When each lesson launches, it is highly suggested that you watch them within two weeks and before you meet with your consultant to maximize your learning. Self Expression - Play provides children with the opportunity to express their feelings, thoughts, and to make sense of their experiences, Access to the unconscious - Play expresses the language of the right hemisphere of our brain, allowing children to rework their earlier emotional responses and associated memories through projection, displacement, and symbolization in a safe way, Direct teaching - In play, children are actively involved in the learning process through receiving instruction, observing their clinician model a skill, and participating in guided practice paired with encouragement, Indirect teaching - Play allows children to tell their stories through a metaphor, allowing themes to emerge that are directly related to how they originally processed an event, Catharsis - Play gives children an opportunity to purge their negative feelings (like anger or aggression) in order to obtain a calm psychological state, Abreaction - Play helps children recreate experiences in an attempt to assimilate unexpected and uncontrollable experiences that have confused, overwhelmed, and disempowered them, Positive emotions - Play creates a space that gives children permission to have fun, be joyful, smile, laugh, be silly, and feel happy, Counter conditioning fears - Play reduces a fearful or anxious response by helping children learn an incompatible positive response to be matched with it (systematic desensitization), Stress inoculation - Play helps children learn and manage feelings related to future events that are likely to be stressful by providing toys and materials related to the stressor that allow a child to play out what might happen, Stress management - Play facilitates cognitive, physical, and emotional opportunities for children to decrease stress through self-soothing/relaxing play, fantasy/pretend play, social play, and exploratory play, Therapeutic relationship - Play allows children to experience a sense of security and trust in the therapy process and feel comfortable with an attuned clinician that embodies the characteristics of a healthy caregiver-child relationship/attachment, Attachment - Play helps reorder and organize a childs internal experiences through attuned and responsive interactions with a clinician so that the automatic feelings and behaviors that arise will become more coherent and satisfying, Social competence - Play helps children improve communication skills, self-control of impulses, reciprocity & empathy, and recognition & control of emotions, Empathy - Play allows for repetitive, relational experiences that are met with authenticity, genuineness, and warmth from a clinician, Creative problem solving - Play allows children to generate ideas, stories, and emotions from scratch, which improves divergent thinking, flexibility in problem solving, gains in insight, and use of new coping skills, Resiliency - Play reduces risk factors and increases protective factors through providing a new perspective of oneself in a nonjudgmental environment where vulnerability can thrive, Moral development - Play gives children opportunities to place different values on rules and weigh these values relative to their developmental level, Accelerated psychological development - Play provides opportunities to practice and develop a multitude of skills cognitively, linguistically, socially, and emotionally, Self-regulation - Play helps children improve their executive functioning by practicing the mental processes that allow them to delay gratification through independent and assisted skills, Self-esteem - Play therapists enhance a childs self-esteem through acceptance and caring, consistent positive feedback, cognitive restructuring, empowerment training, modeling, and opportunities for practice. And sometimes it means me pulling out a piece of paper, writing them out, looking them right in the eyes and uncovering their hidden blessings. When two people interact, they "feel" each other through "resonant circuits" and are affected by each other even if they are not consciously aware of it. Preliminary research suggests that SPT significantly improves emotional tolerance and regulation (Dion & Gray, 2014; Simmons, 2020). I have a deeper understanding of the counseling process and how to help children in the playroom. Synergetic Play Therapy (2008) is a researched-informed model of play therapy blending the therapeutic power of play with nervous system regulation, interpersonal neurobiology, physics, attachment, mindfulness, and therapist authenticity. The course launches on June 27th, 2023, with a LIVE Webinar at 2:00 PM MT, Denver followed by the release of the class one video. It also found that this form of therapy appeared to be effective across age and gender. Play therapy is primarily used with children. The therapist will then observe the childs interactions with the toys that are provided. All rights reserved.| Synergetic Play Therapy Institute, APT Approved Provider 09-264 |, If you have any questions about our courses, please contact us at, SEE BELOW FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSES & SYNERGETIC PLAY THERAPY SIGNATURE COURSES FOR MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS & NON-MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, October 2023 Online Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy Early Bird Registration, 2023-2024 Synergetic Play Therapy Certification Program, Certified Synergetic Play Therapy Supervisor Course, The Business of Therapy November 9th-11th, 2023 Early Bird Registration, One Foot in Education: Exploring Education Through An SPT Lens, Book Study Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach for Integrating Intensity, Becoming an External Regulator for Trauma Integration in Play Therapy, Understanding Childrens Moods & Behaviors: A Neurobiological Perspective, Setting Boundaries in the Playroom with Dysregulated Children, Aggression in Play Therapy: A Synergetic Approach for Integrating Intensity & Trauma, Adverse Childhood Experiences in Play Therapy, Yoga & Play Therapy: Building the Bridge Between Body & Mind, Helping Children through Divorce and Separation, How to Support & Understand An Adoptee Through a Play Therapy Lens, Managing Screen Time In & Out of the Playroom, Engaging the Resistant Child in Play Therapy, Working with Resistant Parents in Play Therapy, Neuroception of Safety in the Playroom: What It Is & How to Create It, Perfection in the Playroom: Working with OCD in Play Therapy, Sensory Processing Disorder in the Playroom, Playing in the Home How to Facilitate Play Therapy in a Childs Home, How to Use a Sand Tray as a Regulation Tool, Explore FREE Webinars to Support Your Journey. All rights reserved.| Synergetic Play Therapy Institute, APT Approved Provider 09-264 |. It creates a space where a child will feel comfortable being themselves instead of other more traditional forms of psychotherapy. CoRe Kids Therapy is not an emergency service. Toys are used to help facilitate the relationship between the therapist and the child. Child Parent Relationship Therapy / Filial Therapy, https://synergeticplaytherapy.com/what-synergetic-play-therapy/. Play is a childs natural medium for self-expression. There are many types of play therapy, and each of our clinicians has specialized training in multiple approaches in order to help support your child in a way that works best for their personal growth. Explore our many 1 hr, 2 hr, or 3 hr online courses geared towards enhancing your skills! Interpersonal neurobiology is beginning to reveal just how deeply connected we are to each other, literally. To learn more about SPTs primary influences,click here. One group was exposed to play therapy and the other group was used as a control group. These dys-regulated states arise as a result of: 1) The perceived challenges and thoughts the child is having regarding the events in his/her/their life and 2) The child has lostattachment with him/ her/their selfand is attempting to be someone they are not (acting from shoulds) instead of being who they truly are. As an all-encompassing paradigm with Child-Centered, Gestalt, and Experiential Play Therapy influences, it expands on the therapeutic powers of play while focusing on being in relationship with the child, not doing something to the child. Play therapy gives children who are having a hard time communicating verbally to express themselves through play activities. If you have a conflict of interest or dual relationship with anyone attending, please message us privately. This makes play therapy a challenge: how do you heal those maneuvering the middle ground between childhood and adulthood? With practical counselling tools and a safe, confidential place to talk about whatever they are thinking or feeling,I help you keep your teen safe and on a healthy path forward. Verywell Mind articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and mental healthcare professionals. *Please check your time zone and daylight savings to adjust accordingly. If you have not told us where you plan to attend your retreats or if you will be watching/participating live with other students, please do so here! Being authentic allows you to be free. Please know that I will do everything I can over this course to make this a course you will never forget. It means taking a seat and feeling what is trying to be revealed. Through the play itself, the Synergetic Play Therapist supports the child in changing his/her/their perceptions of the perceived challenging events and thoughts in his/her/their life, as well as getting in touch with his/her/theirauthentic self. Schaefer, C. E., & Drewes, A. Research shows that as clients begin to move towards their challenging internal states, new neural connections are createduntil acritical stateis reached that results ina new neural organization(Edelman, 2004; Tyson, 2002). For instance, a child who refuses to speak might instead draw or paint out their thoughts or needs. A core principal of SPT is the therapists ability to beauthentic and congruentin his/her/their expressions, coupled with the ability toco-regulate through the crescendos and decrescendos in the clients arousal system(Shore, 2006), allowing the child to move towards the uncomfortable thoughts, emotions and sensations that are attempting to be integrated. When the relationship is experienced as safe enough, the dissociated experiences will begin to come into conscious awareness. To see all of our online learning opportunities and courses, please click here. From what is present on the outside, to what is happening on the inside, I meet children where they are at and connect in a way that feels comfortable and meaningful for them. For training information, visit my calendar or the training calendar at the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute. Children who have been abused or experienced extremely traumatic or stressful events might benefit from play therapy to regain a sense of normalcy in their lives. As we resonate together, the activation will amplify and, if our window of tolerance is broad enough to contain this energy and information, our patient will also experience a widening of his or her window. What neuroscience is helping us understand is that the effectiveness of the therapy relies on the relationship. These courses also count towards Registered Play Therapy Supervisor requirements (please check with APT to determine full requirements). With repeated observation of thetherapists willingness to stay authentic and move towards the challenging emotionsand physical sensations aroused through the play, thechilds mirror neuron systemis activated and the child learns that it is ok to also move towards his/her/their own challenging internal states. When the relationship is experienced as safe enough, the dissociated experiences will begin to come into conscious awareness. This is your course and where you will go each time you want to access your course/lessons/handouts and the webinar links. The therapeutic powers of play are specific change agents in which play initiates, facilitates, or strengthens their therapeutic effect. The book explains the neurological processes that lead kids to dysregulation and provides therapists with tools to help their clients facilitate deep emotional healing, without causing their own nervous system to shut down. 2. Find all of these recorded webinars/courses here. Synergetic Play Therapy Certification Cohort 2021-2022, Synergetic Play Therapy Institute, APT Approved Provider 09-264 Please read through the information on this homepage as you will need it to get started. This naturally brings up such questions as: Why am I paying you to play with my child? It is an opportunity which is given to the child to play out their feelings and problems just as in certain types of adult therapy, an individual talks out their difficulties.. Understanding the neuroscience behind these processes is such a helpful way to see the valuable role that the therapist plays in the therapeutic relationship. If CE credits are not submitted, you will no longer be able to use the title Certified Synergetic Play Therapist until renewal occurs. 20152023 Synergetic Play Therapy Institute | All Rights Reserved | Synergetic Play Therapy Institute, APT Approved Provider 09-264 |, Find a Certified Synergetic Play Therapist, Provider, or Supervisor, Supporting Parents/Caregivers on the Journey Short Videos, Non-Contact 1-hour, 2-hour, 3-hour Courses, and Webinars, Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy Course. (The consultant youve been paired with will contact you by the beginning of the 3.5 Day Retreat you are attending to set up your consultations. Central Austin5802 Berkman Drive, Suite AAustin, Texas 78723, Northwest Austin4210 Spicewood Springs, Suite 203Austin, Texas 78759, Please send all inquiries tohello@ensembletherapy.com, MissionOur TeamServicesWorkshopsPlay Therapy, research-based, evidence-based, peer-reviewed practice, Research-based Practices, Parenting Resources, Therapy, Depression, Anxiety, Adolescents, Research-based Practices, Parenting Resources, School. Play actually helps produce the desired change in a child! Sometimes caregivers come to us confused about how playing in therapy is any different than the play they see their children already doing at home or school. What Conditions Does Online Therapy Treat? In the conference room or on the couch, get your CE Credits and Certificateswhen you want, the way you want. If you need someone to immediately talk to, call: Lifeline on 13 11 14Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800Parentline Victoria on 13 22 89. Do you want to learn in an environment that empowers you to be yourself? In this training, students will learn how to apply the Synergetic Play Therapy philosophy and tenets to the supervisory relationship. Please feel free to use Facebook or a quick Google search to reach out to those near (or far!) In summary, numerous reviews of play therapy outcome research have shown that play therapy is effective. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85477201468. Each time the medication that I was given to calm them would wear out, my contractions would spike. **We highly encourage live attendance as much as possible for the on-line classes to inspire interaction, participation, connection, and integration. 5. WELCOME BACK! Older youth/adolescents benefit from a similar approach, adapted to meet them at their level on the road to adulthood. Its primary play therapy influences are Child-Centered, Experiential, and Gestalt theories. What is play therapy? After several sessions, a child who wasnt speaking might start to utter several phrases. Play therapy is a form of psychotherapy and can be effective in helping children through emotional and mental issues. Play therapy is primarily used with children. For three days, a team of doctors worked diligently trying to stop my contractions. In a play therapy session, your child is empowered to attune to their internal experience and better understand themselves as we work together. Online Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy is a 19-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 childs nervous system, and what it means to become an external regulator in the playroom. The review found that this form of therapy produced positive effects, even more so when the parents of the child in therapy were involved. The play therapist will typically have a joint consultation with the parent and guardian and the child and also separate consultations with all parties involves. APT / BCPTA/ APTA require an individual to hold a degree in mental health or be a student currently studying to receive a mental health degree in order to receive these credits. **We highly encourage live attendance as much as possible for the on-line classes to inspire interaction, participation, connection, and integration. When I was 29 weeks pregnant I was in a hit and run car accident that sent me into labor. Please remember that to get attendance for each retreat day, and the monthly classes you must have your video turned on to get full credit for your attendance. Synergetic Play Therapy is both non-directive and directive in its application. In order for SPTI or Lisa Dion to advertise you as a Certified SPT Therapist, you must remain current in your SPT education. I am a Certified Synergetic Play Therapist with over 15 years experience working with children, youth and families.