Bradway, Kay
SELF HEALING
Journal of Sandplay Therapy, Volume 6, Number 2, 1997
KEY WORDS: sandplay therapy, self-healing, empathic, witness, nonverval, verbal, co-transference, transference, counter-transference, self-regulating, Cheval.
ABSTRACT: Two roles of sandplay therapists are: During verbal therapy, help clients recognize and remove obstacles in their life journey; during sandplay therapy, help energize growth and self healing. In sandplay, images rather than words are the medium of healing. Two examples of self healing are presented: Initial tray of a 35-year-old woman whose unconscious provided an escape from the mothering imprisonment depicted by the conscious; and ten photos of the creation of the Palaies Ideal (Ideal palace) by a 19th century postman in France. After his death, the postman was recognized as one of the first surrealist artists. Discussion suggests a parallel between the postman’s creating his 86-foot long structure, the sandplay process and surrealism in providing healing and transformation.