Brock, Mary Ann
A RITE OF PASSAGE
Journal of Sandplay Therapy, Volume 16, Number 1, 2007
Keywords: rite of passage, female, girl, sandplay as individual initiation, Sandplay therapy, individual rite, clinical example, child, initiants, unconsciouos, consciousness.
Abstract: This paper demonstrates how a preadolescent girl uses the possibilities of sandplay therapy to create the experiences that in other cultures are supplied by rites of passage. Like girl initiands of other societies, the patient experiences separation from daily life and secure containment within the space of the therapy setting. She is then able to use the relationship with her psychotherapist as a bridge to the world of the unconscious. By creating sandplay trays she brought to life those images and forces she needed for her individual initiation rite.