Anger and Aggression in the Sandtray

Andreina Navone, Maria Claudia Loreti, Marcella Merlino, Paola Rocco, and Anna Sampaolo

Abstract

In "Anger and Aggression in the Sandtray," a Proceeding from the ISST 21st Congress, the participants in the group have seen in particular the issues related to anger, hate and aggressivity as they emerged in the analytical proceedings taken into account. During the presentations of the clinical cases, the critical moment arose when anger and aggressive feelings appeared in the analytical field, openly expressed by the patient through attitudes, behaviors or images in the sandtray, as well as regarding the transference and counter-transference of the analyst. In the sandtray, aggressive feelings can be represented and ritualized without the fear of real destruction since—as we know—in the sand the form can be destroyed but not the substance. Sometimes the transferral destructivity of the patients can be evidenced through the symbolic killing of the analyst, through the destruction of his or her thought capacity. The sand allows all of the anger and aggressive feelings that are present in the analytical field, but are still unthinkable and therefore transformable, to be thrown into the tray. This article accompanies (in the same issue of this Journal) Anger, Hatred and Aggression in Sandplay Therapy: A Brief History of a Sandplay and Analysis Working Group Methodology.

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