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 complexities of working with children who have endured compounded trauma and exploitation. Alex shares his journey into this challenging field and sheds light on the often-overlooked facets of child sex trafficking, including the surprising demographics it affects and the role of social media.
Together they discuss the indicators of sex trafficking and key red flags to watch for. Alex also provides invaluable insights into the physical and behavioral signs that therapists should be aware of to help identify survivors. Learn why some clients might go AWOL or refuse treatment and how clinicians can approach these situations with sensitivity and care.
Self-care for therapists is paramount, and Alex emphasizes the importance of mindfulness, debriefing, and the PERMS model—Physical, Emotional, Relational, Mental, and Spiritual domains of self-care—while sharing various intervention techniques and stressing the importance of honoring the human side of both therapist and client.
This episode is a must-listen for therapists and anyone in the human services field. We encourage you to breathe and regulate as you listen to this important conversation, and as we navigate the challenging but essential work of supporting child survivors of sex trafficking.
Talking Points:
Understanding the true scope and demographics of child sex trafficking.
The impact of social media and the daytime occurrences of trafficking.
Recognizing indicators and key red flags.
Identifying physical and behavioral signs of child sex trafficking survivors.
The importance of self-care for clinicians and the PERMS model.
Various therapeutic interventions: music, play, art, somatic, and narrative therapies.
The importance of working with the client's protective strategies.
Developing awareness of our own reactions as therapists to clients' trauma stories.
Join us for this so-very important conversation to better understand and support the healing journey of child sex trafficking survivors.
*Original Air Date: June 4, 2024
Additional Resources:
For more information about Online training for introduction to Sex Trafficking: https://connect.missingkids.org/learn/learning-plans/4/introduction-to-child-sex-trafficking
Physical and Behavioral Indicators: https://www.missingkids.org/content/dam/missingkids/pdfs/CST-Identification-Resource.pdf
Reporting Sex trafficking:
Local Social services and Police department Call 1-800-THE-LOST (800-843-5678)
www.Cybertipline.org

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 market. Here are just a few of the key takeaways from this episode: 
Gain insight into Minecraft's therapeutic potential and ways to integrate it into the therapeutic process.
Explore transitioning from a "doing" to "being" perspective of Minecraft during therapy.
Understand various modes of gameplay and the therapeutic themes they evoke, including how Minecraft is a version of sandtray and art therapy.
Learn to communicate gaming's therapeutic benefits to parents and caregivers.
Examples of directive interventions and non-directive interventions when playing the game.
Understand how video games can support a client with body awareness and how to regulate their nervous system. 
Reflect on using Minecraft in one-on-one versus group therapy settings and learn from Brian's experiences (including his mistakes) with video games in therapy.
Tune in and discover the transformative potential of incorporating something as seemingly simple as a video game into your therapy sessions. Uncover the therapeutic magic behind Minecraft and how special it is for kids when we speak their language!
*Original Air Date: April 23, 2024
Podcast Resources: 
Synergetic Play Therapy Institute
Synergetic Play Therapy Learning Website
FREE Resources to support you on your play therapy journey 
Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach to Integrating Intensity
* If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcast, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends/fellow colleagues to join us.

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 clinicians to expand their lens, asking the right questions, noticing patterns beyond lab results, and integrating a holistic perspective into their work.
Prepare to rethink mental health through the lens of the body—and discover how awareness of these connections can transform the way we support clients.
Original Air Date: March 5, 2024
Podcast Resources: 
Synergetic Play Therapy Institute
Synergetic Play Therapy Learning Website
FREE Resources to support you on your play therapy journey 
Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach to Integrating Intensity
* If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcast, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends/fellow colleagues to join us.

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 deepen authenticity, strengthen the therapeutic relationship, and create powerful opportunities for healing.
This conversation invites therapists to release shame, embrace humanity, and see emotional flooding as an ally in the work—both in the playroom and within themselves.
Original Air Date: March 6, 2019
Podcast Resources: 
Synergetic Play Therapy Institute
Synergetic Play Therapy Learning Website
FREE Resources to support you on your play therapy journey 
Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach to Integrating Intensity
* If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcast, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends/fellow colleagues to join us.

"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 conflict—one that begins within ourselves and extends into our work with clients, families, and colleagues, both in and out of the playroom.
Original Air Date: September 7, 2020
Podcast Resources: 
Synergetic Play Therapy Institute
Synergetic Play Therapy Learning Website
FREE Resources to support you on your play therapy journey 
Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach to Integrating Intensity
* If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcast, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and invite your friends/fellow colleagues to join us.