Professor Toshio Kawai Gave a Lecture at the 32nd Conference of Korean Association of Sandplay Therapy
Professor Toshio Kawai gave a lecture entitled “Sandplay and Talking in Psychotherapy” at the 32nd conference of Korean Association of Sandplay Therapy (held online on June 13th, 2021).
Click here for the website of the Korean Association of Sandplay Therapy.
http://www.sandplay2004.or.kr/home/
In his presentation, Prof. Kawai first focuses on the fact that sandplay therapy is a non-verbal psychotherapy. In depth psychology, the psyche is assumed to have two layers: the consciousness (≈ the verbal dimension) and the unconsciousness (≈ the non-verbal dimension), and psychotherapy aims at the process of moving from the verbal dimension to the deeper layers of the psyche. However, there is often difficulty in moving into the deeper layers of the mind by making the client aware of their problems and emotions and expressing them in words, which may cause confusion and resistance in them. In order to avoid this, Prof. Kawai pointed out that approaches through image expression are helpful.
According to Prof. Kawai, especially in sandplay therapy, it is not necessary for a client to give a clear verbal explanation of one’s sandplay work, but through the expression of symbolic images, a deep transformation of the psyche takes place. Prof. Kawai also mentions, based on his own experiences in clinical practice, that after creating a sandplay work, what the client speaks about regarding their real life or life history tends to change gradually. Prof. Kawai argues that expressions with images may play a role as a “container” or an “intermediary” for a client to become aware of their own problems and feelings, and to convert them into words.
Toshio Kawai: “Sandplay and Talking in Psychotherapy”
The 32nd Conference of Korean Association of Sandplay Therapy (held online on June 13th, 2021).
2021/07/07