194. Introducing Family Constellation Work: A Systemic Lens for Play Therapists

Lessons from the Playroom

🎙️ 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 💖