Special: Where Are We Now? Reflecting on the Evolution of Play Therapy
Release Date: 08/05/2025
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,...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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! đ„ł), 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...
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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...
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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. đč What to do when you see your clients outside of a session? đč How to navigate working with imaginary friends in therapy? đč 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...
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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...
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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. đč How to trust your felt sense as a clinician when sexualized play appears đč Identifying red flags and themes that may indicate sexual trauma đč Understanding transference and countertransference as clinical clues đč The key differences between medical trauma vs. sexualized...
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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_outlineThis episode originally aired in June 2023 when Synergetic Play Therapy turned 15 this year đ (and was also Lisaâs birthday week! đ„ł), 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 Theory, interpersonal neurobiology, and the increasing recognition that youâthe therapistâare the most important toy in the playroom. đ
And of course, Lisa canât help but look to the future, offering thoughts on what might be next for the field, including the emerging role of perception and the mind in the healing process.
đ§ Whether youâve been tuning in since 2017 or just recently joined us, thank you. Weâve reached over a million downloads, and weâre so grateful youâre part of the journey.