“But just as genuine freedom presupposes limitations, the size of the tray imposes limitations on what can be represented in accordance with the dimensions of the human visual field. Transformation happens within these bounds…what I have called the “free and protected space”. – Dora Kalff
The provision of safe, secure therapeutic containment with clearly defined boundaries is fundamental to the practice of psychotherapy. In Sandplay therapy, therapeutic containment is further emphasized by the provision of an actual container – the sandtray – representing what
Dora Kalff referred to as the “free and protected space.” The humble holding vessel of the sandtray is often overlooked in comparison to the sensuous appeal of the sand or the intriguing array of miniatures, but its significance cannot be overstated. It is at once a practical box, a
containing vessel, a sacred temenos. This webinar examines the practical aspects, clinical meaning, and archetypal symbolism of the sandtray, with particular emphasis on how the sandtray stands as a symbol for therapeutic containment of the clinical relationship. Examples of how clients approach, or avoid, working in the sandtray relative to the degree of security in the therapeutic relationship will be provided.