Heiko, Rosalind
FINDING THE TREASURE WITHIN: THE SANDPLAY JOURNEY OF STELLA
Cary, North Carolina
Journal of Sandplay Therapy, Volume 17, Number 1, 2008
KEY WORDS: Girl, treasure, balance, mother-daughter bond, maternal loss, Sandplay therapy, child, female, clinical example, depression, Self, intergenerational abandonment, constellation of Self.
ABSTRACT: The author explores the sandplay process of a 6-year-old girl, revealing the depth to which a depressed but gifted child goes to find the treasure within. Stella begins without a clearly defined path, and goes on to explore feelings of being lost. Symbols of the self anchor her exploration of the bond with her mother. She faces fears of maternal loss and comes to believe that she was deserving and capable of inner nurturance. Stella also worked on intergenerational issues of abandonment and being displaced by a sibling. She was able to communicate in a more balanced way and to embrace both masculine and feminine aspects of herself. The constellation of the Self mid-way through her sandplay process is shown.