Posted by fallsfall on May 1, 2004, at 17:59:24
In reply to Gestalt therapy and Sandplay therapy, posted by Pandabear on April 30, 2004, at 16:55:09
The therapist who I *didn't* choose (who came in 2nd) has a sand table in her office. I was really interested in that. She used to be my group therapist, and I went to see her when things started getting out of control with my old therapist. She calmed me down and helped me to understand what some of my basic issues were. I wanted, very badly, to go back again and ask to use the sand table. I envisioned fiddling with the objects (people, animals, and things, too I think) and feeling the soft sand while I was talking to her and not trying to do anything specific with the sand table. Whatever evolved during the session would just *be*. I have a lot of trouble being spontaneous, and I thought that this might be one way of <dare I say this?> letting unconscious thoughts out, past the very strong conscious barriers I have erected. It is strange for me to say this because I have been talking with the therapist who I *did* pick about how I know the theory of the unconscious, but that I (somehow?!?!) truly believed that I was consciously motivating all of my actions. Maybe I thought that I *had* an unconscious, but that I was consciously in control of it. Hmmmm. Thanks for giving me a reason to think about this.
I know that I have read books from the University library that have described sand table therapy. A quick glance through the catalog didn't jog my memory as to which books they were. I believe that one described sand therapy with elderly patients. You might try searching for "sand therapy elderly" on amazon.com.
I'd be interested in what you find out. The idea still facinates me.
poster:fallsfall
thread:341911
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20040426/msgs/342266.html