What is Sandplay?
Sandplay is a non-verbal form of psychotherapy that uses miniatures of all kinds and two sand boxes, one wet and one dry. Clients are instructed to create a scene in the sand. There are many methods that use sand and miniatures including "sandtray therapy," "sand tray wordplay", and "Worldplay" to name a few. Some use Jungian theory some do not. The word "Sandplay" refers to a specific Jungian based form of sand work that goes very deep and is able to work on even pre-verbal level of trauma. Training in Sandplay can be helpful no matter which orientation you use.
Dora Kalff, a Jungian trained analyst and a personal friend of Carl Jung, developed the theory. Jungian theory, in part, is used to understand the sandpictures. Dora spent one year training with Margaret Lowenfeld, creator of the World Technique, another form of sandtray work. With Lowenfeld’s permission Dora developed her own form of sandtray therapy and called it Sandplay.
When a person works in the sand it is called a process. Through a sandplay process a person can restructure their psyche and emotionally heal.
Dora Kalff, a Jungian trained analyst and a personal friend of Carl Jung, developed the theory. Jungian theory, in part, is used to understand the sandpictures. Dora spent one year training with Margaret Lowenfeld, creator of the World Technique, another form of sandtray work. With Lowenfeld’s permission Dora developed her own form of sandtray therapy and called it Sandplay.
When a person works in the sand it is called a process. Through a sandplay process a person can restructure their psyche and emotionally heal.
For Dora it was important to understand what she called
“the free and protected space.” When
therapists are trained, this is one of the most important and most difficult things
to learn how to do because it seems like you are doing nothing.
In Sandplay the goal is to invite the unconscious to direct the process. To this end the therapist neither interprets or directs, but holds the space so the unconscious can feel free to work. We may not know what is needed for healing but the unconscious does. It will take us there given the opportunity and because the client sees the figures, the conscious mind is also at work.
In Jungian psychology one of the goals is to achieve the highest functioning by connecting with what Jung called the Self. Sandplay is a wonderful way to do this.
For children, of course playing in the sand is a natural activity and they take to it quickly and easily. Adults sometimes are a bit more fearful about what they might reveal or feel, but those who choose to use Sandplay find therapy is faster. Some people will work with one therapist and come to a Sandplay therapist when they get stuck to do a few pictures, and then return to their regular therapist.
I invite you to visit some of these links to learn more about Sandplay therapy.
I invite you to visit some of these links to learn more about Sandplay therapy.
