Corporations Are Paying Psychologists to Teach Play - Here’s Why It’s Working

Picture a corporate wellness landscape where companies are tired of boring PowerPoint workshops but also can't justify wine tastings when burnout is a WHS compliance issue.

There's a gap there. A big one.

And what if you could fill it?

Today's guest, Dr. Mitzi Liddle, is doing exactly that. She's teaching corporations about play and pleasure - yes, you read that right - as nervous system regulation tools. Not fluff. Not entertainment. Neuroscience-backed performance enhancement.

And teams are actually booking it.

HERE ARE THE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1️⃣ Play Isn't Childish—It's a Nervous System Tool – When Mitzi started noticing corporate teams responded better to movement, music, and laughter than traditional lecture-style workshops, she followed that thread. Play and pleasure aren't frivolous—they're pathways to regulate your nervous system out of chronic stress and burnout. They bring you into your window of tolerance where creativity, energy, and clear thinking actually live.

2️⃣ There's a Gap in Corporate Wellness (And You Can Fill It) – Organizations don't want boring PowerPoint workshops. But they also don't want wine tastings that waste time. They want something engaging AND evidence-based. Something that addresses real burnout while meeting psychological safety requirements. If you can position experiential work with neuroscience backing, you've found the sweet spot.

3️⃣ Diversification Doesn't Mean Starting Over – Mitzi's been a psychologist for 20+ years. She didn't abandon her expertise—she expanded it. Corporate playshops for teams. Group programs for individual women. Both use the same foundation (play, pleasure, nervous system regulation) but serve different audiences. You don't need a brand new skill set. You need strategic positioning.

YOU'LL ALSO HEAR:

• Why "playshops" get better engagement than traditional burnout prevention workshops
• How to position play and pleasure so corporations take it seriously (and pay for it)
• The neuroscience behind why these "soft" concepts actually work as performance tools
• What changes when you follow your energy instead of grinding through what you think you "should" do
• How Mitzi created her beta program fast—and what supported that momentum
• Why dabbling and experimenting is actually the path (not a failure to commit)
• The one piece of advice for therapists who want something different but feel stuck

RESOURCES:

Connect with Dr. Mitzi Liddle:

• Website: www.drmitziliddle.com.au
• Instagram: @drmitziliddle

Therapists Rising Programs:

• The Incubator: therapistsrising.com/incubator
• The Collective Mastermind: therapistsrising.com/collective
• Instagram: @dr.hayleykelly

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW:

If this episode made you rethink what's possible for your practice, subscribe and review on Apple Podcasts. Your reviews help other therapists discover conversations that challenge the status quo and open up new possibilities.

You don't have to choose between engaging work and credible work. Between joy and professionalism. Between staying small and burning out.

What if the thing that lights YOU up is exactly what your ideal clients need? What opens up when you give yourself permission to follow that?