Mixing modalities

From the Flikr Stream of Emily Hoyer

 

 

 

    A little while ago I started getting trained in the fundamentals "Sand Tray" a particular tool of play therapy. It's very interesting and has more in common with art therapy than it does in what people consider "traditional" therapy where people sit around and talk.
    The set up is pretty simple, you have a container roughly the size of a storage bin filled 1/2-3/4 with sand, and a host of miniatures and a mental health professional. From there you essentially let people do what they want. Some people just push the sand around, others make simple, static scenes. Others make highly elaborate dynamic stories that fill, or even overflow from the container. What usually gets created is the person's head space in some way, shape or form.

    It's a very different way to engage with one's mind. Because it's so mailable, and those hard to articulate thoughts can be represented in the tray without words, a whole new way of working with one's inner life is possible. It's accessible for children and adults, average functioning people, those with disabilities and everyone in between.
    I'm really smitten with it :-) . Everyone's welcome to come and try it out!