Disconnected Children – Repairing Attachment Wounds through Play Therapy and Sandplay

Disconnected Children – Repairing Attachment Wounds through Play Therapy and Sandplay

Presented by author and Sandplay Therapists of America Teaching Member Patricia Dunn-Fierstein, LCSW, CST-T

Disconnected Children examines clinical issues related to children with attachment wounds due to abandonment, loss, and adoption. The trauma of abandonment and loss will be elucidated through the perspective of Jungian Analyst Donald Kalsched, as outlined in his book, The Inner World of Trauma.

The workshop will include the case presentation of a young girl adopted from China who initially presents with severe Reactive Attachment Disorder. Through play therapy and Sandplay, she gradually works through the trauma of abandonment, rebuilds bonds of trust, and allows herself to attach to her loving adoptive family. Strategies for enhancing attunement, techniques for optimizing attachment repair through communication, and ways of incorporating parent involvement in the therapeutic process will be addressed, particular emphasis on how these can be integrated into both play therapy and sandplay process.

Flyer : Disconnected Children workshop