Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
Q. Where can I find a Sandplay therapist in Hawaiʻi?
A. Contact STH for information about local therapists knowledgeable in Sandplay Therapy
Q. Is Sandplay therapy only for children?
A. Sandplay therapy is effective with adults as well as children. It's not unusual for some Sandplay therapists to work only with adults! With just a little experience at letting go of our conscious will, adults can follow what our hands and eyes want to do and play to our heart's content!
Q. Can all children do Sandplay?
A. Many times most children enjoy and benefit from Sandplay as it's a free and protected space where they can express themselves. However, some children are not quite ready and other forms of play may be recommended before moving to the sand.
____________________________________________________________________
Clinical Questions
Q. What is the purpose of the miniature figures in Sandplay?
A. Figures and objects from cultures and nature symbolize events and situations in our inner and outer lives. Broad collections of figures - along with the moving of the sand itself - allow us to create scenes expressing our deepest lives and concerns.
Q. What is the difference between Sandplay and sand tray?
A. The intention of Kalffian Sandplay is to provide a safe and protected space within a proscribed space as outlined in the literature.
A. Sandplay Clinicians have undergone training rooted in Kalffian Sandplay and the three pillars which it stands on: Lowenfeld World Theory, Jungian theory, and Buddhist teachings
Q. Why is it called Sandplay?
A. Play is one of the highest functions of the brain; a serendipitous 'play' of psychic energy that never remains fixed in any area of the brain. In this sheer play of the mind we create worlds in sand that depict our psychic situation, and move ever closer to resolving inner conflict.
Q. Why is Sandplay termed a 'non-verbal' therapy?
A. The deep human psyche tends to expresses itself in images and symbols more than words. When engaging in Sandpaly in a safe and protected space, objects and figures can visually manifest aspects of a human psyche otherwise deemed "out of bounds" where words fail. Essentially, Sandplay therapists hold a safe and protected space to give room for the needed images to manifest within the tray, where verbal words are ancillary in the sacred process toward healing.