Hi granny...
Sandtray Therapy is just a variation of the broader field of
Play Therapy. In addition to offering the practitioner an
excuse to have a miniature Zen Garden in their office, it
also provides the following benefits, as noted on the site
of the West Hartford Counseling Center, whose approach is
"...based on Sandtray-Worldplay Therapy, as developed and
taught by Gisela S. DeDomenico, PhD"
"Sandtray translates personal experience into a concrete,
three-dimensional form. As a picture can say more than
a thousand words, a figure or scene can express feelings,
emotions and conflicts that previously had no verbal
language. Hence, the sand-worlds that are created offer
a rich and highly personalized vocabulary for pre-verbal
or non-verbal experience. Without having to depend on
words, clients can increase their capacity for expression
through the tray. Self-awareness and communication are
enhanced by this process."
http://westhartfordcounselingcenter.com/sandtray.html
Gisela's site refers to Sandtray-Worldplay Therapy as a
"Vision Quest into Symbolic Reality", and offers a wealth
of information about her and her practice:
http://vision-quest.us/vqisr/journeys.htm
As noted on the Hartford site:
"There are those who have described sandtray as comparable
to a 'waking dream'".
Because of this potential to produce a quasi-hypnogogic
state, the client is often better able to access the
subconscious contents of their psyche, and become aware
of conflicts and beliefs that would otherwise remain
hidden.
As with all forms of symbolic therapy, which include
Art Therapy and Play Therapy in general, the approach
is especially useful in working with clients who are
ordinarily limited in verbalizing their feelings and
thoughts. The physical media used in these therapies
become an alternative and an enhancement to limited
verbal expression and analytical thinking.
Another aspect common to all of these therapies is that
the therapist is trained to avoid any interpretation of
the outcomes of the process, in all cases leaving the
interpretation and expression of what is depicted up to
the client. This can be particularly valuable in that
this non-confrontive, non-judgmental approach builds
trust and nurtures self-expression on the part of the
client, and can lead to enhanced confidence and self
esteem.
A good page about Play Therapy in general is on the
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)
Digests site:
http://www.ericfacility.net/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed430172.html
And, of course, futher information is available in
the results for the Google searches outlined below.
sublime1-ga
Searches done, via Google:
sandtray therapy
://www.google.com/search?q=sandtray+therapy
Sandtray-Worldplay Therapy
://www.google.com/search?q=Sandtray-Worldplay+Therapy
"play therapy"
://www.google.com/search?q=%22play+therapy%22 |
