Special: Co-Regulation in Play Therapy: Supporting Parents and Caregivers with Lisa Dion

Lessons from the Playroom

Original air date: February 28, 2023

We're resharing this episode in which Lisa revisits a frequently asked question: how to support parents and caregivers in regulating themselves and ultimately co-regulating with their child when the child is dysregulated. Offering co-regulatory moments to parents can repattern their nervous systems, empowering them to become their child’s external regulator.

Join Lisa as she covers:

• Recognizing and addressing dysregulation in parents/caregivers during the therapy process.
• Utilizing the Synergetic Play Therapy concept of “The Set Up” or “Offering” to gain a deeper understanding of the parent.
• Emphasizing the importance of acknowledging our own felt sense and activation before acting as an external regulator for parents.
• Teaching parents/caregivers to become external regulators and developing regulatory templates for their relationship with their child.
• Identifying key factors when helping parents/caregivers create new regulation templates.
• Shifting parents/caregivers' perceptions of their child’s behavior to foster spaciousness and connection.

Consider this important question with Lisa: Are we willing to do what we can to create new templates for parents and caregivers, and based on our therapeutic approach, how might we do that? This episode is essential for therapists seeking to enhance their work with families by fostering co-regulation and deeper connections.

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.