Flooding and Renewal: A Girl’s Process of Stabilization and Renewal

Marion Anderson, PhD, JA, CST-T

Abstract

This article describes the psychic development of an 8-year-old girl during 2 1/2 years of analytic psychotherapy and sandplay therapy. The child expresses her suffering regarding her parents’ divorce through repeated floodings of sandplay scenes. A stabilization and progressive, positive development of her inner growth is seen in this sandplay process. The theoretical framework of analytical psychology and sandplay therapy was used to trace parallels with the alchemical process of solutio. The article also examines the transference and the therapist’s pregnancy is a transforming factor in the therapeutic relationship. The images of flooding contributed to the child’s improvement and to the therapist’s understanding of the child’s internal and external situation.

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