Embodied Expression through Sandplay

Sandplay is a unique psychotherapeutic modality developed by Swiss psychotherapist Dora Maria Kalff, with the encouragement of C.G. Jung. The presence of a tray containing sand invites the participant to shape the sand, to add miniature figures and symbols, or both. Inner, often unconscious, contents can be given a concrete, embodied expression—a valuable practice emphasized by C. G. Jung and now recommended by experts in the neuropsychology of emotional healing and trauma, including Alan Shore and Bessel van de Kolk.

“. . .the concrete shaping of the image . . .invests [it] with an element of reality, which lends it greater weight and greater driving power.”

– C.G. Jung, “The Practice of Psychotherapy,” Collected Works 16, ¶106

In this decidedly non-directive technique, the therapist provides what Dora Kalff referred to as a “free and protected space,” an emotionally safe space where there is permission to express, but without expectation, judgment, or the pressure to use words.

Lectures will cover topics including the origins of Sandplay therapy, the meaning of the “free and protected space,” basic tools and practice technique, the role of the Sandplay therapist, and the Jungian theoretical basis for understanding Sandplay imagery. Lectures will be enriched with case examples and several experiential exercises with miniatures. Participants will also have the opportunity to create a small sandtray of their own.

This course is designed for psychotherapists who are curious about Sandplay, as well as trainees actively working towards certification through the Sandplay Therapists of America.

Learning Objectives
This course is intended to help you:

1. Name three ways Sandplay therapy is different from talking therapy alone.
2. Describe the three primary streams of influence in the development of Sandplay.
3. List at least three reasons why embodied expressive therapies are more effective than talk therapy alone for the treatment of trauma.
4. Describe the difference between a sign and a symbol.
5. Identify an archetypal symbol in a sand tray.
6. Identify the expression of a complex in a sand tray.
7. Explain the rationale for avoiding direct interpretation of imagery to the client in Sandplay therapy.
8. Explain the concept of co-transference and give a clinical example.

Suggested Readings

• Friedman, H. and R. Rogers Mitchell (2004). Sandplay: Past, Present, and Future (Routledge)
• Kalff, D. Sandplay: A Psychotherapeutic Approach to the Psyche (Analytical Psychology Press) 1980/2020.
• Weinrib, E. Images of the Self (1980) 2^nd Ed (Temenos Press)
• What is Sandplay therapy?: https://www.sandplay.org/about-sandplay/what-is-sandplay/

Participants will also receive handouts on symbols, archetypes, and complexes.

Presenters

Dyane N. Sherwood, PhD, did her own sandplay process in the mid-1980s and has been using sandplay with adults and children for nearly 40 years. She offers sandplay process in her office in Evanston, Illinois, and she teaches and consults internationally. She is an Analyst Member, Teaching Faculty, and immediate Past President of the C.G. Jung Institute of Chicago. Dr. Sherwood is certified as both an Adult and Child Jungian Analyst by the International Association of Analytical Psychology and is a Teaching Member of the Sandplay Therapists of America/International Society for Sandplay Therapy. Dr. Sherwood is the Editor and Publisher of Analytical Psychology Press (analyticalpsychologypress.com), which has published books on Sandplay, including a new edition (2020) of Dora Kalff’s foundational book, originally published in 1980. Her practice website, where you can find copies of her articles, is dyanensherwood.com.

Betty Jackson, LCSW, LSW, CST-T is a clinical social worker with more than 45 years of experience in mental health agencies, schools, and private practice settings. She began her Sandplay training with Dora Kalff in 1975 and became a Teaching Member of Sandplay Therapists of America and the International Society for Sandplay Therapy in 1991. Her articles have been published in numerous Sandplay journal, and she co-edited the book, Into the Heart of Sandplay.  She has served two terms on the Board of Directors of ISST and is currently the Honorary Secretary for ISST. Ms. Jackson has extensive experience teaching Sandplay internationally.  Since the pandemic she has offered online webinars to a wide range of international students. She maintains a private practice in southeastern Pennsylvania, where she has established The Center for Jungian Sandplay offer Sandplay process, consultation, and training in the tradition of Dora Kalff.