The Relevance of Symbols in Sand Therapy: Heroines and Cultural Tenor

The Relevance of Symbols in Sand Therapy: Heroines and Cultural Tenor

                     

Dee Preston-Dillon, Ph.D. 

·         What is the relevance of figurines in a sand scene beyond the story the client shares?

·         Why should a therapist research symbols?

·         How can we study symbols and avoid concretizing meanings or unethically project our own assumptions onto the client?

Nomenclature: I use the overarching term sand therapy to refer to a general use of sand no matter one’s theory lens. A bibliography is available at the end.

Imagination, and all forms of creativity -- art, icons, poetry, music, myths, storytelling, dance, and rituals -- are an integral part of our humanity, our shared cultural connections steeped in the symbolic.

We create symbols that serve our neurological, cultural, idiosyncratic, and aesthetic needs.

We bring this capacity to sand therapy, and, when the process is kept safe for unbounded imagination, spontaneous play, and witnessed with full, respectful presence

We have healing.

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©2016 Dee Preston-Dillon, Ph.D. All Rights Reserved. Download for educational purposes only.