Sandplay: Overview of the First Sixty Years

Rie Rogers Mitchell, CST-T, and Harriet S. Friedman, LMFT, JA, CST-T

Abstract

This article provides an overview of the personalities and events that influenced the development of the sand tray technique. Included are descriptions of the contributions of Margaret Lowenfeld, H. G. Wells, Erik Erikson, Gerdhild von Staab, Lois Barclay Murphy, Charlotte Buhler, Hedda Bolgar, Liselotte Fischer, Ruth Bowyer Pickford, and Dora Kalff. Since the time of these early pioneers, sandplay has become a truly cross-cultural method that is practiced worldwide. For sandplay to continue to grow and move in meaningful new directions, it is important that those using this technique have a broad and deep understanding of its rich and varied history. An extensive bibliography of early work is included in this article.

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