What is sand tray therapy?
Sand tray therapy comes to us from Carl Jung who used a psychoanalytic framework to explore archetypes and symbols as primary ways of meaning-making. At Fairbanks Somatic Therapy & Wellness we may use these tools in any number of ways from actually using a sand tray with tiny figures to build stories or in a more metaphorical way by inviting exploration of dreams using Dr. Stephen Aizenstat Dream Tending techniques. Imagination and play are key elements of transformation and can assist with shadow work, life transitions, and more.
Is symbolic or sand tray therapy right for me?
This approach is great for those who want to dive deeper into complex issues and are curious about exploring liminal spaces. I’ve found that symbolic work tends to be a good fit for addressing:
Grief
Relationships and trust
Artist’s block
Processing trauma
Identity crisis
Spirituality
Individuals who have prior therapy experience but did not fully achieve their therapeutic goals with talk therapy
“The dream is the small hidden door in the deepest and most intimate sanctum of the soul, which opens to that primeval cosmic night that was soul long before there was conscious ego and will be soul far beyond what a conscious ego could ever reach."
from “The Meaning of Psychology for Modern Man” by Carl Jung, 1934