Jungian Sandplay Therapy

Sandplay Therapy is an effective tool to use in therapy with people who have language and verbal communication difficulties, disabilities, trauma, grief, depression and anxiety disorders. While you might assume that Sandplay is for children, because of its association with play, the modality is suited for all! It’s considered cross-cultural, because of the inclusion of myth, metaphor, personal meaning and interpretation. The approach to Sandplay includes a wooden tray, approximately 19.5 X 28.5 X 2.75 inches, painted with bright blue water-resistant paint (Kalff, 1990). The boxes are filled with dry and wet sand, and the clients have vast materials at their disposal to choose from to create scenes, stories, fantasies, dreams, or reenactments. The therapist will supply shelves with miniatures, that could include people, houses, animals, bridges, boats, along with natural elements like shells, stones, or bark. With little directive to the client, they can choose their materials and begin to immerse in play, which is the mediator of invisible and visible, conscious, and unconscious, linking the internal and external (Kalff, 1990). The modality of Sandplay acts as a bridge or network for one to enter their unconscious, face shadows, and continue their quest of the psyche with the assistance of non-verbal exploration which allows them to tolerate the discomfort of their inner journey (Stagg, 2020).