ABSTRACT
Dora Kalff observed very early in her work that the symbolic imagery that an individual uses in a sand tray can be related to stages of ego development. This chapter describes and illustrates the three stages of ego development conceptualized by Kalff. Her model brought attention to the developmental aspects, which she considered central to understanding the representations of psychic processes that show up symbolically in sand trays. The term “stages” refers to stages of ego development, not steps in a sandplay process. Kalff’s stages are illustrated in a detailed case of a seven-year-old boy diagnosed with primary enuresis. After his series of 16 sandplays, he was no longer enuretic – the goal his parents had for him. He also displayed new integration and bonding with his family members.
