ABSTRACT
The additional benefits of touch, spatial arrangement of objects, moving, removing and adding objects, burying objects, and manipulating the sand are explored. In addition, this chapter argues how pluralistic sand-tray therapy offers unique advantages in working with these actions contributing to the therapeutic process. Touching the objects and sand brings an instant connection between body, emotion, and thought, contributing to processing emotions, facilitating therapeutic change.
The spatial arrangement of objects helps the client to focus on a particular issue.
Significant objects placed in the centre of the sand tray or others placed in a corner might indicate that there may be an underlying reason for this. Objects placed in the corner might indicate avoidance to explore the powerful symbol related to a painful emotion. Moving objects helps the client to act out an experience as they project their distress. Removing an object might correspond to a client’s avoidance to talk about the object’s symbolism or a desire for change, wanting something out of their lives. Burying an object may indicate aggression, frustration, or closure on an issue that will not be forgotten but demonstrates less impact on the client, a memory still there but no longer causing interference in their life.
