
Dora Kalff, Jungian therapist, developed Sandplay Therapy in Switzerland in the 1950s and '60s based on her studies at the C.G. Jung Institute, Zurich, in Tibetan Buddhism, and with Margaret Lowenfeld, in England. It is a non-verbal therapeutic process based on the psychology of Carl Jung.
"Often the hands know how to solve a riddle with which
the intellect has wrestled in vain."
-C.G. Jung
Sandplay is a non-verbal form of therapy where during a session, miniature objects and symbols are placed inside a tray of sand to create scenes that correspond to your inner world. When placing the miniatures in the sand, unconscious feelings emerge, inner pictures become visible, it is one of the few therapeutic modalities that promote the unconscious and conscious mind to come together in a safe and protected space. This new awareness becomes the platform for psychological transformation and personal growth.
Neurobiological research shows that emotional memories and traumatic sensory experiences are stored in the limbic system and right hemisphere of the brain, along with non-verbal, sensory experiences such as images, bodily sensations, and emotions. Expressive therapies such as Sandplay are thus believed to be effective methods to access any unconscious content locked in the limbic system and bring it into consciousness where it can be cognitively reprocessed and resolved.
Sandplay is a valuable means of working with children, teens, and adults. Emotional issues that may not be verbalized are expressed in the sand. Through the creation of sandtrays, one can delve deeper into what is troubling them and facilitate change in the process. The sand provides a playful, non-threatening environment to bring about connections and self-examination. It is important for adults and adolescents to recognize that their sandtray work will not be interpreted. The therapist is only a guide to facilitate the process. Most people delight in this modality, as they are given the freedom to create and tell stories in a safe environment.
"Healing takes place in the free and protected space" Dora Kalff
For more information visit Sandplay Therapists of America website: http://www.sandplay.org/
"Often the hands know how to solve a riddle with which
the intellect has wrestled in vain."
-C.G. Jung
Sandplay is a non-verbal form of therapy where during a session, miniature objects and symbols are placed inside a tray of sand to create scenes that correspond to your inner world. When placing the miniatures in the sand, unconscious feelings emerge, inner pictures become visible, it is one of the few therapeutic modalities that promote the unconscious and conscious mind to come together in a safe and protected space. This new awareness becomes the platform for psychological transformation and personal growth.
Neurobiological research shows that emotional memories and traumatic sensory experiences are stored in the limbic system and right hemisphere of the brain, along with non-verbal, sensory experiences such as images, bodily sensations, and emotions. Expressive therapies such as Sandplay are thus believed to be effective methods to access any unconscious content locked in the limbic system and bring it into consciousness where it can be cognitively reprocessed and resolved.
Sandplay is a valuable means of working with children, teens, and adults. Emotional issues that may not be verbalized are expressed in the sand. Through the creation of sandtrays, one can delve deeper into what is troubling them and facilitate change in the process. The sand provides a playful, non-threatening environment to bring about connections and self-examination. It is important for adults and adolescents to recognize that their sandtray work will not be interpreted. The therapist is only a guide to facilitate the process. Most people delight in this modality, as they are given the freedom to create and tell stories in a safe environment.
"Healing takes place in the free and protected space" Dora Kalff
For more information visit Sandplay Therapists of America website: http://www.sandplay.org/