“There is a great difference between simply living a long life and living a full and rewarding life. What’s really important is how much rich texture and color we can add to our lives…” -Daisaku Ikeda
In this story I provide as much detail as I can about both the internal and the external perspectives of the sand world Creator. Violet
I remain an advocate for therapists to engage in their own therapeutic work. I am proffering this article here to further highlight why we need
Over the course of my career, I found helping children whose parents were divorcing some of my most stressful cases. Although I had treated childhood
I’ve chosen to share the story of Sadie’s Sandtray process to illustrate the power of jointly experiencing the Creator’s play alive and in the moment.
At 14 years of age, Al felt triumphant as he announced his transgender male identity publicly. His social transition had been successful, and he was
A rare week goes by that transgendered (trans) persons are not addressed in the news. Initially the focus was on the famous. With these revelations,
In this blog I share ways a therapist can use the details of the play or Sandtray experience to help people’s growth and healing. I
Today I am sharing my experience with a woman in her early 20’s. I am calling her April. I’ve chosen to present this material to
I am continuing this chat to aid the novice and entice those therapists uncertain about venturing into using Sandtray methods.
I offer this chat to entice those therapists who may be hesitant to try the Sandtray methods. I hope this blog will help you to
Eight-year-old Lacey shared, “This is a picture of me after my mom died of AIDS. Everything is blue and closed. I know there is love
The Sandtray process I promote is rooted in the work of play-research pioneer Margaret Lowenfeld. She theorized that the physical sensations, emotions, memories, and thoughts are interwoven in young children’s minds, identifying our preverbal understanding. Lowenfeld called this form of thought “Picture Thinking.” She developed the Sandtray tools which allowed children to express themselves in an intensely personal, visual, and kinesthetic manner which circumvented the use of words. Her method became known as “Lowenfeld’s World Technique.” Her technique has been adopted by other theorists and used with people of all ages and in many cultures.
Lowenfeld’s approach resonates with me as the practitioner does not interpret or analyze the sand world. Instead, I function as a Witness or a guide to enrich the Creator’s focus, so that they can explore and harvest wisdom from the lesser-known parts of themselves. Sometimes our experiences are beyond words, and at other times our words cannot accurately reflect our experiences. The sand tray Creator makes their own discoveries. Control lies with the maker of the world, and with a practitioner’s aid, fresh personal perceptions and meanings may unfold. This Sandtray process can be a deeply intimate time with oneself that clarifies what actions we need to take to heal, recover, and grow.