Sandplay & Symbol Work: Emotional Healing & Personal Development With Children, Adolescents

150 Pages·2001·2.88 MB·English

by  Mark Pearson, Helen Wilson

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A NDPLAY
S
&
SYMBOL
w o r k
Emotional Healing & Personal Development
andplay and symbol work are therapeutic tools for self-discovery and with Children, Adolescents and Adults
emotional healing. By arranging small objects in a sandtray, children,
SSadolescents and adults can unlock the subconscious and reveal unspoken
dilemmas. For many people, it is a powerful form of self-expression and an important
step towards personal healing.
Sandplay & Symbol Work guides therapists, counsellors and psychologists in this
breakthrough technique. Therapists Mark Pearson and Helen Wilson present step-by-
step exercises for practitioners to assist clients’ symbol work.
Also presented are:
• the history of sandplay and symbol work techniques, and their links to Jungian
psychology;
• methods to adapt the techniques to clients of all age groups and different settings;
• case histories from the authors’ own field work, including full-colour photos of
sandplay sessions; and
• research literature on a variety of sandplay applications.
Sandplay & Symbol Work is an invaluable guide for counsellors wishing to explore this
innovative technique and support others effectively in exploring their inner world.
About the Authors:
Mark Pearson and Helen Wilson have a combined experience of training counsellors,
psychologists and psychotherapists in the use of sandplay therapy and symbol work
of over 25 years. Mark is the author of Emotional Release for Children (ACER Press,
1995), Emotional Healing & Self-esteem (ACER Press, 1998) and several books outlining
emotional release counselling with adults.
M a r k P e a r s o n • H e l e n W i l s o n

SANDPLAY & SYMBOL WORK M a r k P e a r s o n • H e l e n W i l s o n
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A NDPLAY
S
&
SYMBOL
w o r k
Emotional Healing & Personal Development
with Children, Adolescents and Adults
M a r k P e a r s o n • H e l e n W i l s o n
SP&SW - Inside FINAL 29/6/04 12:13 PM Page ii
SP&SW - Inside FINAL 29/6/04 12:13 PM Page iii
A NDPLAY
S
&
SYMBOL
w o r k
Emotional Healing Personal Development
&
with Children, Adolescents and Adults
M a r k P e a r s o n • H e l e n W i l s o n
SP&SW - Inside FINAL 29/6/04 12:13 PM Page iv
First published 2001
by Australian Council for Educational Research Ltd
19 Prospect Hill Road, Camberwell, Melbourne, Victoria, 3124
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Copyright © 2001 Mark Pearson and Helen Wilson
All rights reserved. Except under the conditions described in the Copyright Act 1968 of
Australia and subsequent amendments, no part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or otherwise, without the written
permission of the publishers. The material in the photocopy masters may be reproduced
by individuals in quantities sufficient for non-commercial application.
Edited by Jane Angus, Writers Reign
Cover and text design by Polar Design
Cover photography by Lindsay Edwards
Sandplay photographs by Helen Wilson and Tess Pearson
Printed in Australia by Shannon Books
National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data:
Pearson, Mark.
Sandplay & symbol work: emotional healing & personal development with children,
adolescents and adults.
Bibliography.
Includes index.
ISBN 0 86431 340 3.
1. Sandplay – Therapeutic use. 2. Play therapy. 3. Psychotherapy.
I. Wilson, Helen. II. Title.
616.89165
Visit our website: www.acerpress.com.au
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C o n t e n t s
I n t r o d u c t i o n The language of symbols 1
C h a p t e r 1 The development of sandplay 4
How does sandplay work? 4
Differences between sandplay and symbol work 6
The evolution of sandplay as used in ERC 8
Sandplay and symbol work in ERC 10
Basic principles underlying ERC and sandplay practice 11
What supports emotional healing? 12
Sandplay literature and research 15
Sandplay as an aid to counselling in schools 15
Sandplay and multiple intelligences 18
Sandplay and academic improvement 20
Sandplay with abused children 21
Sandplay and grieving 23
Sandplay, symbol work and ERC in Australian group programs 23
C h a p t e r 2 A gathering of wisdom – the Jungian heritage
and contemporary sandplay 24
Some aims of sandplay 24
Emotional and psychological safety 26
How can sandplay help clients? 29
The value of play 31
Dealing with aggression 32
The role of the therapist 33
Stages in the sandplay process 34
After the sandplay 36
The contribution of play therapy 37
Sandplay and transpersonal psychology 38
C h a p t e r 3 Sandplay and symbol work methods 41
Elements of the process 41
Some uses of sandplay 44
Trusting the inner healer 45
The free sandplay method 46
Overview of the process 46
Some ways of beginning 48
Gestalt role-play with sandplay figures 50
The focused method 50
Directed methods 50
Stages in sandplay sessions 51
Sandplay for families and groups 51
Sandplay with couples 53
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C h a p t e r 4 Symbol work exercises 54
The basic steps of a counselling session 55
Relationships 60
Families and school 61
Emotional and physical release 63
Self-esteem 67
Spiritual direction and personal review 69
C h a p t e r 5 Expressive support processes 72
Bioenergetics 72
Music to support bioenergetic exercises and movement work 74
Energy release games 75
Drawing after sandplay and symbol work 77
Other media 78
C h a p t e r 6 Professional orientation 80
Basic rules and advice for facilitators 82
Guidelines for facilitators 83
Learning to observe 84
Preparing the counselling room 85
Integration 86
Evaluation, review and recording 88
Equipment 88
Sandplay with different age groups 91
Contraindications 92
Sandplay and nature 93
Using symbols in professional supervision 94
Getting started with sandplay – a six-point plan 95
Advice for parents of child clients 96
Training 99
C o n c l u s i o n 101
S a n d p l a y s t o r i e s 103
A p p e n d i x I : Self-discovery worksheet: The different parts of me 115
A p p e n d i x I I : Gestalt role-play exercise 116
A p p e n d i x I I I : Record form for sandplay sessions 117
R e f e r e n c e s 119
G l o s s a r y 125
I n d e x o f e x e r c i s e s 129
G e n e r a l i n d e x 130
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T h e a u t h o r s
Mark Pearson
Mark has been conducting Certificate Courses in Emotional Release Counselling
(ERC) and sandplay around Australia since 1989. He was a primary school teacher,
then founded a remedial reading clinic. He has worked briefly with handicapped
children and conducted individual and group programs for emotionally disturbed
children and adolescents. For five years Mark held a senior staff position at the
Living Water Centre, Blue Mountains, NSW, as lecturer in Emotional Release
Counselling for Children, Breathwork Therapy, Dreamwork and Sandplay, then
directed courses at The Portiuncula Centre in Toowoomba for eight years. He has
completed further studies in Transpersonal Psychology with Dr Stanislav Grof, and
is completing M.Ed. studies, majoring in Behaviour Management.
He now works as a psychotherapy and counselling trainer in Brisbane,
Melbourne and Sydney through Turnaround, and for the Australian Council for
Educational Research in Melbourne. He regularly runs programs for various welfare
agencies and education departments around Australia. He is the co-author (with
Patricia Nolan) of Emotional First-aid for Children (1991) and Emotional Release for
Children (1995). He is also the author of Emotional Healing and Self-esteem – Inner-life
Skills of Relaxation, Visualisation and Meditation for Children and Adolescents (1998) and
for adults: From Healing to Awakening (1991) and The Healing Journey (1997).
Helen Wilson
Helen is an emotional release counsellor in private practice in Brisbane. Together
with Mark, she also conducts training in ERC, sandplay and transpersonal therapies
in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Helen has completed all three levels of train-
ing in Emotional Release Counselling and Transpersonal Studies and holds the Post-
Graduate Diploma. She has a Certificate in ERC with Children, a Certificate
in Sandplay Therapy, and a degree in Human Resource Management. She was,
for several years, on the staff at The Portiuncula Centre, Toowoomba. She is
the founder of Turnaround through which she and Mark offer personal and pro-
fessional development programs.
Helen completed training in transpersonal psychology and holotropic breath-
work with Dr Stanislav Grof in 1998. She has used sandplay and symbol work in a
wide range of applications with individuals, couples, families and groups.
Helen and Mark are both recognised as Senior Trainers by their professional
body and are foundation members of the Queensland Transpersonal and Emotional
Release Counsellors Association Inc. and members of the Queensland Association
for Family Therapy.
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the many clients over the years who have entered will-
ingly – in great trust and faith – into the realm of the symbolic and given us
the privilege of witnessing their journey of transformation as well as giving
us valuable learning experiences about sand and symbols. We would like to
thank our clients who have kindly given permission for photographs and
stories of their exploration to be used.
Many thanks are also due to our trainees, whose inner journeys, probing
questions and generous sharings have enriched our experience of sandplay.
Special thanks go to Pru Beatty and Alana Vaney for contributing stories
of their use of symbols, and to Kathy Halvorson for the exercise on page 62.
We would like to acknowledge the initial training from Patrick Jansen, a
student of Dora Kalff, and all the writers on sandplay who have supported
and enlarged our understanding.
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I n t r o d u c t i o n
The language of symbols
round the walls of the sandplay room are shelves filled with small
figurines: little people, animals, fish, birds, trees, buildings, military equip-
Ament, miniature household items, model cars, trucks, buses, flowers,
jewels, skeletons, funny things, frightening things, endearing things, reli-
gious things, primitive dolls and much, much more. In the middle of this
treasure trove of figurines – silently waiting to become symbols for our inner
world – is a sandtray, similar to the ones we may have used in kindergarten.
The sand calls out to be touched, moved, shaped. We may begin our session
by arranging the sand – heaping it into hills and valleys, rivers or coastlines. We
play and add figurines, gradually seeing them as representing our feelings,
thoughts, attitudes, longings and unconscious drives. We may begin to under-
stand ourselves more clearly, or we may simply begin to feel better. We share
what we wish with the sandplay facilitator, and grow within the warmth of
their acceptance.
The figurines on the shelves can represent parts of ourselves; they become
significant symbols for us as our inner meanings are projected onto them. As
we look at the shelves we may feel that some of the symbols reach out. We
might feel greatly repulsed or attracted – that’s usually a clue that a symbol
is important. The repulsion or attraction can be an expression of the uncon-
scious. Sometimes we will choose symbols to represent themes about which
we are already conscious. At other times we simply allow the symbol to call
us. We take the figurines that we like, and start to arrange them in the sand.
We probably do not realise it at first, but the symbols stand out for us
because something inside us resonates, recognises itself in them.
When the sandplay figurines become symbols they begin to express the
language of our unconscious. Connection to what is unconscious in us sup-
ports emotional healing and personal development.
Sandplay is a hands-on, expressive counselling and psychotherapy
modality that has been in use for well over fifty years. It has been used with
children, adolescents and adults in schools, hospitals, welfare agencies and
private counselling practices. It forms a bridge between verbal therapy and
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