الأربعاء، 31 يناير 2018

Explore Emotions And Feelings With Sand Tray Therapy

By Donna Graham


For a lot of people - particularly children and teens - verbalizing internal struggles can be difficult. Today's world comes with more pressures and concern for young people than ever before, so it is important to find a way for them to express the things that are bothering them so that they can get the help they need. Some innovative therapists are using sand tray therapy as a means of providing clients such an outlet.

This therapeutic approach is basically exactly what its name implies. It consist of combining items such as a sandbox, little houses, people and animal figurines, and even water, as tools for the client's use. With these things, the individual is encouraged to create various scenes that depict what is in their mind and represent their concerns, struggles, feelings, or thoughts, without the pressure.

The fact that children have a natural inclination towards play is the base idea for this therapeutic approach. When left to explore their own thoughts in a safe and interactive environment without adult interference or guidance, a child might inadvertently reveal a great deal about what concerns them. The absence of threat or pressure helps to relax the client so they are comfortable enough to be open.

The central belief is that when provided an opportunity to express themselves freely, most children are able to find a way to identify their own issues and begin a natural healing process. If an appropriate moment arises, the therapist may attempt to open up a dialogue with the child to ascertain more about what they are displaying. When verbal ability to express themselves fails, they could find it easier to use figurines as helpers.

The approach has been found to work well with very young children who have not yet developed appropriate verbal skills or the mental maturation to effectively describe their feelings. As play is a concept they understand without explanation, observing a child in action helps the therapist understand more about their feelings. Kids will often choose playtime to act out some scenarios that they have experienced in real life.

It is frequently used when treating certain autistic children of all ages as well. These individuals process sensory input in a different way and many of them are not able to verbalize very well, if at all. Their demonstrations through play can be an effective means of communication with their therapist, who can utilize other methods to get more in-depth information at a different time.

Because the idea is to allow the child to process their own situation and seek for a solution on their own, the therapist will not lead them into a scenario. Treatment could simply be a single session, it may last several weeks, or even years, depending on the client and their particular situation. The main thing is observation and patience.

As a therapeutic coping mechanism, sandbox play may seem completely nontraditional, though it is quite effective, particularly with children who have problems verbalizing. This is a passive and simple concept that centers around the client feeling safe and comfortable. Adjustments to the approach may be made by the therapist as individual situations dictate.




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