Lessons from the Playroom

• ✨ 200: The Final Chapter—Listening to the Wisdom of the Body (with Avery Dion) ✨

  This is both a milestone and a farewell. After years of heartfelt conversations, transformative insights, and connections across the globe, Lessons from the Playroom reaches its 200th—and final—episode (at least for now). To mark this occasion, Lisa is joined by someone who has been part of the podcast from the very beginning: her daughter, Avery Dion. Many listeners will remember Avery’s sweet childhood voice in the podcast jingle—today, at 19 years old, she returns for her third and most profound conversation with Lisa. Together, they explore what it truly means that the body keeps the score. Avery courageously shares her lived experience with chronic Lyme disease and the surprising ways her body has become both messenger and teacher. From pain and symptoms that point toward hidden truths, to the psychology of autoimmune illness and the role of self-compassion, Lisa and Avery dive into the raw, real, and deeply human ways the body holds memory, emotion, and wisdom. Together, they explore: How the body holds memory, emotion, and unfinished stories Avery’s journey with chronic Lyme disease and the wisdom it revealed The connection between autoimmune illness and self-criticism Why pain and symptoms can be seen as protectors and messengers What it means to find neutrality and balance in life’s highs and lows An invitation for listeners to pause, tune into their bodies, and welcome symptoms as guides toward authenticity Recorded in the intimacy of their own space, this episode is as tender as it is inspiring. It is not only about Avery’s healing, but also about the ways her journey has shaped Lisa as a therapist, teacher, and mother. As Lisa closes this chapter of Lessons from the Playroom, she extends deep gratitude to every listener who has been part of this journey. While the podcast itself is wrapping up, the library of 200 episodes remains—an ongoing resource and companion for therapists, parents, and seekers of wisdom both inside and outside the playroom. 💜 Thank you for listening, sharing, and growing alongside us. May these lessons continue to guide and inspire you for years to come.  

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• Helping Kids & Families Navigate Screen Time Balance | Stacy Jagger (Best Of)

  Original Air Date: June 22, 2023 We are so excited about this hot topic and our incredible guest—Stacy 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 “Today in Nashville” or sharing her expertise on child development on local morning and evening news. In this episode, Stacy and Lisa dive into how screens—phones, tablets, TVs, and computers—impact children and families. For many families, screens have become a distraction from connection or a way to avoid deeper issues. More importantly, excessive screen use is a major cause of dysregulation in kids' nervous systems. 💡 What you’ll learn in this episode: 📱 The impact of screen time on children—How excessive digital engagement can influence nervous system regulation and emotional well-being. 🔍 Assessing screen time use—How to evaluate a child and family's screen habits and connect it to their treatment goals. 🔄 Shifting focus to connection—Ways to help families disconnect from screens and rebuild relationships with themselves and each other. ⏳ The 30-Day Digital Detox—What it looks like to recalibrate a child and family’s nervous system through a screen-time blackout (or greyout). 🌱 Rebuilding a new normal—How to artfully reintegrate screens after a blackout period without returning to old habits. This powerful conversation will give you insights, tools, and practical strategies to help families find balance in their screen use and prioritize connection over digital distraction. 📌 Curious to see if your family (or your clients) might benefit from a 30-Day Blackout? Take Stacy Jagger’s Screen Time Quiz: Click here to take the quiz. 🌟  Listen now and discover how to help families reset, reconnect, and create a healthier digital balance. Additional Resources:   💜 Learn more about Synergetic Play Therapy: Visit our website for courses, resources, and certification opportunities 📚 Explore Our Books and Read Aggression in Play Therapy ✨ SPT Foundation: Learn more about its mission, team, and initiatives 🔗 Follow us on Instagram 🔗 Find us on Facebook  

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• 199. EMDR Sand Tray Therapy for Trauma Healing: Ana Gomez on Symbols, Attachment, & Integration

  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 Ana’s 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 and process traumatic experiences, reorganize their relationship with their life stories, and unlock reparative, healing moments—even when verbal language is limited. In this episode, you’ll learn about: How sand tray symbols and avatars act as “story keepers,” allowing children and adults to safely engage with overwhelming experiences. Real-life clinical examples, including a transformative case with a child in foster care who connected with his experiences through symbolic play before he could verbalize them. Strategies for integrating EMDR and sand tray therapy with individual clients, parent-child dyads, families, and group settings. How to honor protective patterns and internal defenses while gradually moving experiences from implicit memory into explicit awareness. Ways parents can actively participate in sessions, supporting attachment completions and delivering guided interweaves under the therapist’s guidance. Practical insights for therapists, play therapists, and trauma professionals seeking adaptable, client-centered approaches that facilitate healing, integration, and identity work. Ana also shares where to find her book and access her global trainings and workshops, providing clinicians with tools to deepen their practice and expand their therapeutic repertoire. Whether you’re EMDR-trained, a play therapist, or simply curious about innovative trauma work, this episode is packed with wisdom, inspiration, and practical guidance for your clinical toolkit.  

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• Vicarious Trauma & Compassion Fatigue: What Every Therapist Needs to Know (Best Of)

  Original Air Date: May 3, 2020 The word compassion means ‘to suffer with’ or merge with. This is different than empathy." – Lisa Dion As play therapists, we hold so much. And often, we don’t realize how deeply the work impacts us—especially when we’re navigating crises both personally and professionally. In this essential episode, Lisa explores the nuanced differences between vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue—experiences 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 clients (as many did during the COVID-19 pandemic), and how that overlap can amplify the emotional toll. This is a deeply important conversation that shines a compassionate light on the realities of holding space for others—without losing ourselves in the process. 🎧 If you’re a play therapist, caregiver, or anyone who supports others through pain, this one is for you.

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• 198. Wounded Healers in the Playroom: How Attachment Histories Shape Our Work

  What happens when therapists bring their own attachment histories into the playroom—consciously or not? In this deeply validating and insightful conversation, Lisa welcomes back Dr. Clair Mellenthin—renowned play therapist, author, and professor—to unpack her groundbreaking dissertation research and explore how a therapist’s 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 “wounded healers” Research that debunks the myth of needing to be fully healed to help others How personal attachment wounds show up in the playroom—and why doing our own work matters The power of mentorship and community in creating earned security and ongoing healing How support systems help therapists feel seen, grounded, and more confident with families Common struggles therapists face when working with parents, especially with limited training Practical steps for building confidence through integration, connection, and focused learning Moving stories that show the healing ripple from therapist to family Whether you’re a student, seasoned therapist, or supervisor, this episode offers normalization, challenge, and inspiration—helping you reflect on your therapeutic presence, embrace your vulnerabilities, and cultivate authentic connection in the healing space.  

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