Breaking Language Barriers: Using Interpreters in Play Therapy (Best Of)
Release Date: 12/09/2025
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...
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Defying Expectations to Embrace Human Potential (Best Of)
Lessons from the Playroom
Re-airing in honor of the International Week of Play Therapy. In this special episode Lisa is joined by Amit Chintan Ramlall and his father, Dr. Kumar Ramlall, for a powerful conversation about autism, identity, and the transformative impact of assuming competence. Amit shares his lived experience of navigating Autism Spectrum Disorder and how embracing his strengths—rather than being defined by limitations—opened pathways to purpose, contribution, and connection. Together, they explore common misconceptions about autism, the importance of meeting clients where they are, and how...
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Giving a Voice to Children with PANS/PANDAS with Dr. Montserrat Casado (Best Of)
Lessons from the Playroom
PANS and PANDAS are among the most misunderstood—and frequently requested—topics in the therapy world. In this episode, Lisa is joined by Dr. Montserrat Casado for a thoughtful, compassionate conversation on how these conditions impact children, families, and the therapeutic process. Together, they explore what PANS/PANDAS are, how immune responses and brain inflammation affect behavior and nervous system regulation, and why symptoms such as OCD, rage, regression, and restrictive eating require a broader, integrative lens. Dr. Casado also shares her personal journey and decade-long...
info_outlineOriginal Air Date: November 28, 2023
In this groundbreaking episode, Lisa Dion is joined by Ludmila (Mila) Golovine, CEO and President of MasterWord Services, to explore a topic rarely addressed in play therapy: working with interpreters.
Interpreters play a critical role in helping children heal, but their experience and the challenges they face are often overlooked. Lisa and Mila dive deep into how therapists can collaborate effectively with interpreters to create safe, attuned, and trauma-informed play therapy sessions.
What You’ll Learn:
- The role of the interpreter and how to honor the client’s preferred language
- Recognizing cues in sessions when a child speaks their primary language or the language of their trauma
- Supporting both the child and interpreter as external regulators during trauma processing
- Setting boundaries that protect interpreters’ window of tolerance and emotional safety
- Why family members should not act as interpreters
- Navigating cultural and language differences, non-verbal cues, and possible session ruptures
- Understanding attribution bias and its impact on client-therapist-interpreter relationships
- Practical strategies for attuned collaboration that promote healing for children
Mila also shares trauma-informed resources for interpreters and offers actionable guidance for therapists working with children across languages and cultures.
This episode is essential listening for therapists committed to inclusivity, attunement, and best practices in cross-linguistic play therapy. Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and tools to navigate these complex and critical sessions. 💕
Additional Resources:
📚 Explore Our Books and Read Aggression in Play Therapy
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