🎙️ She’s back! In her fourth appearance, Lisa welcomes the deeply loved and returning guest Mili Sarmiento Shoemaker—bilingual therapist, teacher, and Certified Synergetic Play Therapy Supervisor and Trainer—to introduce a brand-new topic to the podcast: Family Constellation Work.

Rooted in systemic and ancestral wisdom, this conversation explores how children’s symptoms often reflect unresolved family dynamics, not just their own inner world. Together, Mili and Lisa unpack key principles from Family Constellation theory—including the Orders of Love—and how therapists can begin using a systemic lens in the playroom, even without formal training.

In this expansive and soulful episode, you’ll discover:

• What Family Constellation Work is and why it matters in therapy
• How children may carry or express unresolved intergenerational trauma
• The three core Orders of Love (Belonging, Hierarchy, and Balance of Giving & Taking)
• How imbalance in these orders can result in symptoms like resentment, overwhelm, or soul entanglements
• The difference between taking and receiving—and why this matters in the therapy room
• How to begin integrating a systemic lens into your practice, even without formal training

✨ Whether you’re new to this work or looking to deepen your lens, this episode is filled with insight, heart, and transformative “aha” moments.

🎧 Also check out Mili’s past episodes:

• When the Aggressor is You: Therapist Activation in the Playroom
• Attachment to Self: The Cornerstone of Healing
• Why Therapists Attract the Clients That They Do

A beautiful and eye-opening conversation you won’t want to miss 💖

What makes play therapy supervision truly effective? In this first-ever Lessons from the Playroom episode on supervision, Lisa Dion is joined by Polly Douglass, Kim Buller, and Khris Rolfe—three extraordinary play therapists and top supervisors at the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute. Together, they explore the power of reflective and relational supervision and how it transforms both supervisees and their clients.

Whether you're currently in supervision or serving as a supervisor, this episode will offer invaluable insights into:

🔹 What it means to be reflective and relational in supervision
🔹 How to build a supervisor-supervisee relationship that fosters growth and trust
🔹 The role of the supervisor as an external regulator for the supervisee
🔹 How to help supervisees become more embodied in their work as play therapists
🔹 Ways to offer supervision that empowers therapists to trust themselves

This conversation weaves together a beautiful tapestry of reflection, relationship, and emotional attunement—helping play therapists feel their clients’ experiences rather than just think about them.

🌟 Tune in and discover how to create a deeply supportive and transformational supervision experience!

Original Air Date: April 25, 2023

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💜 Learn More About Synergetic Play Therapy:

👉 Visit our website for courses, resources, and certification opportunities – www.synergeticplaytherapy.com

📚 Explore Our Books: Aggression in Play Therapy – www.synergeticplaytherapy.com/books

🎧 Listen to Our Podcast: Lessons from the Playroom – www.synergeticplaytherapy.com/lessons-from-the-playroom/

✨ SPT Foundation: Learn more about it's mission, team and initiatives:

👉 https://synergeticplaytherapy.com/spt-foundation/

🔗 Connect with Us on Social Media:

• Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/synergeticplaytherapy/
• Like our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SynergeticPlayTherapyInstitute

In this heartfelt and most inspiring episode, Lisa sits down with Catherine and Alicia Denham—the visionary clinical duo behind Mama Owls Minis, Licensed Clinical Social Workers and Registered Play Therapist-Supervisors with over 40 years of combined experience. Together, they explore the messy, meaningful, and magical journey of creativity in play therapy, inviting listeners to reconnect with their inner artist and trust their instincts.

This episode dives deep into how therapists can embrace creativity—not as a quest to be “good at art,” but as a powerful process of authentic expression, moment-to-moment attunement, and healing. From hand-sculpted sand tray minis to a teenage client’s request for a tornado miniature, the conversation is packed with stories, reflections, and practical wisdom that illuminate how creativity invites us to break free from rigid protocols and create what truly fits what the child needs.

You’ll hear:

• How Alicia transformed from doodling to crafting stunning therapeutic figures
• Why Catherine treasures her first “wonky” sculpture as a symbol of imperfection embraced
• The creative origins of Synergetic Play Therapy and the tension between formal training and intuitive innovation
• Insights on parenting as a creative act—like turning a living room into a sensory playground
• How neurodivergent experiences shaped their unique approach to therapy and creativity
• Powerful stories of trust, flexibility, and letting go of control in therapy sessions and life
• An invitation to therapists to give themselves permission to explore and create what is needed despite self-doubt or fear of rejection

Whether you’re dreaming of crafting something new for your clients or simply seeking encouragement to trust your own creative voice, this episode offers inspiration and gentle permission to embrace the imperfect, beautiful process of authentic play and healing.

🎧 Tune in and reconnect with your creative self—your clients and children will thank you.