Sandplay is a non-directive yet powerful therapeutic modality that allows the client to go beyond the limits of the conscious mind and work though issues in a safe, non-verbal way. Sandplay was developed by the Swiss psychotherapist Dora Kalff and is based on the Jungian concept that the psyche has the wisdom and desire to heal itself and to grow toward fullness. It’s a recognized form of expressive therapy for both children and adults.
In a free and protected space the client constructs their own “world” using miniature toys and sand. This “world” then acts as a reflection of the client’s own life and allows them the opportunity to resolve conflicts, remove obstacles and connect to their inner world. As a healthy relationship between the conscious and the unconscious begins to develop the ego is restructured and strengthened. Sandplay is useful when working with trauma and for identifying and reconciling internal conflicts that present as anxiety, depression, etc.
“Often the hands know how to solve a riddle with which the intellect has wrestled in vain.” (C.G. Jung 1969)
