Play Therapy Community

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Latest Episodes:

126: Supporting Neurodivergent Clients Through Play, EMDR, and Advocacy with Dr. Robert Jason Grant Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

Welcome to EMDR Playground, the podcast for therapists who want to integrate EMDR and play with confidence, clarity, and creativity. Hosted by Jackie Flynn, Registered Play Therapist, EMDRIA Trainer, and author of the EMDR with Kids Flipchart, this show explores how fidelity to the EMDR model, a deep understanding of the nervous system, and the language of play can transform therapy for children, teens, and adults. Each episode offers practical strategies, expert conversations, and insights you can use right away to help your clients heal more deeply. Whether you're EMDR-trained or just beginning to explore this powerful approach, EMDR Playground is your space to grow, connect, and bring more depth and effectiveness to your work. In this episode of the Play Therapy Community Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Robert Jason Grant, creator of AutPlay Therapy, for a conversation recorded at the AutPlay Therapy Clinic in Springfield, Missouri. Together, we explore what it means to truly provide neurodivergent-affirming care and how play therapy, EMDR, advocacy, and relationship-centered practice can work together to support autistic, ADHD, and other neurodivergent children, teens, and families. Robert shares insights from his clinical work, training experiences, and lived perspective as a neurodivergent clinician. We discuss moving beyond compliance-based approaches, supporting authentic self-expression, empowering self-advocacy, and creating therapeutic spaces where neurodivergent clients can thrive rather than simply adapt. Whether you're a play therapist, EMDR therapist, school counselor, or mental health professional, this conversation offers practical ideas and thoughtful reflections for building a more affirming and responsive practice. Learn More About Dr. Robert Jason Grant • RobertjasongrantThe Play and Family Therapy Center • AutplaytherapyHome - AutPlay Therapy Upcoming Training • EMDR Playground Immersion Ce-go 2027 EMDR Playground Immersion Connect with Jackie Flynn • JackieflynnconsultingJackie Flynn Consulting | EMDR Training, Consultation & Play Therapy • Playtherapycommunityplaytherapycommunity.com

125: AI, EMDR, and Attachment Informed Playing With Time with guests Mark Brayne and Rotem Brayer Jun 24, 2026

Show notes

Each episode offers practical strategies, expert conversations, and insights you can use right away to help your clients heal more deeply. Whether you're EMDR-trained or just beginning to explore this powerful approach, EMDR Playground is your space to grow, connect, and bring more depth and effectiveness to your work.

In this episode, we explore what it means to "play with time" in EMDR therapy through an attachment-informed, nervous-system-informed lens.

Mark Brayne shares a playful and powerful metaphor from the 1980s movie Back to the Future. He invites us to imagine EMDR as a kind of therapeutic DeLorean. We are not going back in time to erase the past. We are going back to help the nervous system update what still feels unfinished, unsafe, or stuck.

Together, Mark and Rotem Brayer explore how EMDR can help clients revisit earlier experiences with more support, more choice, and more present-day resources. This conversation brings together creativity, clinical depth, and deep respect for the nervous system.

We talk about how time shows up in trauma work. The past can feel present. The future can feel blocked. The body may respond as if something old is happening right now. EMDR gives us a way to help the brain and body reconnect with the truth that the danger is over, the client has grown, and new possibilities are available.

This episode also highlights the importance of playfulness in deep clinical work. Metaphor, imagery, curiosity, and imagination can help clients access healing in ways that feel less rigid and more alive.

In this episode, we explore

How the DeLorean metaphor helps explain EMDR

Why trauma can make the past feel present

How EMDR can support healing across time

What it means to influence the future by updating the past

How attachment-informed care shapes the EMDR process

Why nervous system safety matters in trauma treatment

How playful metaphor can deepen clinical understanding

This conversation is especially helpful for EMDR therapists who want to think more creatively about time, memory, attachment, and healing.

We also share about an upcoming training near Denver, Colorado, where we will continue exploring EMDR, attachment-informed practice, and creative clinical work.

Join us near Denver for this powerful training experience.

Add registration link: https://checkout.square.site/merchant/4182HB7JQSB2D/checkout/4OG5JUGA4FLWA2KSGHF6GQX4

Add training date here: August 27, 2026 at 8:30 AM and August 29, 2026 5:00 PM

Add location details here: 6200 S Syracuse Way Greenwood Village, CO 80111

124: The Wisdom of Momma Cheetah: Safety, Trust, Instinct, and the Return to Self With Dr. Tanya Defferary May 29, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, I sit down with Tanya Defferary to explore The Wisdom of Momma Cheetah and what the natural world can teach us about safety, trust, instinct, attachment, and the return to self.

As Tanya shared stories from Nyosi Wildlife Reserve, I found myself thinking deeply about EMDR therapy and the Adaptive Information Processing model. Trauma can disconnect us from our natural ability to orient toward safety, connection, curiosity, and presence. Healing often begins when the nervous system experiences enough safety to reconnect with the wisdom that was there all along.

There is something profound about watching animals in their natural environment. The way a mother cheetah protects, pauses, assesses, rests, and teaches her young to move through the world without losing their instincts. Nothing in nature shames survival responses. And yet survival is not meant to become a permanent identity.

I had the opportunity to travel to South Africa for Marshall Lyles's EMDR and expressive arts training at Nyosi Wildlife Reserve, and the experience left a deep imprint on me. Being immersed in the South African bush expanded the way I think about healing, embodiment, attachment, rhythm, and the nervous system itself. There is something about nature that reminds the body of what regulation feels like without needing words first.

We also talk about the growing vision behind Global Therapy Connect and the immersive retreat experiences being created for therapists inside the wild landscapes of South Africa. Upcoming retreats bring together voices including Lisa Dion, Tanya Defferary, Marshall Lyles, and others for experiential learning centered around trauma, expressive therapies, nervous system healing, and connection.

This conversation is ultimately about remembering. Remembering that healing is not always about becoming someone new. Sometimes it is about returning to what trauma interrupted. The body often knows the way home long before the mind can explain it.

If you want to learn more from Dr. Defferary and the retreat style training in South Africa, visit Global Therapy Connect

123: Safe Enough: When Safety Doesn't Feel Safe with Jackie Flynn May 11, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of the EMDR Playground Podcast, Jackie explores the concept of "safe enough" and why, for many trauma survivors, safety itself can feel unfamiliar, vulnerable, or even threatening. Drawing from Polyvagal Theory and the work of Stephen Porges, Jackie reflects on how the nervous system learns survival through adaptation and protection, and how healing often begins not with perfect safety, but with experiences that feel safe enough for connection, curiosity, and regulation to emerge. In this conversation, Jackie shares her "Safe Enough" cards and the ways animals can teach us about nervous system states, instinct, survival, protection, and co-regulation. Through stories, reflections, and clinical insight, she explores how the natural world mirrors the wisdom of the human nervous system and why accessing safety is such an essential part of trauma healing. This episode invites therapists, parents, and helpers to rethink what safety means, especially for those whose nervous systems learned early that closeness, stillness, or vulnerability were not always safe experiences. Topics explored in this episode include: • Why safety may not initially feel safe for trauma survivors • The concept of "safe enough" in trauma healing • Polyvagal Theory and nervous system states • What animals can teach us about survival and regulation • Protective responses as adaptive nervous system strategies • Using creative and relational approaches to support felt safety • The role of co-regulation in EMDR and trauma therapy Resources Mentioned: "Safe Enough" Cards by Jackie - https://www.innovativechildtherapy.com/p/the-safe-enough-card-deck-966137 Polyvagal Theory by Stephen Porges

122: Exploring AI in EMDR with Jocelyn Fitzgerald Apr 16, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, I sit down with Jocelyn Fitzgerald, art therapist and EMDR consultant, to explore her thoughts on the use of AI art in clinical work. Because art therapy is such a central part of her work, she brings a thoughtful and important perspective to how AI-generated imagery intersects with EMDR. We talk about the pros and cons of using AI art, and what it means to integrate these tools without losing the human connection at the heart of therapy. This is a grounded conversation about possibility, caution, and staying anchored in what matters most as our field continues to evolve.

You can Find us at

jackieflynnconsulting.com emdrplayground.com facebook.com/groups/emdrwithkidscommunity facebook.com/groups/1130971706932394 instagram.com/playtherapycommunity tiktok.com/@jackieflynnconsulting youtube.com/@EMDRPlayground

121: Co-Regulation, EMDR, and a Mama Turtle Story with Lisa Dion Mar 30, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of the EMDR Playground podcast, we explore co-regulation through a powerful story shared by Lisa Dion, founder of Synergetic Play Therapy. Lisa shares a moving experience of grief and unexpected connection, describing a moment with a mama turtle laying her eggs. In that space, something shifts. Not because the pain disappears, but because she is no longer alone inside it. This conversation highlights an essential truth for EMDR therapists. What shapes an experience is not only what happened, but whether there was enough support, attunement, and connection in the midst of it. Co-regulation plays a central role in how overwhelming experiences are carried and integrated. It is not separate from EMDR therapy. It lives within the relationship, the pacing, and the therapist's ability to stay present when clients move toward something difficult. In this episode, we explore:

The role of co-regulation in trauma and healing
How connection influences the way experiences are held and processed
Why the therapist's presence matters in every phase of EMDR
A story that brings the clinical importance of co-regulation to life

As you listen, notice what stands out for you in your own clinical work and how co-regulation shows up in your sessions. Learn more about Lisa Dion and Synergetic Play Therapy SynergeticplaytherapyHomepage - Synergetic Play Therapy Institute Explore more resources and trainings with Jackie Flynn www.j ackieflynnconsulting.com

You can Find us at

120: "Before Trauma Processing" Safety, Stabilization, and Protective Parts in EMDR Mar 13, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, Jackie talks with Claudia Ocampo about how she brings Internal Family Systems thinking into her EMDR practice. Claudia shares how a parts lens can help therapists respond with more compassion and clarity when suicidal ideation is present. Rather than seeing suicidality as the whole person, she invites us to consider the part of the client carrying overwhelming pain and desperation. Through a clinical story, Claudia offers a practical example of how this way of thinking can shape the work in session. The conversation points back to an essential EMDR principle. Safety and stabilization come before trauma processing. This episode offers a thoughtful look at how protective parts, careful pacing, and attuned presence can help lay the foundation for deeper healing work. In this episode, we discuss • how Claudia integrates IFS ideas into her EMDR practice • understanding suicidal ideation through a parts lens • a clinical story that shows practical application • the importance of safety and stabilization in EMDR • how protective parts can support the work before trauma processing To Learn More, Visit: www.evegreenjourneycounseling.com Remember, Safety and stabilization come before trauma processing. Protective parts and resources help create that foundation.

119: Why Every Suggestion Matters in EMDR Therapy "Recommending IS Clinical" Feb 27, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, we explore something we do every week in practice but rarely examine closely. Recommendations.

Books.
Apps.
Breathwork.
Sleep tools.
Supplements.
Journaling prompts.
Support groups.
Retreats.
Productivity systems.

These may feel like small suggestions. They are not. Every recommendation is an intervention. It shapes what a client does between sessions, often when they are alone and outside their window of tolerance. When a recommendation fits, it can build regulation and capacity. When it misses, it can amplify shame, threat, or collapse. This episode invites EMDR therapists to apply the same precision to recommendations that we apply to targeting, pacing, and reprocessing. What We Cover

Why recommending is clinical, not casual
How tools interact with nervous system states
The risk of unintentionally reinforcing negative cognitions
How power and authority shape client uptake
Why cultural context and lived experience must be considered
What to do when a recommendation backfires
The Three Checks Before You Recommend Anything
It Fits
Does this align with the client's age, neurotype, cultural context, and current phase of EMDR
Does it match your case conceptualization
Safety
Could this push them outside their window
Are there medical, psychological, or digital risks
Could it increase dissociation, panic, avoidance, or shutdown
Meaning
If this does not work, what story might the client make
Will it increase shame or performance pressure
Will it build capacity or dependency

Key Clinical Reminder Recommendations are adjunctive supports. They are not substitutes for assessment, phase based work, or reprocessing. If a tool reinforces "I am not enough," we may be strengthening a network we will later need to target. Memorable Line If we are precise with bilateral stimulation, we need to be precise with what we send clients home with. Reflection Question Before your next recommendation, ask What might be the unintended nervous system cost of this suggestion for this client, right now About EMDR Playground EMDR Playground is a space for therapists who want to practice with depth, precision, and fidelity to the EMDR model across the lifespan. We move beyond hacks and trends toward thoughtful, nervous system informed care.

118: Should Parents Be in EMDR Sessions With Kids and Teens? Feb 13, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of EMDR Playground, host Jackie Flynn discusses the integration of EMDR therapy with children and the role of parents in the therapeutic process. She emphasizes the importance of understanding each child's unique needs and the necessity of creating a safe environment through play. The conversation covers various phases of EMDR therapy, the significance of consent and confidentiality, and cultural considerations in involving parents in sessions. Jackie also shares resources available for clinicians looking to enhance their practice with EMDR.

#EMDR #PlayTherapy #JackieFlynnConsulting

You can Find us at

jackieflynnconsulting.com

emdrplayground.com

facebook.com/groups/emdrwithkidscommunity

facebook.com/groups/1130971706932394

instagram.com/playtherapycommunity

tiktok.com/@jackieflynnconsulting

youtube.com/@EMDRPlayground

117: Moving through the 8 phases of EMDR therapy With Jackie Flynn Feb 02, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, Jackie Flynn breaks down the 8 phases of EMDR therapy, explaining what clients and clinicians can expect at each stage of the process. From history-taking and preparation to reprocessing, integration, and closure, Jackie offers a clear, compassionate overview of how EMDR supports trauma healing.

Whether you're new to EMDR, considering it for yourself, or a therapist looking to deepen your understanding of the model, this episode provides practical insight into why the structure of EMDR matters—and how it helps create lasting change.

#EMDR #PlayTherapy #JackieFlynnConsulting

You can Find us at

jackieflynnconsulting.com

emdrplayground.com

facebook.com/groups/emdrwithkidscommunity

facebook.com/groups/1130971706932394

instagram.com/playtherapycommunity

tiktok.com/@jackieflynnconsulting

youtube.com/@EMDRPlayground