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Sandplay Therapists of America

Clinical Member (CST/CST-T) Training Guidelines

HANDBOOK of Clinical and Teaching Member Requirements and Procedures Sandplay Therapists of America (ISST)

I-V Requirements and Procedures
Appendix - Forms
Ancillary Information - Curriculum Guide, etc.

Effective January 1, 2004 - Revised April 17, 2005

REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES

I. PRE-QUALIFICATIONS FOR CLINICAL MEMBERSHIP
II. TRAINING REQUIREMENTS FOR CLINICAL MEMBERSHIP
III. BECOME A CANDIDATE FOR CLINICAL MEMBERSHIP
IV. BECOME A CLINICAL MEMBER
V. BECOME A TEACHING MEMBER

APPENDIX – FORMS (pdf)

• Form 1 – Application for Clinical Membership A1/1-2
• Form 1A – Autobiographical Statement A1A/1-1
• Form 2 – Verification of 2000 Hours of Supervised Clinical Experience A2/1-1
• Form 3 – Verification of Personal Process Hours A3/1-1
• Form 4 – Verification of Consultation Hours A4/1-1
• Form 5 – Preliminary Report Reader Assessment A5/1-1
• Form 6 – Applicant/Advisor Agreement A6/1-1
• Form 7 – Permission Grant from Client A7/1-1
• Form 8 – Final Case Report Reader Request A8/1-1
• Form 9 – Final Case Report Reader Assessment A9/1-1
• Form 10 – New Clinical Member Form A10/1-1
• Form 11 – Application to be a Teaching Member A11/1-1
• Form 11A – Autobiographical Statement A11A/1-1
• Form 12 – Teaching Candidate Course Evaluation Form A12/1-1
• Form 13 – Summary of Teaching Evaluations for Teaching Membership A13/1-2
  
  Note:
  Forms 1 through 10 – to complete the Clinical Membership process.
  Forms 11 through 13 – to complete the Teaching Membership process.

ANCILLARY INFORMATION

• Curriculum Guide A14/1-1
• Consultation Information A15/1-1
• Preliminary Paper Information A16/1-3
• Advisor Role Information A17/1-6
• Final Case Report Information A18/1-2
• Exceptions Information A19/1-1

I. PRE-QUALIFICATIONS FOR CLINICAL MEMBERSHIP

1. POST-GRADUATE DEGREE

Requirement: Graduate degree in a helping profession such as medicine, psychology, clinical social work, pastoral counseling, school counseling, or marriage and family counseling, from a regionally accredited university.

Time Frame: Two years prior to application.

To Document: Submit copy of degree.

2. CLINICAL KNOWLEDGE BASE

Requirement: Knowledge of psychotherapy, psycho-diagnosis, and psychology obtained through formal study and two years of supervised clinical experience.

Time Frame: Prior to application.

To Document: On the application, indicate the courses taken that meet this requirement and submit copies of official transcripts with the application.

3. LICENSURE

Requirement: Licensure to practice psychotherapy.

Time Frame: Prior to application.

To Document: Submit a photocopy of license or credential with application. Also submit evidence of having completed 2000 hours of direct supervised clinical or counseling experience. If licensure is not required in your state, submit information substantiating this with your application.

4. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Requirement: In-depth inner development and insight as gained through analysis and/or psychotherapy. The combined total number of hours of analysis, psychotherapy and personal sandplay process (see next section) is a minimum of 100 hours.

Time Frame: Analysis and/or psychotherapy should have occurred within the past 10 years prior to the date of application. Analysis and/or psychotherapy may be concurrent with personal sandplay process.

To Document: With application submit a description of the therapist’s therapeutic orientation, dates of analysis and/or psychotherapy, and total number of hours.

II. TRAINING REQUIREMENTS FOR CLINICAL MEMBERSHIP

1. POST-GRADUATE DEGREE

Requirement: Graduate degree in a helping profession such as medicine, psychology, clinical social work, pastoral counseling, school counseling, or marriage and family counseling, from a regionally accredited university.

Time Frame: Two years prior to application.

To Document: Submit copy of degree.

2. PERSONAL SANDPLAY PROCESS

Requirement: An honest, transformative personal sandplay process is the most significant, foundational requirement of the training sequence. The process must occur with an ISST member after that individual has achieved clinical membership. A minimum of 40 sessions (not sand trays) are required for the completion of the personal sandplay process. Although no required number of sand trays is designated, it is generally felt that creation of a minimum of 30 sand trays is necessary to experience an in-depth sandplay process.

Time Frame: The personal sandplay process must have been experienced within the last 10 years prior to the date of application. Although it may overlap the completion of other training requirements, it is generally accepted that the best way to experience the sandplay process is prior to pursuing formal study of sandplay theory and practice.

To Document: Submit the form letter from your ISST therapist attesting to the dates of therapy and the completion of the minimum requirements. (Appendix Form 3)

Rationale: Dora Kalff states, “The emphasis of the sandplay process is on the fullness or wholeness of the process.” As we are often asked for guidance and clarification, it seems helpful to provide our minimum expectations.

2. STUDY OF SANDPLAY THEORY AND PRACTICE

Requirement: A comprehensive program of study including the following general conditions are required. The minimum total number of coursework hours is 120. The minimum hours of coursework in each content area are designated as follows:

1. Introduction to Sandplay Therapy (18 hrs. minimum)
2. Clinical Sandplay Practice (48 hrs. minimum)
3. Jungian Theory (18 hrs. minimum)
4. Symbolism (18 hrs. minimum)
5. Electives (no minimum)

Please refer to the Sandplay Training Curriculum Guide (Appendix Page A14/1-1) for a more detailed listing of content areas and suggested themes for study.

Time Frame: Introductory content may be studied prior to, or concurrently with, or after, experiencing the personal sandplay process. It is recommended that further study and clinical sandplay practice be delayed until after the personal sandplay process has been completed or is at least meaningfully underway.

To Document: The applicant is responsible for maintaining a record of lectures, workshops, seminars, and conferences attended. The application requires submission of a list of training events attended including dates, location, presenter, and number of training hours awarded. Refer to the section below Application to Become a Candidate, a).

3. CONSULTATION

Requirements: Applicants are encouraged to seek consultation from someone other than the therapist with whom they completed their sandplay process. In situations where no other ISST member is available, consultation with the process therapist should occur no sooner than six months after the sandplay process has been completed. (Refer to Appendix: Consultation – Additional Information, page A15/1-1)

1. A minimum of 75 hours of sandplay case consultation with an ISST member is required.
2. At least 25 of these hours must be individual case consultation with an ISST Teaching Member, after that individual has achieved Teaching Membership.
3. The remaining hours may be obtained in the presentation of cases in group consultation with up to six participants, facilitated by an ISST Clinical or Teaching Member. (Only hours in which an applicant presents a case may be counted towards fulfilling this requirement.) The hours may be counted towards the 48 clinical sandplay practice hours when an applicant is not presenting.

Time Frame: It is recommended that consultation be delayed until after the applicant’s personal sandplay process is complete or at least meaningfully underway.

To Document: A letter from the applicant’s primary consultant verifying the applicant’s total number of consultation hours accrued with all consultants must be submitted with the application. (Appendix Form 4)

Rationale: The purpose of consultation is to facilitate the exploration and enhancement of one’s own work. To count hours in which other’s work is presented would not fulfill the purpose of this requirement.

4. PRELIMINARY PAPERS

Requirements: Submission and approval of two preliminary papers is required. Each paper must be approximately 10 double-spaced pages in length. One paper should be an in-depth exploration of a symbol, archetypal image, or theme. The second paper may be an exploration of another symbol or it may address any theoretical aspect of sandplay of interest to the applicant. Each paper should include the relevance of the topic to clinical sandplay practice. Each paper must be read and approved by an ISST Clinical or Teaching Member who has been a clinical member for at least two years and is not the personal process therapist or advisor. (Appendix Form 5 and Appendix: Preliminary Paper and Reader – Additional Information, page A16/1-3.)

Time Frame: Preliminary papers should be written after the applicant has completed a significant portion of his/her personal sandplay process, completed a significant portion of course study, and established a clinical sandplay practice. At least one paper must be read and approved prior to application for admission as a training candidate. (Refer to Appendix: Preliminary Papers – Additional Information and Preliminary Paper Criteria, page A16/1-3)

5. CHOOSING AN ADVISOR

Requirement: To become a candidate for membership, an applicant must choose an STA member as an advisor. The advisor must have held clinical membership in ISST for at least one year prior to selection as an advisor, and has not served as the applicant’s therapist. (Appendix Form 6.)

Time Frame: An advisor may be chosen at any point prior to formal application for membership candidacy. (Refer to Appendix: Advisor – Additional Information, Page A17/1-4)

To Document: Designate on application form.

Fee:

III. BECOME A CANDIDATE FOR CLINICAL MEMBERSHIP

1. APPLICATION

Requirements: To become a candidate for Clinical Membership, an applicant must submit a formal application to the STA Admissions Committee with application fee. The application is essentially a portfolio that must include the following:

1. Completed application form. (Appendix Form 1)
2. Two-three page autobiographical statement.
3. Documentation of post-graduate degree.
4. Official post-graduate course transcripts.
5. Copy of License and/or your state’s statutes verifying that licensure is not required. If there is no licensure, there should be documentation of 1) 2000 hours of supervised clinical experience or 2) two years of supervised clinical experience. (Appendix Form 2)
6. Copy of Resume or Vitae.
7. Documentation of previous analysis and/or psychotherapy including dates and total number of hours.
8. A letter from your ISST therapist verifying completion of, or engagement in, ongoing sandplay process. (Appendix Form 3)
9. Documentation of a minimum of 120 hours of coursework. These 120 hours must include the full minimum of 18 hours of introductory course content.
10. A list of books and articles read relevant to sandplay training.
11. Documentation of at least 40 of the required 75 hours of consultation. (Appendix Form 4)
12. Copies of at least one of the required preliminary papers, along with a letter of approval from the reader.

2. ADMISSIONS INTERVIEW

Requirement: Once submitted, the application will be reviewed by the Membership Chair. The applicant will then be scheduled for an interview with the STA Admissions Committee who will make a recommendation to the Membership Chair regarding the readiness of the applicant to become a candidate.

Time Frame: Interviews are generally scheduled in conjunction with STA conferences, Intensives, Membership meetings, and Board meetings. Once an applicant is admitted as a candidate for membership, his/her membership application will continue to be processed in accordance with the STA policies and procedures in effect as of the date of admission as a candidate for membership. Recommendations of the Admissions Committee should be completed at this time.

Clarification of Handbook Re Admissions Committee: The Admissions Committee consists of three, or in limited circumstances two Clinical Members who do not have another relationship with the client such as therapist, consultant or advisor. The applicant's symbol paper is provided to committee members prior to the interview. The purpose of the interview is to give the applicant the opportunity to talk with STA clinical members and for the committee to express any recommendations it may have for the applicant. The Admissions Committee makes no recommendation regarding the applicant's acceptance as a candidate for clinical membership.

IV. BECOME A CLINICAL MEMBER

1. SPECIFICATIONS

Requirements: To become a Clinical Member the candidate should:

1. Complete the remaining educational and consultation hours.
2. Complete and have two preliminary papers approved.
3. Complete and submit the final case study to three readers, two national and one international. With the help of his or her advisor, the candidate should contact two of the principal national readers and one international reader. A reader may not have been the applicant’s therapist or consultant, or have hand a personal relationship with the candidate. Once two national and one international reader are selected, the candidate sends a copy of the case to each with response forms, (Appendix Form 7, 8 and 9), and includes self-addressed (postage paid in national cases) for the return of forms to his or her advisor and return of the case copies to the candidate. (Refer to Appendix: Case Report Process and Advisor Information - Advisor’s Role in the Case Report.)
4. Be approved for clinical membership by the readers of the case study.
   Time Frame: There is no time limit for completion of the final requirements for Clinical Membership.

To Document: Documentation of the remaining requirements should be forwarded to the Membership Chair upon completion. (Appendix Form 10)

V. BECOME A TEACHING MEMBER

1. ATTEND SANDPLAY CONFERENCE(S)

Requirement: A Clinical Member should attend at least one international ISST conference or one STA national conference before submitting an application for teaching membership (Appendix Form 11).

Rationale: Attendance at international and national conference(s) encourages a broader and deeper perspective. The vision of our founder, Dora Kalff, is that Sandplay is an international modality.

Time Frame: A Clinical Member may fulfill this requirement at any point in his/her training.

To Document: Forward a letter or certificate verifying attendance to the Membership Chair.

2. SELECT A TEACHING CONSULTANT

Requirement: A Clinical Member should select a Teaching Member to act as a consultant/mentor/guide to help work with the Clinical Member to:

1. Become familiar with the Sandplay curriculum.
2. Prepare at least three cases for presentation in addition to the case that is the subject of the final case report.
3. Present at least one case at a regional, national or international conference.
4. Develop skills in consulting and reading of preliminary papers.
5. Teach at least one introductory class on sandplay for a minimum of three hours.

Rationale: Teaching and training of sandplay therapists is the major goal of Sandplay Therapists of America. Excellence in teaching is a hallmark of this organization.

Time Frame: There is no deadline for the completion of these requirements. Individuals are encouraged to work towards meeting these requirements at a pace that is comfortable for them. (Candidates for Membership may select a Teaching Consultant and work on meeting these requirements at any point after being accepted as a candidate for membership.)

To Document: Regarding the case presentation and Introductory Course teaching requirements, written evaluation forms from the participants (Appendix Form 12) are required and must be reviewed by the Teaching Consultant who is responsible for making a final decision that the requirements are successfully met. Once all case preparation and teaching requirements are met, the Teaching Consultant writes a letter of recommendation for admission as a Teaching Member addressed to the STA Board and sent to the Membership Chair, (Appendix Form 13).

APPENDIX - FORMS

• Click here for PDF versions.

ANCILLARY INFORMATION

SANDPLAY TRAINING CURRICULUM GUIDE

Introduction to Sandplay Therapy Includes, but is not limited to:

1. History and origins of sandplay.
2. Kalffian theory: meaning of the free and protected space, the role of the therapist, the healing nature of the sand itself.
3. Basic Jungian framework: theory of archetypes, living reality of the psyche, wounded healer, and transcendent function.
4. Practical considerations: creating and maintaining the collection, record keeping, photography, tray specifications, sand and water.
5. Introduction of sandplay to clients.
6. Initial trays.
7. Importance of symbols and the symbolic language of the unconscious.
8. Introduction to exploration of symbols.
9. Stages and themes of the sandplay process.
10. Differentiation of Kalffian sandplay from other uses of the sandplay and figures.

Clinical Sandplay Includes, but is not limited to:

1. In-depth sandplay case study.
2. Co-transference.
3. Work with children and parents.
4. Work with adults.
5. Termination.
6. Understanding sandtrays.
7. Review of trays with client.
8. Expanded discussion of sandplay process including transcendent function, relativization of the ego, constellation of the opposites, manifestation of the Self.
9. The appearance of the body and psychosomatic themes.
10. Precautions, defenses and resistances.

Symbolism Includes, but is not limited to:

1. Religion.
2. Fairy tales.
3. Myths.
4. Cultural traditions.

Consultation – Additional Information

• Group Consultation: The accrued hours should be with a minimum of
  two different teaching members.
• Individual Consultation: ISST prefers face-to-face consultation as much as
  possible. If there are geographical challenges, then up to 50 of the 75
  individual consultation hours can be obtained by phone or online.
• Consultation supervision for clinical membership in ISST is not the same as clinical supervision required for graduate degrees.

Preliminary Paper – Additional Information

Advisor – Additional Information