User:Dorisss47/Sandplay therapy

Sandplay therapy is a kind of psychological therapy, which lets the participants build what he or she feels like in a sand tray with various miniatures. Without comments of therapists, the whole process is silent. In the process of creating the picture, participants can release their pressure and refresh their minds. Also, psychologists can read participants’ inner hearts by analyzing their setting toys, which are constructive sources to solve participants’ psychological problems. For some children who cannot express their feelings clearly, it's conductive to using the sandplay box.

The participants of sandplay are various including children, adults, the old. The process is relatively simple than other healing therapy, because it just need some kinds of toys and sand boxes. In addition, the cost of sandplay therapy is relatively cheap.

History
Margaret Lowenfeld, M.D.(1920's London) was the first person who initiated the sandplay therapy and combined Sand play with psychotherapy. As a pediatrician, Dr. Lowenfeld often observed the behaviors of children and got her inspiration of sandplay therapy from watching her children playing with floor game. Dr. Lowenfeld was inspired to use the miniatures games with her clients and named her manner of therapy Sandplay the World Technique. The elements of art and music had been added into the therapy. From her studies, sometimes children will be limited by the “traditional languages”which are expressing their ideas by talking words or sentences. While, she found that children can express their feelings or emotions through the ”pre-verbal language”, which utilized the non-verbal words. From her point of view, children can express their deepest emotions by playing with sands. Fundamentally, she is the founder of sandplay therapy. The condition of the sand tray or sandbox can imply participants’ inner world. The types of miniatures are various and are not limited to people, plants, animals, buildings, spiritual symbols, etc. As a researcher who studied based on Margaret Lowenfeld, Swiss Jungian analyst Dora Kalff developed the Sand Tray into Therapy of Sand Tray. Dora considered that Sand Tray Therapy can explore in the deepest area of people’s heart, which is also called “Unconscious ego and the Self.” The Self refers to the Primordial Wisdom or the Universal Consciousness. From her point of view, the fragile and injured people can be healed by the Sand Tray or Sand Play. In Dora Kalff’s minds, the relationship between mother and babies was significant. The relationship between clients and therapists is similar to relationship between mothers and babies. In addition, the space of Sand Tray Therapy has some standards which are free and can bring the clients safe feelings. The therapists are the protectors of the client’s fragile ego system.

As Dr. Gisela Schubach De Domenico’s experiences with Dora Kalff, Dr. De Domenico developed the Sandtray-Worldplay Therapy and enriched the study of Lowenfeld. How does the sandplay therapy impact individual forefathers, interpersonal and individual areas of the mind was also contributed by her. Dr. Barbara Turner (Sand Tray Therapist Expert) explained that how the sand tray can impact the true healing from the aspect of neuroscience. Steve Armstrong initiated the Humanistic Approach with experiences to the Sand Tray Therapy. He also got some breakthrough in Gestalt Trained and Registered Play Therapist.

Limitations
There are some limitations of sandplay therapy. One is that it is time-consuming.If a person would like to participant the sandplay therapy, it would take at least one hour. Normally, it will take 2 hours in the process of therapy. Also, sandplay therapy is kind of “childish” and lacking of creativity. Because the miniatures are like the toys of children and the whole process of therapy is like to play a game of children, that is why some adults refuse to take part in it.