“The co-transference is always there.” (Bradway, 1991)
In this training, we will delve into the importance of the relationship between therapist and client in sandplay, exploring transference, countertransference and co-transference (Bradway, 1991) and how to further the feeling of “being with” in our work. Then we will explore case material and finally, alchemical images, which for Jung symbolized deep transformation in the shared unconscious of the relational field. Attention to the relational container further deepens the therapist’s self-awareness of somatic, emotional, relational, symbolic and spiritual connection with the client. This kind of attunement is key in providing the free and protected space of sandplay which facilitates creating the right conditions for the psyche’s self-healing capacity. Special attention will be given to how the experience of the clinical relationship may manifest in the therapist’s imagination, body or feeling state and in the sand picture, informing us about the preverbal nuances of the relational field.
Educational objectives:
- Learn about the Jungian view of transference and countertransference
- Understand the importance of the relational connection in sandplay
- Understand Kalff’s view of transference and the importance of the free and protected space
Learning objectives: By the end of this weekend course, students will be able to:
- Define co-transference
- Name one symbol that you associate with “resonance”
- Compare and contrast “co-transference” with “transference” and “countertransference”
- Discuss the Jungian theory of transference/countertransference
- Name the alchemical text Jung used to illustrate transformation in the therapeutic dyad
- Name two concepts from neurobiology that lend support to the experience of co-transference
This course meets qualifications for 12 hours of education credit toward certification for Sandplay Therapists of America / International Society of Sandplay Therapists (STA/ISST).
Linda Cunningham is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and LEPs. Linda Cunningham maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content. Provider #017288.
Linda Cunningham, PhD, MFT, CST-T is a Certified Teaching Member of Sandplay Therapists of America and International Society for Sandplay Therapy. She is the author of Sandplay and The Clinical Relationship (2013) and a chapter, “Attuning to the Flow of Relational Energies in Sandplay: Healing Complex Trauma in Adults” in The Routledge International Handbook of Sandplay Therapy (2017). Over the past 25 years, Dr. Cunningham has written many articles for the Journal of Sandplay Therapy on the topic of the therapeutic relationship in sandplay. Dr. Cunningham created Sandplay Training Worldwide in 2013 to offer sandplay trainings for professional therapists and trainees. Since then, she has introduced sandplay and depth psychotherapy to hundreds of therapists and counselors. Dr. Cunningham has provided special trainings for sandplay therapists in United States, Ukraine, Taiwan, Chile, South Africa, China, and Russia. Dr. Cunningham is a frequent presenter at sandplay conferences. Read about Dr. Cunningham’s teaching style. She practices in Gig Harbor, Washington, specializing in anxiety, preverbal trauma, and blocked creativity.