{"id":30969,"date":"2026-01-21T15:39:25","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T21:39:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jungchicago.org\/blog\/?post_type=product&p=30969"},"modified":"2026-03-28T22:57:51","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T03:57:51","slug":"embodied-expression-through-sandplay","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/jungchicago.org\/blog\/product\/embodied-expression-through-sandplay\/","title":{"rendered":"Embodied Expression through Sandplay"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u2014a 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.<\/p>\n

\u201c. . .the concrete shaping of the image . . .invests [it] with an element of reality, which lends it greater weight and greater driving power.\u201d<\/p>\n

– C.G. Jung, \u201cThe Practice of Psychotherapy,\u201d Collected Works<\/em> 16, \u00b6106<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In this decidedly non-directive technique, the therapist provides what Dora Kalff referred to as a \u201cfree and protected space,\u201d an emotionally safe space where there is permission to express, but without expectation, judgment, or the pressure to use words.<\/p>\n

Lectures will cover topics including the origins of Sandplay therapy, the meaning of the \u201cfree and protected space,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Learning Objectives<\/span>
\n<\/strong>This course is intended to help you:<\/p>\n

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

    Suggested Readings<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n