A Case Study of Sandplay Therapy for a Middle-aged Woman Who Goes the Way of Individuation Through Conflicts with an Adolescent Son

Abstract

This study explored a sandplay therapy case of a woman maturing through conflicts with an adolescent son. The goal of the therapy was to relieve her from conflicts with going through individuation process under a free and protected space in sandplay therapy. Forty-six therapy sessions were held. The client exhibited that she needed a conversation with her feminity and maternity in the initial phase of therapy (1-5, regression). In the intermediate phase of therapy (6-43, struggle), she displayed the scenes of meeting of opposites, shadow, death, nurturing and integration of opposites. In the final phase of therapy (44-46, transformation), she showed the acception of her life with leaving her situations to God. Through sandplay therapy in the free and protected space, this study showed the effectiveness of sandplay therapy since the client achieved individuation by showing the acceptance of her life and could control her enraged feelings.