Tuesday, June 10, 2008
2008-2009 Sand Tray Therapy Training Series
Upcoming in January of 2009 -- Dates and location TBA
THE SAND TRAY PLAY THERAPY SERIES: A SKILL-BUILDING SERIES OF WORKSHOPS FOR MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
Course Instructor: Laurie Young, LCSW-C
For more information, e-mail Laurie Young at lyounglcswc@aol.com or call (301) 537-6363.
What is Sand Tray?
Sand tray is a "hands-on" expressive therapeutic approach that translates personal experience into concrete, three-dimensional form. Using a tray of sand, water, and thousands of miniature figurines, clients create and photograph 3-dimensional scenes in the sand. Without having to depend upon words, clients vividly and symbolically express feelings and conflicts in a tangible, highly personalized way.
Training Program Description
Sessions 1 and 2 are foundation courses and sessions 3 through 6 are electives. Participants must complete the first two sessions prior to signing up for any of the electives (or have permission from the instructor to start mid-series). This training is highly experiential; participants learn by immersing themselves in the experience of creating and witnessing play in the sand. The only way for mental health professionals to learn Sand tray is experience it it in a deeply personal way. However, please note that all experiential exercises are designed to provide professional training (not psychotherapy)...even though past participants report experiences of being deeply moved by their work in the sand.
Foundation Courses
SESSION #1
Introduction to sand tray. Participants will learn about the history and therapeutic value of sand tray play therapy, then build and hold a five-item sand tray. Participants will learn and practice the non-directive approach to conducting a sand tray session. Practical concerns about documentation and how to set up a sandtray space will be covered.
SESSION #2
Introduction to sand tray, part II. Participants will learn how to work with wet sand and will explore the archetypal meaning of earth and water. Working with wet sand , participants will explore a wide range of transference and countertransference reactions. Practicum will include building and holding wet sand trays, distinguishing between the archetypal meaning and idiosyncratic meaning of earth and water, and examining transference and counter transference reactions.
Electives
SESSION #3
Working with children and adolescents. Participants will learn how to integrate sand tray therapy into clinical assessment and treatment of children (ages 5 and up) and their work with adolescents. Participants will learn how to modify the non-directive approach to work with different age groups. Identification of common themes seen in children at different developmental stages will be included. Discussion of the role resistance plays and techniques used to address resistance will be included. Practical concerns of boundary-setting and working with parents will be discussed. Practicum will involve building and holding a directed sociogram sandtray.
SESSION #4
Using the sand tray to work with families. Following a review of family therapy principles, participants will learn how to modify the non-directive approach to work with families. This session will use lecture and case presentation to focus on the unique challenges and opportunities of working with families. Participants will take turns practicing family therapy interventions using sand tray.
SESSION #5
Using sand tray with parents to develop a working alliance. Participants will use the sand tray to collect psychosocial background information, develop a treatment plan, track progress in their child’s treatment and conduct parent education. Emphasis will be placed on addressing parental resistance (both to sand tray and to therapy) and on relationship-building with parents. Workshop participants will practice conceptualizing one of their own cases using sand tray.
SESSION #6
Deepening the sand tray experience by integrating it with art and guided imagery. Participants will learn how to amplify a theme by moving back and forth between sand tray, guided imagery and art. Emphasis will be placed on identifying archetypes and developing metaphors. The experiential practicum will integrate the use of guided imagery, art and sand tray to follow an archetype or metaphor.
About the Faculty
What is Sand Tray?
Sand tray is a "hands-on" expressive therapeutic approach that translates personal experience into concrete, three-dimensional form. Using a tray of sand, water, and thousands of miniature figurines, clients create and photograph 3-dimensional scenes in the sand. Without having to depend upon words, clients vividly and symbolically express feelings and conflicts in a tangible, highly personalized way.
Training Program Description
Sessions 1 and 2 are foundation courses and sessions 3 through 6 are electives. Participants must complete the first two sessions prior to signing up for any of the electives (or have permission from the instructor to start mid-series). This training is highly experiential; participants learn by immersing themselves in the experience of creating and witnessing play in the sand. The only way for mental health professionals to learn Sand tray is experience it it in a deeply personal way. However, please note that all experiential exercises are designed to provide professional training (not psychotherapy)...even though past participants report experiences of being deeply moved by their work in the sand.
Foundation Courses
SESSION #1
Introduction to sand tray. Participants will learn about the history and therapeutic value of sand tray play therapy, then build and hold a five-item sand tray. Participants will learn and practice the non-directive approach to conducting a sand tray session. Practical concerns about documentation and how to set up a sandtray space will be covered.
SESSION #2
Introduction to sand tray, part II. Participants will learn how to work with wet sand and will explore the archetypal meaning of earth and water. Working with wet sand , participants will explore a wide range of transference and countertransference reactions. Practicum will include building and holding wet sand trays, distinguishing between the archetypal meaning and idiosyncratic meaning of earth and water, and examining transference and counter transference reactions.
Electives
SESSION #3
Working with children and adolescents. Participants will learn how to integrate sand tray therapy into clinical assessment and treatment of children (ages 5 and up) and their work with adolescents. Participants will learn how to modify the non-directive approach to work with different age groups. Identification of common themes seen in children at different developmental stages will be included. Discussion of the role resistance plays and techniques used to address resistance will be included. Practical concerns of boundary-setting and working with parents will be discussed. Practicum will involve building and holding a directed sociogram sandtray.
SESSION #4
Using the sand tray to work with families. Following a review of family therapy principles, participants will learn how to modify the non-directive approach to work with families. This session will use lecture and case presentation to focus on the unique challenges and opportunities of working with families. Participants will take turns practicing family therapy interventions using sand tray.
SESSION #5
Using sand tray with parents to develop a working alliance. Participants will use the sand tray to collect psychosocial background information, develop a treatment plan, track progress in their child’s treatment and conduct parent education. Emphasis will be placed on addressing parental resistance (both to sand tray and to therapy) and on relationship-building with parents. Workshop participants will practice conceptualizing one of their own cases using sand tray.
SESSION #6
Deepening the sand tray experience by integrating it with art and guided imagery. Participants will learn how to amplify a theme by moving back and forth between sand tray, guided imagery and art. Emphasis will be placed on identifying archetypes and developing metaphors. The experiential practicum will integrate the use of guided imagery, art and sand tray to follow an archetype or metaphor.
About the Faculty
Ms. Young's particular expertise is in providing practical, solution-oriented psychotherapy for children, teenagers, adults and families in crisis. Besides maintaining an active psychotherapy practice, Ms. Young also provides clinical training to other therapists through monthly workshops and clinical supervision. This is her fourth year teaching the Silver Spring Sandtray Series.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, E-MAIL LAURIE YOUNG AT lyounglcswc@aol.com or call (301) 537-6363.
posted by Laurie Young # 10:50 AM 
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