Synergetic Play Therapy Institute

What Synergetic Play Therapy Institute does

Synergetic Play Therapy Institute (SPTI) is a private, founder-owned continuing education and certification institute headquartered in Colorado, founded in 2008 by Lisa Dion to commercialize the Synergetic Play Therapy (SPT) methodology — a trademarked, neuroscience-informed play therapy model blending nervous system regulation, interpersonal neurobiology, attachment theory, and therapist authenticity. The Institute sells a structured three-tier certification pathway (Level 1 Introduction at 30+ hours, Level 2 Certification at 85+ hours, Level 3 Supervisor Training at 30+ hours) delivered primarily through its proprietary learning management system at learn.synergeticplaytherapy.com, with embedded individual and group consultation hours, recorded sessions, clinical video analysis, and 80%-passing skill assessments. Supporting the certification stack is a content ecosystem including the Lessons from the Playroom podcast (200+ episodes across 150+ countries), The Playroom Videos on YouTube, the Playroom Blog, free webinars, and a Find-a-Provider directory.

Revenue is generated across five streams: certification program tuition (with multi-year payment plans and a 10% convenience fee), individual continuing education courses, book sales and book-study CE credits (notably 'Aggression in Play Therapy' published through W.W. Norton in five language translations), donation-based webinars whose proceeds flow to a separate 501(c)(3) SPT Foundation, and a direct-to-consumer parenting course distributed via the HealBright platform under the Synergetic Parenting™ trademark. The customer base is a long tail of individual licensed clinicians (LPCs, LCSWs, LMFTs, registered play therapists), educators, child-life specialists, and parents distributed globally, with no disclosed enterprise anchors. Operations are supported by a small core team and a distributed network of more than 20 certified consultants and supervisors across the US, Canada, UK, Australia, Argentina, Ukraine, and the Philippines, and the company has received the Association for Play Therapy's Professional Education and Training Award of Excellence.

Name

Synergetic Play Therapy Institute

Legal name

Synergetic Play Therapy Institute

Website

https://synergeticplaytherapy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Synergetic Play Therapy Institute is a Colorado-based, founder-owned continuing education institute that trains and certifies mental health professionals worldwide in a proprietary neuroscience-informed play therapy methodology through a three-tier certification program, online courses, books, and a global podcast.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Education and Certification in Play Therapy

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Related Therapy Services (Speech, Occupational, Physical, Feeding) (EDAJAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Special Needs Skill-Building & Therapy Learning Apps (Autism, OT/PT, Life Skills) (EDAFAKAJ)

Keywords

• Play therapy training
• Mental health certification
• Continuing education courses
• Professional development programs
• Child therapy education

Headquarters

HQ city

Boulder

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Professional Certification Programs: Revenue from multi-level certification programs including Level 1 Introduction to SPT, Level 2 SPT Certification, and Level 3 Supervisor Training. Programs include consultation sessions, recorded content, and assessments. Payment plans available with 10% convenience fee.
2. Continuing Education Courses: Individual courses on topics including trauma, sandtray, somatic work, aggression, cultural responsiveness, and specialized populations. Both live and home study formats available.
3. Book Sales and Book Studies: Sales of 'Aggression in Play Therapy: A Neurobiological Approach for Integrating Intensity' by Lisa Dion (W.W. Norton), available in print, audio, and multiple translations. Book study CE credits also offered through the learning platform.
4. Donation Courses: 100% of proceeds from donation-based courses (Play It Forward Symposium, Setting Boundaries in the Playroom, Cultivating Inclusive Practice, etc.) go to the SPT Foundation to fund scholarships and research.
5. Parent/Caregiver Online Course: Direct-to-consumer parenting course 'Managing Your Child's Moods and Behaviors' offered at $59 (regularly $99) through HealBright platform with affiliate arrangement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Synergetic Play Therapy Institute (SPTI) delivers tiered professional training and certification programs in the proprietary Synergetic Play Therapy (SPT) model for licensed mental health professionals worldwide. It also sells continuing education courses, organizational training, educator training, and a parent-facing course, supported by a proprietary LMS, a consultant network, and published materials.

Product overview

Synergetic Play Therapy Institute offers a multi-level certification training program for mental health professionals in Synergetic Play Therapy (SPT), a neuroscience-based play therapy model developed by Lisa Dion in 2008. The core offering consists of three certification levels: Level 1 Introduction (30+ hours, online/in-person), Level 2 Certification (85+ hours, online), and Level 3 Supervisor Training (30+ hours, online). Supporting the training programs, the Institute provides free resources including the Lessons from the Playroom podcast (200+ episodes), The Playroom Videos on YouTube, and a Playroom Blog. Additional offerings include continuing education courses, the Business of Therapy program, SPT Certified Community Membership, organizational training, and educator resources. The Institute also publishes books including 'Aggression in Play Therapy' and supports the non-profit Synergetic Play Therapy Foundation for scholarships and research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Level 1 - Introduction to Synergetic Play Therapy 30+ hour introductory online course for licensed mental health professionals covering the foundational Synergetic Play Therapy framework, including the SPT Tenets, Therapeutic Stages, and Process of Change. Awarded the Live Online Course of the Year (2021) by the Association for Play Therapy.
• Level 2 - Synergetic Play Therapy Certification 85+ hour advanced certification course for mental health professionals that builds on Level 1, providing in-depth SPT skills and case application for clinicians seeking full SPT certification.
• Level 3 - Supervisor Program & Advanced Training 30+ hour advanced program for certified practitioners seeking to become supervisors and advanced SPT practitioners, including mentorship and supervisor training.
• 1-5 Hour Online Courses (Continuing Education) Short-form online courses (1–5 hours each) providing continuing education for mental health professionals on specialized SPT-related topics.
• Business of Therapy Training Training program aimed at helping mental health professionals apply SPT concepts to running and growing a therapy practice.
• SPT Certified Community Membership Subscription-based membership community for SPT-certified and trainee practitioners offering ongoing learning, peer connection, and resources.
• For Organizations Training Structured play therapy training delivered to organizations (clinics, agencies, group practices) for cohorts of clinicians, as distinct from individual-practitioner enrollment.
• For Educators (Synergetic Education) Training Educator-focused training program (delivered via synergeticeducation.com) that translates Synergetic Play Therapy principles into classroom and school-based practice for teachers and school professionals.
• Managing Your Child's Moods and Behaviors (Parent Course) Self-paced online course for parents and caregivers on supporting children's moods, behaviors, and emotions, distributed in partnership with HealBright.
• Aggression in Play Therapy (Book) Book by Lisa Dion published via W.W. Norton that presents a neurobiological approach to working with aggression in play therapy, sold through major book retailers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Research demonstrates SPT significantly enhances a child's capacity for emotional regulation and tolerance
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• NICABM (National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine): NICABM is a long-standing CE provider offering online training in psychotherapy, neuroscience, and trauma for mental health professionals. Comparable to SPTI as a competitor for the same CE dollar with a similar content-driven, thought-leadership-led marketing model.
• PESI (Professional Education Systems Institute): PESI is one of the largest continuing education providers for mental health professionals in the US, offering live seminars, online courses, and certifications across therapy modalities. It is comparable to SPTI as a competing destination for the same licensed-mental-health CE budget, but with a much broader catalog and a B2B institutional sales motion.
• The Association for Play Therapy (APT): APT is the leading professional association for play therapy practitioners, offering its own credentialing (RPT/RPT-S), conferences, and continuing education. It is comparable to SPTI because both credential play therapists and shape the SPT/CE market, though APT is a non-profit membership body rather than a private training company.

Direct peers

• Center for Play Therapy (University of North Texas): UNT's Center for Play Therapy is one of the most established academic play therapy training centers in the US, offering graduate-level certificates, continuing education, and supervisor training. It is directly comparable to SPTI as a competing source of play-therapy credentials and CE credits for the same target audience of LPCs, LCSWs, and LMFTs.
• The Play Therapy Institute: The Play Therapy Institute offers certification and continuing education programs in play therapy for mental health professionals. It is a direct competitor in the same niche: multi-level certification pathways for licensed clinicians seeking modality-specific credentials.

Emerging players

• Zur Institute: Zur Institute offers online continuing education courses and certificates for mental health professionals on topics such as trauma, ethics, and body-based therapies. It is comparable as a smaller CE provider targeting the same licensed-mental-health audience with modular course purchases.
• Polyvagal Institute (Dr. Stephen Porges): Polyvagal Institute delivers training in Polyvagal Theory for therapists, educators, and other professionals—a neuroscience-based framework for understanding nervous system regulation. Comparable to SPTI as a competing 'neuroscience-for-therapists' training brand with a strong founder-led content marketing model.
• Evergreen Certifications: Evergreen Certifications provides continuing education and specialty certifications for mental health professionals through partnerships with course creators. Comparable to SPTI as a CE marketplace/credentialing layer that could either compete with or distribute SPT content to a broader audience.
• EMDR Institute / EMDRIA-approved training programs: EMDR Institute and its affiliate training organizations deliver another major modality-specific certification (EMDR) for the same mental-health professional audience. Comparable to SPTI as a competing 'signature modality' credential that clinicians stack onto their licenses, often alongside SPT.
• Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute: Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute trains mental health professionals in a body-oriented, neuroscience-informed therapy model. It is comparable to SPTI because both sell proprietary, multi-level certifications to licensed clinicians in body-based / nervous-system-focused modalities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCNX-2daTc-WdyzxYw_TNAxA
• Facebookfacebook.com/SynergeticPlayTherapyInstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/synergetic-play-therapy-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/synergeticplaytherapy

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Synergetic Play Therapy Institute