Kiepenheuer, Kaspar
TRANSLATED BY WOLFGANG MICHEL. ROBERT: STUTTERING
Journal of Sandplay Therapy, Volume 12, Number 1, 2003
KEY WORDS: sandplay therapy, clinical example, stuttering, speech, inner self.
ABSTRACT: In this article the author recounts his therapy sessions with a 20-year-old man who had suffered from a severe case of stuttering since age four. By providing Robert with the contained and secluded environment of the sandtray Robert was able to communicate with the therapist through his sandtrays without the pressure and the necessity of spoken words. Encouraging him to make short comments on the sandtrays, first on paper and eventually verbally, Kiepenheuer managed over time to free Robert from his disability by eliminating the fear, embarrassment, and resulting inferiority complex.