Olivia Heathcote, EdD, LMFT, CST-T
Journal of Sandplay Therapy
Volume 25, Issue 1, 2016
Keywords
Sandplay therapy, premature birth, early disruption, surgery, abdominal, neonatal intensive care unit, NICU hospitalization, embodiment, clinical example, child, male, boy, development, sense of self, autonomy, symbol, snake, ego development, proceeding, stillpoint, proceeding, 2015, ISST Congress
Abstract
This author demonstrates how a sandplay process supports a 5-year-old boy in recovering a sense of autonomy and embodiment after surviving multiple surgeries in the first year of life. Born prematurely and with abdominal complications, the boy experienced early disruption due to the surgeries and hospitalizations. The author explains how the free and protected space of sandplay therapy helped the boy feel more comfortable in his own body so that he could consolidate a new sense of self. For example, the author describes how the boy’s use of the symbol of the snake as Kundalini energy helped him achieve a sense of indwelling spirit. Throughout the boy’s 4-year therapy process, he showed profound resilience by inhabiting body and psyche in a new way. The ways in which he progressed developmentally are described. This article is a proceeding from Finding the Stillpoint…at the Crossroads, the 23rd ISST Congress, Ottawa, Canada, 2015.
German / Deutsch
An der Kreuzung von Leben und Tod: In Korper und Psyche Weilen
ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: Die Autorin zeigt wie ein Sandspielprozeß einem 5 - jährigen Jungen half, seine Autonomie und Körperlichkeit wiederherzustellen nachdem er in seinem ersten Lebensjahr vielfache Krankenhausaufenthalte und Operationen überlebt hatte. Die Fortschritte seiner Entwicklung werden beschrieben. Dieser Beitrag ist ein Vorgehen von »FInding the Stillpoint...at the Crossroads«, 23. ISST Kongreß, Ottawa Kanada, 2015.
SCHLAGWÖRTER: Sandspieltherapie, verfrühte Geburt, Operation, Unterleib, Neugeborenen-Intensivstation, Krankenhausaufenthalt, Verkörperung, klinisches Fallbeispiel, Kind, männlich, Junge, Entwicklung, Selbstwahrnehmung, Autonomie, Symbol, Schlange, Ich-Entwicklung, Ruhepunkt, Vorgehen, ISST Congress 2015
Spanish / Español
En la Encrucijada de la Vida y la Muerte: Habitar Cuerpo y la Psique
PALABRAS SIGNIFICATIVAS: Terapia sandplay, nacimiento prematuro, cirugía abdominal, unidad de cuidados intensivos neonatal, hospitalización, encarnamiento, ejemplo clínico, niño, varón, muchacho, desarrollo, sentido de sí mismo, la autonomía , símbolo, serpiente, desarrollo del ego, stillpoint, procediendo, Congreso ISST, 2015
French / Français
At the Crossroads of Life and Death: Inhabiting Body and Psyche
MOTS CLÉS: Thérapie par le jeu de sable, exemple clinique, bebe premature, enfant, garçon, symbole, sens de soi, processus, thérapie par le jeu de sable, vie et mort, développement psychologique, operations, abdominal, complications abdominales, l’espace libre et protégé, point d’équilibre, hospitalisation, hopital, autonomie, serpent, congrès, ISST, 2015
Portuguese / Português
Na Encruzilhada da Vida e da Morte: Ocupando Corpo e Psique
PALAVRAS CHAVE: Terapia de sandplay, parto prematuro, cirurgia, abdominal, unidade de terapia intensiva neonatal, hospitalização, incorporação, exemplo clínico, criança, masculino, menino, desenvolvimento, senso próprio, autonomia, símbolo, cobra, desenvolvimento egóico, ponto de equilíbrio, procedimentos, Congresso da ISST, 2015
Suggested Citation
Heathcote, O. (2016). At the crossroads of life and death: Inhabiting body and psyche. Journal of Sandplay Therapy, 25(1). https://doi.org/10.61711/jst.2016.25.1.999
