ABSTRACT

This chapter examines the work of two boys, Jake and Charlie, each of whom had highly disruptive histories, including early maternal abandonment, multiple foster placements, and sexual abuse. Both boys participated in sandplay, which allowed them to process through their trauma, and, thus, alleviate their anger and defiance. Using sandplay, Jake was able to express his inner world of abandonment, anger, chaos, and fear. Charlie was a child frozen by trauma, unable to get in touch with any aspect of his inner world. Between Sandplays, Charlie engaged in board games. Guided by the Self, the center of the psyche, which moves toward health, these boys were able to sort out early wounding and the chaos of their lives in the sandplay process. Only sandplay, as the primary treatment modality, could have helped the boys achieve a sense of understanding and healing in the unique and profound ways experienced by these courageous children.