Sandplay (Paperback): A Psychotherapeutic Approach to the Psyche

C .G. and Emma Jung recognized that Dora Kalff had an unusual ability to relate to children and their inner lives and so encouraged her to extend Jung's work to the treatment of children. Kalff brought to this endeavor her experience as a student of languages (including Sanskrit and Chinese) , classical piano, and Eastern contemplative practices. She traveled from her native Switzerland to London, where she studied with Margaret Lowenfeld and was influenced by her contacts with D.W. Winnicott.Kalff developed a way of working she called "Sandspiel" or "sandplay." This method introduced a shallow sandbox in which the patient could arrange the sand in whatever form expressed itself from within, with or without the addition of miniatures. In this book, Kalff presents nine case studies, which include sandplay in the therapeutic work. She conveys the importance of the therapist's empathic acceptance of the patient, creating a "free and protected space," as well as the experience required to understand and be affected by symbolic reflections of inner dilemmas and to recognize the psychic organization represented by the patient in the sand.