194. Introducing Family Constellation Work: A Systemic Lens for Play Therapists
Release Date: 06/17/2025
Helping Kids & Families Navigate Screen Time Balance | Stacy Jagger (Best Of)
Lessons from the Playroom
Original Air Date: June 22, 2023 We are so excited about this hot topic and our incredible guestâStacy Jagger! Stacy is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor (RPT-S), and AAMFT Approved Supervisor. She is the founder and clinical director of Music City Family Therapy and the author of 30 Day Blackout and A Letter from Emma. You may have seen her as a regular guest on âToday in Nashvilleâ or sharing her expertise on child development on local morning and evening news. In this episode, Stacy and Lisa dive into how screensâphones, tablets,...
info_outline
199. EMDR Sand Tray Therapy for Trauma Healing: Ana Gomez on Symbols, Attachment, & Integration
Lessons from the Playroom
In this episode, Lisa welcomes back Ana Gomez, internationally recognized expert in EMDR Therapy, complex trauma, and dissociation, for her third appearance on the podcast. Ana shares insights from her brand-new book, EMDR Sand Tray-Based Therapy: Healing Complex Trauma and Dissociation Across the Lifespan, offering practical, innovative strategies for trauma work. Together, Lisa and Ana explore the evolution of Anaâs integrative approach, combining her love of symbols, dreams, and sand tray work with EMDR therapy. This powerful union creates a flexible pathway for clients to safely access...
info_outline
Vicarious Trauma & Compassion Fatigue: What Every Therapist Needs to Know (Best Of)
Lessons from the Playroom
Original Air Date: May 3, 2020 The word compassion means âto suffer withâ or merge with. This is different than empathy." â Lisa Dion As play therapists, we hold so much. And often, we donât realize how deeply the work impacts usâespecially when weâre navigating crises both personally and professionally. In this essential episode, Lisa explores the nuanced differences between vicarious trauma and compassion fatigueâexperiences that are far more common in the field than we may recognize. She also reflects on what happens when therapists are living through the same crises as their...
info_outline
198. Wounded Healers in the Playroom: How Attachment Histories Shape Our Work
Lessons from the Playroom
What happens when therapists bring their own attachment histories into the playroomâconsciously or not? In this deeply validating and insightful conversation, Lisa welcomes back Dr. Clair Mellenthinârenowned play therapist, author, and professorâto unpack her groundbreaking dissertation research and explore how a therapistâs personal story shapes their clinical work, especially within family-based play therapy. Together, they explore: Why many play therapists are drawn to the work as âwounded healersâ Research that debunks the myth of needing to be fully healed to help others How...
info_outline
Special: Where Are We Now? Reflecting on the Evolution of Play Therapy
Lessons from the Playroom
This episode originally aired in June 2023 when Synergetic Play Therapy turned 15 this year đ (and was also Lisaâs birthday week! đĽł), which made it the perfect moment to pause and reflect on how far the field of play therapy has comeâand where it might be headed next. In this celebratory episode, Lisa dives into the evolution of the mental health and play therapy fieldsâfrom early models focused on behavior change to todayâs integrative approaches that honor the nervous system, the body, and the power of relationship. Youâll hear about the rise of neuroscience, Polyvagal...
info_outline
197. Why the Playroom Must Evolve: Embracing Digital Play Therapy & AI (Part 2)
Lessons from the Playroom
In this powerful follow-up episode, Lisa reunites with psychologist, author, and digital play therapy pioneer Dr. Jessica Stone to explore the ever-evolving intersection of technology, artificial intelligence, and mental health. Together, they dive into why the playroom must evolveâoffering a grounded, nonjudgmental look at how digital tools and AI are showing up in children's lives and what that means for us as therapists. Together they explore: Is digital play therapy the same as virtual play therapy? How do you ethically use tools like ChatGPT, story generators, or VR in the...
info_outline
Special: Little Questions, Big Insights: Answering Common Play Therapy Questions
Lessons from the Playroom
In this latest episode, Lisa tackles three little, yet powerful questions that every play therapist faces at some point in their practice. These insightful answers will expand your approach and deepen your work with children. đš What to do when you see your clients outside of a session? đš How to navigate working with imaginary friends in therapy? đš What to do when a child refuses to do their chores or other tasks they should be doing? These are just a few of the essential questions Lisa dives into, giving you practical answers that can make a world of difference in your play therapy...
info_outline
196. Dissociation Reimagined: Honoring the Inner World of Therapist and Child
Lessons from the Playroom
In this powerful and deeply human episode, Lisa is joined by two internationally recognized leaders in the field of complex trauma and dissociationâAna GĂłmez and Jill Hoseyâfor a heartfelt conversation about their monumental new release: The Handbook of Complex Trauma and Dissociation in Children. More than just a book discussion, this episode offers a reverence-based reframe of dissociationânot as pathology, but as a brilliant, adaptive survival strategy used by children navigating overwhelming experiences. Ana and Jill share their personal insights from editing this groundbreaking...
info_outline
Special: Understanding Sexualized Play in Therapy with Dr. Jodi Mullen
Lessons from the Playroom
One of the most highly requested topics in play therapy is finally hereâunderstanding sexualized play in the playroom. In this deeply insightful episode, Lisa Dion is joined by Dr. Jodi Mullen, a leading expert in play therapy and child trauma, to explore what it means when sexualized play emerges in sessions. đš How to trust your felt sense as a clinician when sexualized play appears đš Identifying red flags and themes that may indicate sexual trauma đš Understanding transference and countertransference as clinical clues đš The key differences between medical trauma vs. sexualized...
info_outline
195. When the Body Remembers: Psychosensory Healing, Play Therapy & the Wisdom Within with Kim Barthel
Lessons from the Playroom
Sheâs backâand the energy in the room just elevated. In one of the most moving and illuminating episodes to date, Lisa Dion reunites with internationally renowned occupational therapist, author, and teacher Kim Barthelâone of the most beloved guests in the podcastâs history. Together, they take us deep into the world of psycho-sensory interventions, a term Kim coined decades ago during a pivotal moment that forever changed her clinical approach. Through a powerful real-life case study, this conversation explores how the body holds the story of trauma, how sensation can unlock memory,...
info_outlineđď¸ Sheâs back! In her fourth appearance, Lisa welcomes the deeply loved and returning guest Mili Sarmiento Shoemakerâbilingual therapist, teacher, and Certified Synergetic Play Therapy Supervisor and Trainerâto introduce a brand-new topic to the podcast: Family Constellation Work.
Rooted in systemic and ancestral wisdom, this conversation explores how childrenâs symptoms often reflect unresolved family dynamics, not just their own inner world. Together, Mili and Lisa unpack key principles from Family Constellation theoryâincluding the Orders of Loveâand how therapists can begin using a systemic lens in the playroom, even without formal training.
In this expansive and soulful episode, youâll discover:
- What Family Constellation Work is and why it matters in therapy
- How children may carry or express unresolved intergenerational trauma
- The three core Orders of Love (Belonging, Hierarchy, and Balance of Giving & Taking)
- How imbalance in these orders can result in symptoms like resentment, overwhelm, or soul entanglements
- The difference between taking and receivingâand why this matters in the therapy room
- How to begin integrating a systemic lens into your practice, even without formal training
⨠Whether youâre new to this work or looking to deepen your lens, this episode is filled with insight, heart, and transformative âahaâ moments.
đ§ Also check out Miliâs past episodes:
- When the Aggressor is You: Therapist Activation in the Playroom
- Attachment to Self: The Cornerstone of Healing
- Why Therapists Attract the Clients That They Do
A beautiful and eye-opening conversation you wonât want to miss đ