What Is Sandplay Therapy?

Sandplay therapy: In the company of the consultant, the visitor freely selects toys from a toy stand and performs a psychological therapy in a trait box containing fine sand.

Chinese name: Sandbox Therapy
Foreign name: sandplay therapy

Applied discipline: psychology
Application range: Clinical and Counseling Psychology

Origin of Sandbox Therapy

Sand table game therapy refers to selecting some models (toys) and placing them in specific containers (sand tables) to form some scenes (works), so as to fully express their inner world, unconsciously release and project some inner conflicts and bad emotions on the sand table In order to achieve healing purpose, the power of self-healing and growth is activated.

Sandplay therapy is derived from the world technique of pediatric psychotherapy established in 1929 by pediatrician Lawnfield of London, England. Dory Kallf, a Swiss psychotherapist, combined "Looking Kingdom Technology" with Jung's analytical psychology after studying with Lowenfeld, while drawing on Chinese philosophical and cultural thoughts. Eventually, "Sand Table Therapy" was created in the 1960s. Zhang Risheng introduced box court therapy to China in 1998 and is widely respected. ^[1]

Theoretical Basis of Sandbox Therapy

Human nature view of sand table therapy

Game sandbox therapy believes that human psychology has the ability of self-healing and self-integration. On the one hand, it emphasizes the importance of unconsciousness. Unconsciousness has stronger control over individual behavior and attitude than consciousness, but it also recognizes the importance of consciousness. Sex, only when the unity of consciousness and unconsciousness is achieved can an individual become a complete person. On the other hand, it emphasizes the integrity of the soul, and pays special attention to the expression and vent of the neglected part of the individual soul and the shadow.

Jungle's Analytic Psychology

(1) Jung's prototype theory

Jung believes that the prototype is the content of collective unconsciousness, confirming that collective unconsciousness is recognized through prototypes, and dreams and positive imagination are the best materials for prototypes, both of which are ways to enter the unconscious, allowing visitors to enter the state of dreams, truly Entering the state of "people calmly and calmly" creates a box court, allowing visitors to express the prototype content of their unconscious world through feelings, and realize conscious and unconscious communication.

(2) Jung's personalized theory

The word personalization has a double meaning: to become a unique individual; more importantly, to reconstruct the integrity and unity of the mind. Integrating the unconscious part and the conscious part, that is, making the inside of the unconscious prototype easy to consciously assimilate him into the consciousness, makes the conscious self strong, and the powerful conscious self has a stronger integration force.

The purpose of psychological counseling is to realize self, integrate self, and strive to achieve psychological transcendence.

(3) Jung's theory of psychodynamics

According to Jung, mental energy is the driving force for all human psychological activities. Mental energy cannot be suppressed and can only be transformed. When a person has a psychological conflict, the original temporary balance will be broken, and the mental energy will find a solution and establish a new balance. . The process of box court treatment is the process of regulating the distribution of mental energy.

Sandbox Therapy Treatment Hypothesis

1. Pay attention to the relationship between the visitor and the healer, and call it mother-child unity.

2. With the sandbox as the center, create a free and protected space.

3. This free and protected space enables visitors to exert self-healing power.

4. General unconscious mind image.

5. The symbolic meaning of toys. The various arrangements of toys are a bridge to the unconscious.

Sandbox Therapy Application

1. Sand table games can cultivate children's imagination and creativity, and can be widely used in kindergartens, primary and secondary schools.

2. Sand table games provide psychological counseling to children with psychological disorders such as ADHD, autism, phobia, social confusion, and somatization.

3. Adults playing sand table games can improve self-confidence, improve self-character, improve interpersonal skills, effectively vent negative emotions, and release stress.

Sandplay therapy operation process

The elements of sand table game therapy include a sand table, water source, molds, and mold racks made in a specific proportion, as well as a rational planning and empathetic therapist in the game room. The role of the therapist is to create an atmosphere of freedom and safety. He must face the player's actions in a way of "appreciation" rather than "judgment." He must follow this game and keep pace with it instead of intruding.

Sandplay therapy preparation process

(1) Preparation of materials

a, the choice of sandbox

Sandboxes are usually placed on low tables. The size of the commonly used sand table is 7 meters long, 5.5 meters wide and 1.1 meters high. Its bottom and frame are painted blue, and it is water-resistant. The sand inside is required to be about half the height of the box. Paint dark or woody on the outside and blue on the inside. Generally, at least two sandboxes are required in a sand table game, one for dry sand and one for wet sand.

b. Arrangement of game room

Scene settings

The first requirement of the game room is the design of "privacy", which is easy to clean and safe. Plastic flooring should also be installed on the walls with solid and low wooden furniture. To prevent children from taking toys and climbing Danger when climbing.

Reasonable configuration of toys

Family and parenting toys-puppets, baby bottles, pots and pans, food, etc.

Horror toys-rubber, shark, snake, spider, spring, etc.

Attack toys-toy knives, guns, boxing bags, etc.

Creative toys-transportation, medical boxes, purses, paper towels, etc.

Avoid toys: sharp, glass, easy to break, expensive, batteries and other toys

The Process of Sand Table Therapy

(1) Creating a world of sandboxes

Introduce visitors to the sand tour: create a safe, protected and free space and form a positive expectation; introduce the visitors to the sand table, objects and the process of sand tour, and be in a position that makes the visitor comfortable Location, let the visitor know that the way to do sand travel does not matter right or wrong, and finally ask him to notify you after completion.

(2) Experience and rebuild the world of sandbox

Experience: Encourage visitors to fully experience Sand World. When the visitor reflects on the scene, you just need to sit quietly, this is the moment to deepen the experience.

Reconstruction: Tell visitors that they can leave the world of sand intact or make some changes; set aside time for visitors to experience the changed world of sand.

(3) Treatment

Browse the sandbox world: Ask the visitor to browse his sandworld; pay attention to the verbal and non-verbal clues of the visitor; do not touch the sandbox; encourage the visitor to stay in the excited emotions.

Therapeutic intervention: Ask the visitor some questions about the Sand World and only reflect what the visitor is involved in; focus on the objects in the sandbox; choose to use therapeutic intervention methods, such as Gestalt technology, psychodrama, mind mapping, With regression, cognitive remodeling, art therapy, and physical awareness, more changes often occur in the sand world.

(4) Record the world of sandbox

Visitor's photo: Provide the visitor with an opportunity to take a picture of his sand world from the angle of his choice. It is best to use a Polaroid camera, and the visitor can take this photo home.

Therapist's photo: Take a photo of his sand world with the consent of the visitor for future reference.

(5) Linking the sand travel experience with the real world

Connect the sand travel experience with the visitor's real world: ask the visitor how the events in the sandbox reflect his life; help the visitor understand the meaning of the sand world; encourage the visitor to pay attention to how the problems in the sandbox are in his daily life Presented in life.

(6) Demolition of Sand World

Understanding Sand World: Carefully demolish Sand World after the visitor leaves the treatment room; recall the visitor's sand travel process.

Clean up the world of sand: watch for changes; return objects to their proper places on the shelf; complete your notes.

The child will tell a story automatically during the creation of the sand table picture or at the end. If the child does not tell, the therapist can invite the child to talk about what he / she put on and what feelings he wants to express. The story will express the child's emotions, the theme of the sand table, the symbolic meaning of the toy, and so on. The therapist does not evaluate and explain the content of the game and the story told by the child. What he has to do is listen carefully and accept it.

In order to be able to accomplish a sand table task, the therapist must have two of the most important prerequisites:

(1) The sand table game process expresses itself in a set of symbolic languages, a profound knowledge of symbolic languages-in religion, mythology, fairy tales, literature and art-is essential.

(2) The therapist must be able to create a free and safe atmosphere. This means that the therapist should have an openness. This openness is a harvest of openly facing one's own vague and unknown face. Therefore, as a psychotherapist, being an observer is not enough. You should also try to be a participant. ^[2]