapy to Children ages 3-12. She also utilizes SPT in her work with teenagers. Corinne’s passion is supervision. She loves helping clinicians free themselves from their “should’s” and discover their authentic self in and out of the therapy room.
Lauren is a Certified Synergetic Play Therapist and Consultant with a private practice in Longmont, CO. Lauren provides Synergetic Play Therapy to Children ages 3-12, works with teens and young adults, and supervises new therapists. Her style is highly relational, down to earth, and experiential–working to guide clients towards wholeness.
Erin has a private practice in Littleton CO providing play therapy for children age 2-12 with a heavy emphasis on supporting parents to maximize identified goals and outcomes. Erin enjoys not only the clinical aspects of being in private practice but also the ins and outs of being an entrepreneur and business owner. A busy Mom of 2 quickly growing children Erin is learning to embrace the hours spent in her car transporting her kids and then hanging out while they are at a variety of activities, often filling that time by listening to audible books or podcasts.
Kathryn (Katie) Mathis is founder and owner of Inspire Coaching & Counseling, located in Littleton, Colorado and serving families living all around the globe – from Colorado to Asia. She is honored to walk alongside children, teens, and adults as they uncover their authentic selves, build new neural pathways to optimize brain health, and discover what inspires them! As a supervisor, she loves supporting therapists to discover their voice, intuition, and inner wisdom both within the play room and outside the playroom.
Helen is a Certified SPT Supervisor in private practice in Vancouver, Canada who enjoys working with children, teens, and adults, and parents using SPT, play therapy, Sandtray therapy, and EMDR, and is passionate about supporting play therapists as they discover their authentic selves. With a background of over 25 years of elementary school counselling and high school science teaching, she highly values teaching the neuroscience of behaviour from an SPT lens to school counsellors and teachers, and training school counsellors in play therapy and SPT principles. Helen is the President of the BC Play Therapy Association.
Johanna has a virtual private practice in British Columbia, Canada where she works with children, teens, adults and families. She especially enjoys working with parents and watching the shifts in the family as they integrate the principles of SPT into their family life and discover its value for all relationships. For optimal growth, Johanna believes that connection to self is the cornerstone to healing. Johanna sits on the board of the British Columbia Play Therapy Association and is adjunct faculty at Adler University where she teaches child development and counselling and supervises counsellling interns.
Donna is a registered Arts Therapist (AThR), Certified Synergetic Play Therapist and Supervisor, ANZACATA approved Supervisor, Educator, and heads a team of creative therapists in her private practice in Adelaide, Australia. Donna has a passion for educating and supporting clients, parents, and therapists in creative ways. The SPT principles underpin all the different work Donna does.
Rose LaPiere, LPC, RPT-S is a family therapist, writer, presenter, and EMDR consultant. She works with children and adults through the lens of attachment, mindfulness, therapeutic powers of play, interpersonal neurobiology and family system theory. Rose has a passion for integrating nature and sand tray into her therapy practice. She is currently serving on the board of the World Association of Sand Therapy Professionals and is and one of the editor’s and author’s of the book Nature-Based Play and Expressive Therapies: Interventions working with children, teens and families.
Katrina is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, Certified Synergetic Play Therapist, Supervisor and Consultant based in Echuca/Moama, Australia. Katrina has a private practice, The Tree House Therapy & Wellness, where she provides therapy, supervision, consultation and coaching each with an SPT influence. She is particularly interested in working with children and young people and the adults and caregivers that heal, help and hold space for them. Katrina also teaches restorative yoga and yoga nidra at a local studio as she highly values supporting others to develop nurturing self care practices, find their authentic selves and nourish their nervous systems so they can both benefit and model this for others in their lives.
Nicole is Administrative Support at the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute and a Licensed Mental Health Therapist and Certified Synergetic Play Therapist in Olympia, WA. In her private practice, Nicole works with children, families and adults by supporting them through healing and growth using SPT Principles. She is also trained in EMDR, DBT and CBT. Nicole values her two children, career and traveling. She is also on staff with SPTI taking on a variety of tasks and projects. Nicole is committed to living an authentic life and feels inspired by helping others doing the same.