After setting up the trays, Lynda began to talk about the various characters depicted and her relationship to each. She began ruling began to see some of the ways in which her focus had gotten lost in extraneous details and relationships. While a full assessment is important, she was holding too much information in the forefront.
As a group participant, Cheryl wrote the following summary of the process:
When Lynda began with three trays, it continued to be overwhelming but helped to understand why it was she was struggling with the case, and what she needed. She had many connections to all the participants, and I feel their various agendas clouded what her and the child’s goal was for treatment.
I also feel it brought to light her struggles with her own boundaries, her role in the treatment process, and not to be the “everything to everyone” that is involved. I think the sand narrowed her focus to where it needed to be, helped her let go of those extended families (trays), and move back to the original client and goal for treatment.
I think the use of sand tray was very helpful for us to see her jumbled thoughts, help us to understand the situation better, and to be able to move the focus to the “one tray.”
After this session, Lynda stated, “I was so entangled. Putting it all in the sandtrays helped me disentangle it.” She reflected that she needed the space of multiple trays to express what felt too chaotic for her to contain in one tray. Her right brain knew what she needed, even if all the left brains in the room had logically thought fewer trays would be clearer. By expanding the systems across three trays, Lynda became able to articulate how entwined the mother and child were, and the ways in which she had conflated them as well. She had trouble identifying the needs of her child client because the needs of the child’s mother were the lack of space between the mother and child.”
Lynda reported back to the group that after the sandtray session, she focus individually on the needs of the client, to see them in sessions without either of their parents. She gave them their own space to experience self and the therapy relationship outside the conflicting energies of all the other people in their life. Lynda began to see and appreciate this young person, to access their capabilities, which had been severely diminished by everyone else. The sandtray process in the radiant smile on her face as she shared the new ways she was working, and the progress being made.
References Cunningham, L. (2013). Sandplay and the clinical relationship. San Francisco, CA: Sempervirens Press.
Luke, M. (2008). Supervision: Models, principles, and process issues. In A. A. Drewes & J. A. Mullen (Eds.), Supervision can be playful: Techniques for child and play therapist supervisors (pp. 7-27). Lanham, MD: Jason Aronson.
McGoldrick, M., Gerson, R., & Petry, S. (2008). Genograms: Assessment and intervention (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Norton.
Morrison, M. & Homeyer, L. E. (2008). Supervision in the sand. In A. A. Drewes & J. A. Mullen (Eds.), Supervision can be playful: Techniques for child and play therapist supervisors (pp. 233-248). Lanham, MD: Jason Aronson.
Rubin, L., & Gil, E. (2008). Countertransference play, informing and enhancing therapist self-awareness through play. In A. A. Drewes & J. A. Mullen (Eds.), Supervision can be playful: Techniques for child and play therapist supervisors (pp. 249-267). Lanham, MD: Jason Aronson.
Social Work Degree Guide. (2019). Countertransference. Retrieved from
https://www.socialworkdegreeguide.com/faq/what-is- countertransference/
Stewart, A., & Echterling, L. G. (2008). Playful supervision: Sharing exemplary exercises in the supervision of play therapists. In A. A. Drewes & J. A. Mullen (Eds.), Supervision can be playful: Techniques for child and play therapist supervisors (pp. 281-307). Lanham, MD: Jason Aronson.
Tudor, K, & Merry, T. (2006). Transference. In Dictionary of Person- Centred Psychology, Ross-On-Wye, England: PCCS Books.
Tudor, K, & Merry, T. (2006). Countertransference. Dictionary of Person- Centred Psychology, Ross-On-Wye, England: PCCS Books.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Heather Maritano, LCSW, RPT-S, has a small group practice providing therapy, training, and consultation. She serves her professional and personal communities in a variety of ways, focusing on social justice issues. Heather regularly practices the healing power of play and is particularly fond of dancing.
Hlmaritano@gmail.com
Cheryl Mansell, LCSW, owns New Outlook Counseling Center. She has worked in a variety of facilities cultivating her skills and abilities as a therapist. She has been trained extensively in DBT, EMDR, Level 1 of Theraplay, and play therapy. She recently submitted her application to become an RPT.
newoutlookcounselingctr@gmail.com
Lynda Ransburg, LCSW, RPT-S works in private practice, and has over 25 years of experience working in different agencies where she provided treatment for individuals, families, and groups across the lifespan. She has been a supervisor for master’s-level students and aspiring RPTs.
lsransburg@gmail.com
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