Sand Tray Research Articles

Effects of Directive Sand Tray Play on the Parenting Stress of Mothers with Depressive Tendency

Effects of Directive Sand Tray Play on the Parenting Stress of Mothers with Depressive Tendency

Working with patients with disruptions in symbolic capacity.

This article focuses on understanding and working with patients who have poorly developed symbolic capacity, or for whom symbolic capacity has been disrupted due to trauma, particularly as it pertains to the use of reverie and interpretation in the analytic process. Many patients who present for Jungian analysis will initially present with deficits in symbolic functioning. This situation results in necessary limitations or modifications in utilizing traditional Jungian techniques such as dream analysis, active imagination, sand tray and other expressive art techniques. The initial phase of analytic work with these patients requires a focus on developing their symbolic capacity before traditional Jungian techniques can be utilized effectively. During the paper Jung's concept of 'the symbolic attitude' will be examined as well as the conceptual models of Wilfred Bion and other post-Bionians who outline theories and method for cultivating symbolic capacity and reflective functioning in patients for whom these capacities are impaired or poorly developed.

Sand tray interviews:

This article presents the “sand tray interview” as a method developed to help researchers interview young children on sensitive topics. Earlier studies have often refrained from interviewing young children on sensitive matters due to their difficulties in such research. This article details how sand tray interviews can be a safe and engaging way for young children to explore painful topics, such as parental bereavement. Based on our application, we discuss the development of the method and debate the applications, strengths, and limitations.

Fine sand facilitates egg extrusion and improves reproductive output in female mud crab genus Scylla.

Mud crabs (genus Scylla) are gaining attention as potential aquaculture species due to their lucrative market price and high demand. One of the essential components of mud crab culture is broodstock quality. The optimisation of mud crab broodstock culture currently focused on its nutritional aspects and common rearing parameters, including stocking density and temperature. The use of sandy substrate to induce egg extrusion in female Scylla broodstock is common; however, its optimisation has never been conducted. This study investigated (1) the substrate association of two Scylla species (S. olivacea, S. paramamosain) during broodstock conditioning until egg extrusion when the choices of fine (66.99 ± 14.48 μm) and coarse (656.17 ± 38.13 μm) sands were given; (2) the female reproductive output when S. olivacea females were individually exposed to either fine sand, coarse sand, or no sand treatments. Females, spawners and non-spawners, of S. olivacea and S. paramamosain were associated with fine sand and none was observed to bury in the coarse sand tray. The occurrence of egg extrusion was not significantly different between species but moderately associated with the duration of visits (stayed in sand for 1 d, 2 d, ≥3 d). The final incubation period in the sand tray was more than 2 days in all cases, except for one female S. paramamosain (buried in the sand for 1 day prior to egg extrusion). When no choice was available, the highest percentage (58.3%) of females extruded eggs in fine sand treatment, followed by coarse sand treatment (33.3%), and no sand treatment (8.3%). Sand type influenced the weight of egg clutch, total egg number, fecundity, and clutch size. These results suggest that fine sand (<70 μm) substrate should be incorporated into Scylla broodstock rearing to maximise female reproductive output.

Psychological symptoms and the use of shadow miniatures in sandplay therapy

The present study aimed to explore the relationship between shadow and psychological symptoms by analyzing shadow miniatures in sandplay therapy. A total of 121 subjects were invited to complete an initial sand tray. The category of shadow miniatures was defined by a questionnaire administered to 22 trained sandplay consultants with practical experience, through their recollection of completed cases. The results showed that the use of shadow figures was positively related to psychological symptoms; those who used shadow miniatures were likely to have psychological symptoms, especially anxiety and phobic anxiety symptoms. Logistic regression equation showed that participants with phobic anxiety symptoms tended to use the shadow figures in the initial sand tray, but those with depression tended to refuse to use the shadow figures. In conclusion, the use of shadow miniatures in an initial sand tray can indicate clients' psychological symptoms. Sandplay therapists can observe how clients use shadow miniatures in the initial sand tray as an auxiliary tool to understand their clients’ psychological states.

Rock: Symbol of Self in the Process of Individualization - Alchemy Transformation in Sandplay Therapy -

This study investigated the process leading to individuation by examining the symbolism of rocks that emerged from sandplay therapy for a middle-aged woman from the perspective of analytical psychology and alchemy. The rock symbolizes an unchangeable life force, nurturing, recovery, source of living water, grave, and place in contact with spiritual energy. The alchemical process of creating new substances using existing substances proceeds in the order of calcification, dissolution, solidification, sublimation, decay, separation, and unity. In this study, the client expressed her unconscious through the rocks in the sand tray, which corresponded to the calcification of alchemy. Afterwards, the client expressed feelings such as despair and sadness that existed deeply within her, which were linked to the process of dissolution and coagulation of alchemy. Finally, the client could proceed with the process of individuation through self-integration with her shadow by accepting the suppression and wounds of her heart that were suppressed for a long time in consciousness, which is connected with the process of sublimation, corruption, separation, and unity in alchemy. The process of individuation involves completing the true Self by integrating the Self that exists inside the individual. We can integrate these processes through a confrontational dialogue between consciousness and the unconscious through symbols.

A Study on the Symbols and Themes of Sandplay Therapy for Children of Myanmar Refugees living in Malaysia

This study categorized and analyzed the themes and symbols that appeared in the sandplay therapy of Myanmar Chin children living as refugees in Malaysia. The researcher provided individual sandplay therapy to five children attending a UN refugee school in Malaysia for four weeks in July 2018. There were five sessions for each child and 50 minutes per session. The researcher used a Kalffian sandplay approach to provide a free and protected space for the children. They used Creswell’s (2007) qualitative case study method to understand the themes and symbols and, through a comprehensive analysis of all cases, they found five common themes and symbols. These themes were ‘fear/threat and the resistance from the heart to it’, ‘protection and care’, ‘the existence of god and guilt feelings’, ‘the effort to recover normal life’, and ‘do not give up hope for a normal life’. The refugee children expressed their emotional pain in the sand tray so that the traumas they had experienced while escaping and the chaos in their present lives appeared prominently and repeatedly there. As the sessions progressed, however, they expressed a hope to return to their normal lives as they recovered some sense of stability. They could more easily express their inner pain in sandplay than in language, and project themselves safely and express their emotions. It is a fact that, like all other children, the innate and archetypal healing power of these refugee children’s psyche allowed them to respond strongly to sandplay, despite the short-term therapeutic intervention, the horrors of their experiences and the unstable situations they face. Future research should evaluate the effectiveness of a psychotherapeutic approach that considers the social and cultural specificity of refugee children and their various emotional problems and secure economic aid and legal status for them.

Face the waves of emotion in the sea of the unconscious: Focusing on the symbolism of the sea and the waves

The purpose of this study was to examine the symbolism of the sea and waves, focusing on these symbols in the dreams and sand trays during the female client’s sandplay therapy. The client had dreamt about the sea repeatedly since childhood, so her repetitive dreams about the sea were analyzed during the sandplay sessions. She realized that the deep abyss of the sea was linked to her unconsciousness. Through the dynamic fluctuation of the waves, the emotions that she had suppressed became shaken, and it brought out her anger. As becoming aware of her suppressed emotions, she was able to heal herself. The repeated appearance of the sea in the sand trays connected her to the unconscious and led her to integration and wholeness. She made the choice of recharging her energy for love in the sea and returning to her life. The researcher could understand that it was the message of the sea to love herself and her life and live an authentic life of self-care proudly.

Experiential family therapy interventions delivered via telemental health: A qualitative implementation study.

Telemental health is a ubiquitous form of treatment that has been around for over a half-century, but there remains minimal research on videoconferencing and relational therapy. The purpose of this qualitative study is to identify how telemental health therapists would implement experiential interventions for children, couples, and families. Twelve trainees (n = 12) that participated in a yearlong telemental health practicum were prompted on three experiential interventions to understand how students adapt relational interventions for telemental health delivery. Intervention prompts included couple de-escalation, family sculpt, and sand tray. Using thematic analysis, five themes emerged to describe the implementation of the interventions: (a) adapting verbal communication skills, (b) grand expressions: adapting nonverbal communication, (c) additional preparations to facilitate interventions, (d) flexibility, and (e) self-of-the-therapist. Study findings, limitations, and clinical implications are discussed in further detail.

Study on the Erodibility and Mechanical Resistance of Mulches Prepared from Micro Silica–Cement Mixtures

Mulching is fastest strategy to control sand dune movement in arid and semiarid areas. In the present study the effect of micro silica- cement mixture was evaluated as mulch. For this purpose, an experiment was carried out as a factorial arrangement and a completely randomized design with 3 replicates. Three studied factors included 6 micro silica rates (0 as control, 0.5, 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 12.5 percent), 2 rates of mulch thickness (one and two mm layers) and 2 time series (7 and 60 days). Prepared mulches based on different mixtures of micro silica + sand (400 g) and cement were sprayed on sand trays. Then 4 parameters including shear strength, penetration resistance, threshold friction velocity and soil losses at a wind speed of 15 ms−1 were measured on the studied treatments. Results obtained from the analysis of variances revealed that the effect of micro silica rates, thickness of mulch and time on the studied properties were significant. Mean comparisons also showed that shear strength, penetration resistance and threshold friction velocity increased and soil losses of treatments significantly decreased when the micro silica rates increased. The addition of micro silica to sand- cement mixture increased shear strength and penetration resistance by 76% and 82.5% respectively and decreased soil losses by 100%. The erodibility and mechanical properties of the treatments improved by increasing the thickness of the mulch. Moreover, in all studied treatments more improvements occurred in the mentioned properties of mulches during time. The application 7.5% of micro silica after 60 days was the optimal mulch to improve the soil erodibility and to increase the mechanical resistance against wind erosion.

How Sand Tray Therapy Help in Overcoming Various Mental Disorders

How Sand Tray Therapy Help in Overcoming Various Mental Disorders

Family Stability and Crisis Expressed in Image and Story on Family

The purpose of this study is to discover the types of family expressed in family image and story using sand tray and virtual environments and analyze the characteristics of family in crisis and stable family. Using the NVivo12 program, 222 images and stories on family expressed in sand tray and virtual environments by 104 ordinary people aged 21 to 28 were analyzed. Four family types were identified; positive image and positive story (stable family), negative image and positive story (fake family), negative image and negative story (broken family), and positive image and negative story (superficial family). Despite the differences in the medium of expression and the passage of time, the characteristics of each type of family image and story appeared consistent. This study confirmed how well family images and stories expressed in sand tray and virtual environments reflect the individual’s realistic family characteristics, which highlights the usefulness of virtual environment-based psychological diagnostic tools for evaluating family stability and crisis.

Meet Me in the Sand: Stories and Self-Expression in Sand Tray Work with Older Adults

ABSTRACT This article reviews the historical development and theoretical underpinnings of sand tray work in counseling and offers a critical examination of the use of sand tray with older adults, exploring both benefits and challenges of the use of this modality with the growing gerontological population. A case example with an older adult client is presented.

Tactful hands and vibrant mattering in the sand tray

This paper reflects on a slow-motion video clip of the hands of three young children as they play with toys in the sand tray. It foregrounds sand and toys that are handled, as well as hands that grasp and relinquish things. Through this movement of hands that tug and pull at things, it explores how things animate bodies, and how this produces the felt-sense of other desiring bodies. As hands tender things, they are animated by what they touch, and simultaneously things are animated through the give and take of pulls and pushes of desire expressed as kinetic force. The slowed film of hands in motion draws our attention from words, towards a (re)cognition of a sensed intelligence which is not pre-language, but is produced before language, as well as with language. Arguing that child development theories are inextricably bound up in narratives of human exceptionalism founded in language and moralism, I will make the case for reinstating sense as a mode of attention in order to counter a lack that is perceived until children learn language. By troubling the boundaries that we draw between the animal and the human, there is much to learn from very young children when we seriously attend to their capacity for sensory ways of knowing that are so often eclipsed by the dominance of language.

Play Becomes Real for Adults: Measuring Effectiveness of Expressive Arts Media for Therapists in Training Using the Oaklander Approach

Abstract Can play be a serious tool to use with adults in training and therapy? This question is addressed in this article through survey data collected from therapists in training who are learning the Oaklander approach to therapy. The article explores and interprets responses regarding the relative effectiveness of using picture cards, drawings, clay, sand tray, and puppets as adults take on the roles of therapist and client.

LGBTQ* Responsive Sand Tray: Creative Arts and Counseling

LGBTQ* Responsive Sand Tray: Creative Arts and Counseling

Sandplay: Psychotrauma Signs in Asylum Seeking Adolescents

ABSTRACTThis research aimed to identify signs suggesting psychotrauma in Sandplay scenarios of unaccompanied asylum-seeking adolescents in the Netherlands. The Sandplay method involves the client constructing a three-dimensional scenario in a standardised sand tray, indicating representations of one’s experiences, emotions, and life events. The first Sandplay of 12 adolescents (equally girls/boys ages 15–17 years from African origin) referred to mental health treatment were analysed. Participants signed an informed consent for research. The material investigated procedure reports and photographs of the Sandplay scenarios; the analysis included titles, clients’ commentaries, themes, and contents of the scenarios. Results have shown common use of vehicles, animal, and soldier miniatures, with little engagement with the sand. Most of the scenarios suggested psychological wounding being incomplete representational and mixed, aggressive, empty, closed, and disorganised, displaying the need for protection and nurturance. The most common themes also indicated psychological trauma, presenting elements of emptiness, threatening, and split. The results confirmed literature related to psychotrauma, although Sandplay research with adolescents is rare in the field. Therefore, this research contributes to the understanding of psychotrauma, supporting the use of Sandplay as a nonverbal psychological assessment method for early diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder in that population.

Shape shifters

The sand tray is a great place to focus on numbers and shapes. Use a variety of materials in wet and dry sand to encourage children to sort, count, name and measure a variety of shapes.

Beyond self-report methods: Sand tray used in resilience evaluation

This study aims to develop a workable scoring technique for sand tray to evaluate resilience. 207 undergraduates were recruited from three public universities in China. Participants made an initial sand tray and completed a questionnaire package. First, a General Sand tray Coding Manual (GSCM) was developed to code the 207 sand trays. Then, correlation and regression analyses were conducted between all GSCM indicators along with application of a widely used resilience scale to identify the final indicators representing resilience. Results showed that three indicators - vitality, water type, and relationship - accounted for 35% of the variance of resilience and form the four-point Likert-type Sand tray Test of Resilience (STR). The inter-rater reliabilities of STR dimensions and total score range from 0.86 to 0.95. The correlations between STR and overall mental health and self-esteem are 0.78 and 0.49, respectively. This study provides an alternative approach to measure resilience and can help to guide psychotherapy and clinical social work.

Against the grain

Revisit your sand trays with these new ideas to promote concentration, hand-to-eye co-ordination and fine motor skills. Children can also get to grips with how tools can effect changes to materials.