Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach for Integrating Intensity

by Lisa Dion

Offers play therapists practical ways of handling a pervasive issue with intense and aggressive play by their clients. With an understanding of aggressive play based on brain function and neuroscience, this book provides therapists with a framework to work authentically with aggressive play, while making it an integrative and therapeutic experience for the child.  Through the lens of neuroscience and interpersonal neurobiology, therapists are taught how to integrate the intensity experienced by both the child and the therapist during aggressive play in a way that leads towards greater healing and integration. The book explains the neurological processes that lead kids to dysregulation and provides therapists with tools to help their clients facilitate deep emotional healing, without causing their own nervous system to shut down.  Topics covered include: embracing aggression; understanding the nervous system; understanding regulation; developing yourself as an external regulator; authentic expression; setting boundaries; working with emotional flooding; supporting parents during aggressive play. 

Genres: Psychology, Counselling, Nonfiction

240 pages, Hardcover

Published November 20, 2018

Reviews

[Carly Guari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommend this book to all of my play therapist friends. I think it should be required reading for any clinician working with children through play.

[Lynnae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wish I had this book at the beginning of my journey of being a play therapist - an invaluable resource & one I’ll be revisiting. 5 🪀🪀🪀🪀🪀

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book! Lisa takes the seeming complexity of the interpersonal neurobiology field and applies it directly to work with children. The book is easy to understand and digest and makes the leap to application easy. A must read for anyone who works with children.

[Rachel Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely essential in working with children! I can easily say that this has been my most helpful book of the year in helping me improve my work as a therapist with children and their families. For me, the emphasis on co-regulation and using the therapist's ability to self-regulate (with examples on how to do this in aggressive play therapy sessions) have been the most valuable.

[Rebs Danger · Rating 5 out of 5]

So powerful to my work. Easy to read, understand and integrate. Highly recommend to all therapists working with children.

[Bailee Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Currently powering through my work-related tbr in an attempt to free up shelf space. This should be required reading for all play therapists!

[Nicole C · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read for beginning play therapists. Lisa Dion uses examples from her work as well as from the work of those she has witnessed to explain concepts and strategies. Easy to follow and definitely recommended.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

So helpful! Immediately able to integrate into my practise

[Biviana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book illuminated for me exactly how to hold space for kids' big feelings and help children navigate their inner world.

Kids use our more developed nervous system to learn to integrate their emotions and experiences. They make us feel what they are feeling. They want us to understand and then show them how to manage emotions (Rocking, breathing etc)

So it is important to have a balance view. We want to see them and see us at the same time.
We want to be mindful of what is happening for them and for us. Mindfulness does not mean calm. It just means being aware of what is happening to us. So we can choose how to act. How to self soothe. And then as we model how to manage our emotions, kids learn. It leads to a more authentic way of parenting too in my opinion. Instead of pretending that we are perfectly fine as parents.

The chapter on boundaries and how to redirect was also very interesting with concrete actions. You want me to feel what you are feeling, show me another way! It is a good script.

I am not a therapist. Just a mom interested in psychology and it was an easy read and it opened my mind up to other ways of handling events that occur everywhere, even at playgrounds.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Play therapy is foundational because it helps therapists unlearn many bad habits. This is especially true of the non-directive form Landreth teaches, which was the focus of my play therapy class. It was beneficial, but I still felt lacking in bringing my true self to the therapeutic experience as a person and a counselor. It fit, but not perfectly. I was introduced to Lisa Dion's work during my internship. This was the missing piece of play therapy that I needed. Dion's work utilizes the counselor in many ways and allows for the space a counselor needs to bring their authentic self to the room. Also, many of the apprehensions I had with a completely non-directive model were easily answered through Dion's work. Understanding the integration of aggression, the setup, the neuroscience, and the developmental aspects of the children's play from this POV is helpful in play therapy spaces and with families, adult clients, and our self-awareness. Bravo Lisa.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic resource for therapists and play therapists alike. Being able to regulate your own nervous system while attending to your client's is so important. This should be required reading for any play therapist. Also I have attended one of Lisa Dion's trainings and you work on these skills in practical and fun ways. I wish I had known these skills at the beginning of my career, it would have helped to not learn what burnout felt like at 23 yrs old. Luckily, I had good support and people around me to get out of it, get more training and be better at managing what shows up in there therapy office.

[Emily Renee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wish I could rate it a half star. Painful read. Lisa Dion talks to the reader like they are one of her child clients - patronizing and infantilizing. Her theories feel like a major stretch and just an over complicated explanation of empathy. Her examples of her in sessions feel inauthentic, theatrical, and, again, a stretch. The book could have been about 200 pages shorter. I am newer to the play therapy world and can honestly say I got nothing from it from this book.

[Victoria Andersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t express how valuable this book was for both my professional and personal growth. Gaining a deeper understanding of the nervous system, the importance of integrating aggression, and the therapeutic powers of play is not only helpful for a play therapist, but for anyone who spends time with children.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book is more for teaching emotional regulation in kids in the context of therapy, not just for kids with anger & aggression. Highly recommend! This therapy technique spoke to me enough that I’m now in Month 5 of a 6-Month training with the author.
Synergetic Play Therapy

[Fleeting Bird · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an amazing read. I very much recoomend reading it.

[Jordan Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful and beyond helpful.

[cheung yuet wah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read through at one seating.

Eyeopening - show how to attune to a child client when the client is aggressive towards the therapist . Very practical. With numerous examples.

[Sarah Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Easy to read, lots of concrete and actionable advice, and perfect to read after Poly vagal response in therapy. Excited to try some of her suggestions in session

[Chastidy Parks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really helpful and insightful

[Susan Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was so helpful to find a resource for aggression that explained its purpose rather than villainizing it. Lots of practical strategies to use for both therapists and caregivers. Highly recommend.

[Britt · Rating 5 out of 5]

GAME CHANGER!!!

[Jennifer Gerber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book-must read for play therapists

[Cjoguzman Schraer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for play therapist!

[Catie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really awesome! This has helped me a lot in parenting and in my profession.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely agree with others in the field, this is a must read for any play therapists! I wish Lisa would have spent more time elaborating on the concept of integration vs. catharsis.

[Serafina Pike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be incredibly helpful, actionable, and easily digestible! I wholeheartedly recommend any counselor who works with kids!

[olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

really great resource!!! need to get my own copy <3

[Danielle H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely usable, clear, and concise. I've put this into practice and it has been wonderful. I'm particularly appreciative of the evidence based nature of the book. It can sometimes help to explain the reasons why this "works" in "brain terms" to get parent buy in and this book arms you with those "brain facts"! Trauma informed, too. Moderately good culturally.

[Becca Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best therapist read I have ever gotten my hands on. An absolute career game-changer and definer. I decided to pursue my synergetic play therapy certification with the author’s after the reading of this book. I fangirl so hard for Lisa Dion! She is a defining, powerful voice of play therapy. Cant recommend enough!

[Bradford · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars