Using Sandplay in shorter term work and non traditional settings.

Barbara Brugler, LISW-S, BCDCertified Sandplay Teaching Member

Please do not copy without permission

Outline

• Participants will learn the short term benefits of sand work and how to use sand for calming or “grounding.” This therapeutic technique can be effective in helping non-verbal clients open-up to more traditional talk therapy.I need you to hold your questions until time allotted.

• Background of Sandplay first

What is Sandplay?

• Based on the work of Dora Kalff• Many kinds of sandtray therapies• In depth work on the unconscious• Go back to the beginning and come back in a new way• Working on the symbolic level – we do not discuss what was

done in the sand, but sit quietly to hold the energy of the work

• The psyche directs the process• Clients benefit from one session or 50 • Hallmark of Sandplay is “Free and Protected Space”• video

• As you learn more about the in depth work that is Sandplay, you can also use the tool of Sand and symbols in many creative ways.

• I used to call it play therapy in the sand before I had much training.

• Research on Sandplay• In the schools for test anxiety• Other short term outcomes• Groups, use caution – keep it structured• Example of man who just touches the sand.

Calming and grounding – Experiential

Molding sand when you do not have two trays.

There are many brands of this now.

School, home-based, non traditional therapy settings

• Regular sessions, just like kids who have sensory issues and see the OT regularly

• As needed, spurts• Any work is beneficial• Structured but you can’t go back and forth• Pre-Sandplay• True Sandplay can also be done in these

settings

Pre Sandplay work

• Floor games• Story telling• Hiding and finding• Sifting and sorting• Figures without the sand• Do not mix types of sand work, if you are

doing Sandplay you cannot do any directed work.

Sandtray type therapy, not Sandplay as such can also be helpful

• Structured:• 1) Find something to represent the bully• Now find it’s opposite – (important with a bully to not

have them beat it up. We don’t want to encourage victimization or what might lead to a school shooting. Bullies do not kill, but the victims have.) Show me the two figures in the sand. Or maybe just the bully.

• 2) Can you find something that could represent strength or courage for you? Put it in the sand, what else would you like to have in there with it? How does that feel?

Non Sandplay ways to use the tools

• 1) Can you find a figure that could represent your (dad, abuser, alcoholic parent etc.). Put it in the sand. What would you like to do with this figure? What would help you feel safe? What else would you like to do? What else do you need in the sand?

• 2) Find something to show me how mad you get? Can you find a way to calm the anger (cool the anger depending on what they put in)? What else do you need in the sand?

• Sometimes they just take off after one instruction and you do not need to do more.

You can use figures alone or on a desk not in the sand, or

use the sand understanding directive is pre Sandplay work.

• 1) Find something to represent the cancer. What would you like to do with it in the sand?

• Now find it’s opposite or maybe what you would like instead of the cancer depending on age of person. What would you like to do with it in the sand. Now can both be in the sand together?

• 2) Show me how mad you are? What would help you feel less mad?

• 3) Can you find something that would feel helpful to you right now? Put it in the sand. What would you like in there with it?

Figures without the sand

• Gardner’s Mutual Story telling game• Soldiers and battles on and on and on• Find a figure that would represent courage, wisdom,

intelligence, flexibility, humor, etc.• Make a world with the resources.• Find a figure that represents who you are today.

Now who you would like to be. Have them interact. What else do they need in the sand to be complete? Are there other parts of yourself you need to add?

• Find a figure that represents the youngest you. Now a little older and older still till you get to the current you. How are they different, how are they the same? Teaching them the parts of themselves and then you can use those in the future when they do developmentally younger things you can ask them which one of them was in charge when that happened.

• What else does it need to have in the tray with it?

I do not recommend going back and forth between undirected and directed sand work.

• Understand if you use directed work this may signal to the unconscious that the conscious is going to direct the process.

• If you want the unconscious to be in charge the client chooses this is the “free” part. You cannot go back and forth between Sandplay and other ways of using sand. These non Sandplay tools can be more diagnostic. Sandplay is diagnostic but heals quicker than traditional treatments.

• If you want to once in awhile do something different then be clear “we are going to try something different today, we won’t usually do this.”

• Once they have done pre Sandplay work they may want to do traditional Sandplay – the difference is in you not them. You sit quietly and do not give any instructions.

• A client may work in the sand once a month but they may still gain from the work and be changing their psyche. They may stay more on the surface if they don’t know when they will be back, but still gain benefit from the work.

• Many thanks to Martha Bowling, retired school guidance counselor, for examples from her work in elementary schools.

basics

• The sandtray is the size the eye can take in in one glance.• It should be blue on the inside and rectangular, never

round,• The sand should be white or neutral as every color has

meaning.• In the beginning I used a rectangular under the bed

storage box that was blue plastic. I had a second for figures.

• For calming a Zen garden, a bowel, or even a smaller rectangular tray will work.

Basic figures

• If you are not going to have a full collection then here are some basics:

• Have people of different races if you can.• Pets, domestic farm and wild animals, and wild

animals from other countries – maybe one or two of each. The person will say “this is a goat” if you don’t’ have one for them to choose.

• A couple of houses. “Toys of the Trade” sells figures that are $1 or less so you can get enough for $20 or less. “Tubes” are good.

• Trees, bushes, something to represent water like lakes or even blue paper that they can cut into rivers and lakes.

• Rocks, drift wood, shells, other things you find outside like nuts, pinecones and acorns.

• Fantasy figures – there is a tube of those.• Soldiers – Dollar Tree has a bag with tanks and

two sides.• Bridge

• You can make a mountain and a volcano out of clay and paint it or use sculpty.

• Some therapists can make all sorts of things from clay but something like a “yellow brick road” is pretty easy to build.

• Villains, evil of some sort, and protectors of some sort.

• This is enough to get you started.

If you just allow the person to work in the sand you will give them the gift of healing from the inside.

• If time permits we will look at some sandpictures. I cannot give those to you as I have been given permission to use them but they are not mine to give. We honor the clients when we observe their sacred work.

• Thanks to Martha I have some examples from her school work as well.

Examples from School

• Martha saw students sometimes up to 6 times. • Sometimes they were scheduled, sometimes

they came to her when they needed to or were sent by the teacher.

• Sometimes work was weekly, sometimes it was spread out over the course of a school year.

• She did pure Sandplay not talking but giving the students her full attention. She took notes with their permission.

• Going down in the sand is going into the unconscious. We find resources there to help us emotion regulate and cope. Once a person has learned how to do this they have learned the lesson that good things can be found in the unconscious (even though they do not use that word) and can return time and time again when they need another tool even if not using the sand.

• I encourage kids to read fairy tales.

• Martha used the rectangular plastic bin for her sand and only had dry sand. She had one bin at each office so she did not have to move sand. They do make portable sandtrays.

• She suggested having wheels on the table where you keep it so you can move it out of the way. My kids played on the floor when I used the bin.

• I kept figures in another plastic bin, she used a fishing tackle box so she could carry it with her. When I was in two offices I had a suitcase with wheels that I used to transport figures. CD cases with fold out doors make a great place to keep figures.

• She hired a student to put things away, but they never saw a completed tray, she took the things out before the student came in.

• In school settings she suggests first thing in the morning or the last part of the day. She often met 30-40 min. She would do recess if necessary but that is only 15 min. Often students who are having problems regulating in the classroom need a break and so does the teacher.

• She set a timer so the students could monitor how much time they had left. At the end she would give them 5 min. incase there was anything they wanted to say about what they made. I also ask if they want to give their picture a title.

• It is appropriate to give the child rules unless they are ODD. Rules such as:

• the sand has to stay in the box• you do not have to talk unless you want to but I will

not be talking about your picture.

Rules continued

• I do not allow things from the sand to leave this room so it will be here for you to use next time.

• We may not meet regularly, but know you can always return if you need to.

• In the beginning you can have them put their hands on either side of the tray and say “this is your world. Everything in this world is in your control.”

Other ways to be directive

• If you are doing Sandplay and you want to do directive work you can do that with paper and art supplies like clay.

• Draw a house with two floors and have the child draw who lives there; draw a picture of everyone in your family doing something; show me how mad you are – over and over until the pictures change.

• Case examples• Burying cars – cemetery• Elective mute who was being molested• Some of these kids have never had anyone truly

pay attention to them, so just watching quietly is therapy – recreating the first year of life.

• Parents often say kids are so calm when they go home

Examples

• Great for non verbal kids• If they can learn to become “narrative” it will improve

executive functioning.• Example of an adult who just touches sand while he talks• Adults who just want to move sand to calm themselves

down.• Girl who rocked and hummed was grounding herself in

the sand. Her house drawing revealed a lot of people living in her house. The humming was her escape into her own world, the rocking calmed her.

• Questions• If time allows we will look at sandpictures• You can visit the Sandplay Therapists of

America website • or www.sandplayohio.com for more

information and training here in Ohio