Sandplay therapy is a recognized therapeutic modality for both children and adults, based on the psychology of C.G. Jung and developed by the Swiss psychotherapist and teacher Dora Kalff. It is particularly useful for identifying and reconciling internal conflicts that manifest as anxiety and depression, as well as penetrating the depths of personality to experience the Self directly.

Sandplay therapy establishes a safe and protected space, where the complexities of the inner world are explored and integrated into the psyche for emotional healing. Clients place miniature figurines in a small sandbox to express confusing feelings and inner experiences. This creates a visual representation of the psyche’s contents and reveals unconscious concerns that are inaccessible any other way. As materials contained in the unconscious emerges visually and symbolically, it is integrated into a person’s sense of self and can be activated to elicit behavioral change.

The effectiveness of sandplay therapy comes with an understanding of Jungian psychology, as well as the archetypal and personal symbolism that appear in the sand. Knowledge of symbolic language creates a foundation not only for sandplay therapy, but also for dream analysis and all non-verbal therapies involving art and play. It provides a way for material from the unconscious to become visible, healed, and integrated into the consciousness, thus allowing life to be lived in a more conscious and authentic way.

The client is given the possibility, by means of figures and the arrangement of the sand in the area bounded by the sandbox, to set up a world corresponding to his or her inner state. In this manner, through free, creative play, unconscious processes are made visible in a three-dimensional form and a pictorial world comparable to the dream experience. Through a series of images that take shape in this way, the process of individuation described by C. G. Jung is stimulated and brought to fruition.

Non-verbal therapies like sandplay are the most effective ways to access and release these “unconscious” feelings and experiences and bring them into consciousness, where they can be healed.

Sandplay also provides a visual and non-verbal avenue for the psyche to develop and become whole. It is a direct method to establish an inner connection with the greater Self, which Carl Jung encouraged as an essential step for healthy psychological development.

Visit our Sandplay Therapy Singapore main website HERE for more information on this particular course.

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