Drbanksatplay

12/12/2025

We have access to one of the most important ways to make our lives beautiful and our relationships meaningful everyday. During the holidays, the opportunities abound even more with surprising gatherings, decorated celebrations, scrumptious meals - and my favorite part— conversations with new friends who have discovered different ways of looking at Christmas or Kwanza. What questions are you asking this year?

Book a session with Dr. Banks (804) 986-1648

12/10/2025

Need a mental health revamp during this busy season? Who do you call? Dr. Banks is just a phone call away 📞
Find me on Psychology Today https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/sonia-robena-banks-cambria-heights-ny/1649568

12/02/2025

Do you believe that play can be the doorway to healing? Dr. Banks and other clinical psychologists think so. Leave burnout behind this holiday season and schedule a session with Dr. Banks to get your mind back on track.
📞Call (804) 986-1648

11/27/2025

Happy holidays to you and yours! It’s the perfect time to use play for healing. Play is not a break we take. It’s the reboot we need.

The problem? Women in their roles face invisible, ongoing stretches of intensity and collapse which result in burnout—especially during the holiday season!

Solution? Schedule a 1:1 session with Dr. Banks to get your mental health back on track. Call (804) 986-1648

06/17/2025

I can't wait! We are counting down the days!!

We are thrilled to announce our first speaker for The Creativity Conference NYC 2025!

Dr. Sonia Banks is a dynamic clinical psychologist and behavioral change strategist specializing in her organic power of play for life and work transitions. She uses behavioral play to introduce her clients to their best possible authentic self. Known for her infectious energy, Dr. Banks blends fun with growth, creating curiosity, and an environment where self-reflection thrives.

Whether she’s training, facilitating, or coaching, she is playing with you and inspiring everyone around her to embrace new ways of imagining and innovating solutions to complex problems.

Through her company, Dr. Banks integrates playful activities into ways for individuals and organizations to ignite their dreams. She believes transformation expands and energizes our capacity for greater humanity.

We can't wait for Sonia's session at the upcoming Creativity Conference event in NYC on June 19th - limited FREE tickets are still available at www.creativityconference.is/nyc

05/29/2025

There are so many ways we play—whether we realize it or not.

We tell stories (sometimes to convince others... or ourselves). We play basketball, tennis, volleyball, handball. When I ask clients about their favorite childhood games, the answers come pouring in—tag, hopscotch, Hide and Seek (or Manhunt, anyone?), Mother May I…

It’s joyful. It’s spontaneous.

And yet, people still ask me: “What exactly is play?”

Here’s what I tell them, every time:
Play is a STATE OF MIND.
It’s not about being silly. It’s about being open, curious, creative—even strategic.

If you want to explore how we use play to shift behaviors, unlock potential, and bring more life into your work and your team, follow us on Instagram and Facebook

05/23/2025

As summer vacations begin, Dr. Banks encourages you to take your journey@play seriously. In your neighborhood, county - instate or another continent. She went to Liberia, West Africa. Wherever you go, make that your playground. Where do you want to go? Comment Below 👇

05/16/2025

DrBanksAtPlay has been looking at the way play shapes human development. Karl Groos, a philosopher and psychologist, suggested that play serves as a preparatory function for behaviors that let us practice the skills we need to develop cognitive, social, and physical skills necessary for adult life, including problem-solving, and empathy. Want to learn more? ⚡️Join our mailing list. 🔗 in bio

05/15/2025

The problem is... most company cultures are built for performance, not for people.

And when people don’t feel seen, heard, or inspired, they disengage—even while showing up.
They perform, yes. But they don’t thrive.
They comply, but they don’t create.

And you know what that leads to?
👉 Emotional exhaustion
👉 Isolation behind bright screens
👉 “Safe” ideas that don’t move the needle

Here’s what I know from years in behavioral health and consultation:
You can’t produce brilliance in a culture that only values efficiency.

💡 What does unlock brilliance?
Play.

Not childish distraction—I'm talking about intentional, behavioral play that shifts mindsets, lifts isolation, and reignites curiosity like a wildfire.
Play is animated exuberance—something most workplaces desperately need. It’s trust. It’s permission to explore what’s possible.
It buffers stress. It softens burnout. It makes people feel human again.

✋ Drop a yes in the comments if you are ready to return to your authentic core.