Double Duty: Supporting Twins in Play Therapy (Best Of)
Release Date: 12/02/2025
Little Lessons Series: Authenticity in the Playroom – Q&A with Lisa (Best of)
Lessons from the Playroom
Lisa is back with another episode of the Little Lessons Series, where she answers your insightful questions about the complexities of working in the playroom. In this episode, Lisa dives deep into the theme of authenticity and how it plays a critical role in the therapist-client dynamic. Tune in as Lisa responds to 3 thought-provoking listener questions, exploring how to stay genuine and present when navigating imaginative play, emotional congruence, and handling personal questions from clients. In this episode, you'll hear: Carolyn’s question: “When doing imagination play and a client...
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Back to Our Roots: A Deep Dive into Experiential Play Therapy with Nilüfer Devecigil (Best of)
Lessons from the Playroom
In this special episode, Lisa reconnects with a long-time colleague, Nilüfer Devecigil, who joins her from Turkey. Nilüfer completed her master’s degree in psychology in the US and worked closely with Byron and Carol Norton, the pioneers of Experiential Play Therapy. She’s also the lead teacher for Experiential Play Therapy in Turkey. With extensive experience in attachment parenting and trauma healing, Nilüfer currently practices as a play therapist for young children and an attachment parenting therapist for pregnant women and new mothers. Listeners, you might not know that...
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Reconnecting to Our True Nature: A Transformative Conversation with Marie José Dhaese (Best of)
Lessons from the Playroom
Lisa welcomes back the remarkable Marie José Dhaese, a trailblazer in the field of play therapy and the original creator of expressive play therapies. Building on their previous conversation about Holistic Expressive Play Therapy, Lisa and Marie José dive even deeper into the profound journey of healing, attachment, and reconnecting to one's true nature. With over 50 years of experience as a registered clinical counselor, art therapist, and play therapy supervisor, Marie José shares her deep wisdom and heartfelt reflections on what it takes to create a therapeutic environment where...
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Beyond Labels: Cultivating Cultural Humility as Therapists with Liliana Baylon (Best of)
Lessons from the Playroom
In this insightful episode, Lisa welcomes back the incredible Liliana Baylon, a bilingual English and Spanish multicultural therapist and cultural ambassador for the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute. Building on their previous conversation about the experiences of immigrants and refugees, Lisa and Liliana delve into the evolving language and understanding around newcomers, which includes migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. Liliana, who has over a decade of clinical experience primarily treating LatinX community members, shares her expertise on the complexities newcomers face beyond...
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Crisis Play Therapy: Insights from Isabella Cassina & Claudio Mochi (Best of)
Lessons from the Playroom
In this special episode, Lisa is joined by two extraordinary guests, Isabella Cassina and Claudio Mochi, pioneers using play therapy in international crisis intervention. As co-founders of the INA International Academy for Play Therapy Studies and Psychosocial Projects in Switzerland, Isabella and Claudio have dedicated their careers to supporting children and families in some of the most challenging environments around the world. Isabella, Director of Project Management, and Claudio, Director of the Academy, bring decades of experience and a wealth of knowledge to the table. They have worked...
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Supporting Child Survivors of Sex Trafficking with Alejandro Castro Croy (Best of)
Lessons from the Playroom
In this especially important episode, we shine a spotlight on the harrowing issue of child sex trafficking and explore how we can support the young survivors of this modern-day slave trade. Join Lisa for a deeply insightful conversation with Alejandro (Alex) Castro Croy, a bilingual, bicultural Trauma and Addiction Counselor, and the owner/Lead Clinician of Transcending Consulting Group in Denver, Colorado. Alex brings his extensive experience from training law enforcement professionals and collaborating with the FBI on Crimes Against Children to the discussion. Together, they delve into the...
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Demystifying Minecraft in the Therapeutic Space with Brian Keating (Best of)
Lessons from the Playroom
In this episode, Lisa is joined by special guest Brian Keating, a Certified Synergetic Play Therapist and Certified Group Psychotherapist. Brian specializes in tele-play therapy and is a contributing author to Advances in Online Therapy: Emergence of a New Paradigm. He's presented on topics including grief, childhood bereavement, and the therapeutic use of the video game Minecraft, which is the focus of this episode. Join Lisa and Brian as they demystify the use of video games in therapy, with a particular focus on Minecraft, the most popular and successful video game ever to hit the...
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The Mind-Body Blueprint: How Body Symptoms Are Connected to Our Mental Health (Best Of)
Lessons from the Playroom
In this episode, Lisa sits down with Dave Hompes, renowned author, nutritionist, and functional medicine practitioner, to explore the fascinating connection between the mind and body. Together, they dive into how mental health and physical symptoms are intertwined—looking at everything from nutrition and genetics to environmental influences and the stories people tell about their bodies. Dave shares insights from cases involving epilepsy, Autism Spectrum, Tourette syndrome, and more, helping therapists recognize subtle clues that point to mind-body correlations. This conversation invites...
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Emotional Flooding: When the Therapist Is Outside the Window of Tolerance (Best Of)
Lessons from the Playroom
Emotional flooding is inevitable; it’s part of relationship. It’s not about shame, but connection—providing a platform upon which real repair can flourish. – Lisa Dion In this episode, Lisa explores emotional flooding from the therapist’s perspective and why finding ourselves outside our window of tolerance is not a failure—but a natural part of relational work. Through a nervous-system-informed lens, Lisa reframes emotional flooding as meaningful information rather than something to avoid or fix. When approached with curiosity, attunement, and repair, these moments of rawness can...
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Conflict In and Out of the Playroom (Best Of)
Lessons from the Playroom
“The more we try to avoid conflict, the more it shows up in our life.” – Lisa Dion Why does conflict feel so uncomfortable—and why do we work so hard to avoid it? In this episode of Lessons from the Playroom, Lisa Dion explores why conflict is not a sign that something has gone wrong, but a necessary part of growth and relational depth. Through a nervous-system-informed lens, she unpacks what happens internally when conflict arises and how our responses are shaped by regulation, protection, and connection. This conversation invites therapists to develop a different relationship with...
info_outlineOriginal Air Date: April 17, 2019
"Twins are master co-regulators but also susceptible to losing themselves. The key is to help them find the 'I' in 'we.'" – Lisa Dion
Twins may be nature’s “2-for-1 deal,” but being a twin—or working with twins—comes with unique challenges that singletons rarely face. In this episode, Lisa Dion (a fraternal twin herself) is joined by Susan Stutzman (mother of identical twins) to explore the joys and complexities of supporting twins in the playroom.
What You’ll Discover:
- How twins regulate each other and what happens when they struggle to find individuality
- Strategies for helping twins navigate separation anxiety and establish their own identities
- Insights from both personal and professional perspectives, bridging lived experience with play therapy expertise
Tune in for a heartfelt and informative conversation about honoring the unique dynamics of twins while supporting their growth, self-expression, and emotional well-being.
Additional Resources:
📚 Explore Our Books and Read Aggression in Play Therapy
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