2010 Training Schedule

noreply@blogger.com (Laurie Young) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 17:32:00 +0000

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 Sandtray 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 sandtray 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 sand tray 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 sand tray.

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 sandtray, 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.

Experiential Practicums -- $75 per session (by Special Arrangement)
Like all therapeutic techniques, sand tray takes skill and practice. Skillful sand tray therapy requires both that you are comfortable and familiar enough with the process that you can therapeutically handle the range and intensity of the work. There is no substitute for experiencing the process yourself. Come practice with peers, each taking turns building and holding a sand tray (one hour for each sand tray). Then join other practicum participants for one hour of skill-building group supervision.

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 fifth year teaching the Silver Spring Sand Tray Series.

Reflections From Last Year's Workshop Trainees

"The presenter was well organized and articulate--plus [she] had a good sense of timing that made the workshop flow. It was clear a foundation of ideas and strategies was presented, explored and discussed. Great Job!"

"I am usually a generous evaluator, but this time I really mean it! This is the best workshop I've ever attended. The [training] takes you directly into the intervention personally and you experience how powerful and effective it is."

"I liked the hands-on experience. I enjoyed being able 'to hold' my own tray."

"Excellent two days--the hand-on work was very powerful and helped me experience through the client's eyes. The practical details were also great. Thank you!"

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SAND TRAY SERIES, E-MAIL LAURIE YOUNG AT lyounglcswc@aol.com or call (301) 537-6363.

Laurie Young, LCSW-C

2010 Training Schedule