Sand Tray: Extended Sand Tray - Jonathan V., Mercer Univ. Student, Summer 2013

by Jonathan
(Lawrenceville, GA)

I wasn’t really sure how to approach the extended sand tray therapy project, so I just tried to apply the same method I’ve tried to use with the other assignments. I tried to operate on an instinctual level and not over-think my choices or try to project some pre-planned narrative onto the tray. On reflection I think I may have made some changes simply for the sake of making changes. However, the progression of the tray is interesting. There was a fair amount of negative imagery on day one with the millipede stalking in the distance, the spider blocking the bridge and the sad clown waiting on the other side. The travelers at the gate created by the two little pieces of greenery (which ultimately did not last long in the tray) do not seem to be going anywhere. The threat level in the tray seemed to decline on day two, as the spider moved off the bridge, and a defender appeared in the form of a dinosaur facing off against the millipede. Only the spider remained by day three, while the elephant miniature which has appeared in both the other trays I’ve done for class also turned up on the bridge. This was similar to his positioning in my first sand tray for class, though his path across the bridge seems unambiguous this time. On day four, another familiar miniature appeared, my paper boat. The scene also seems a bit safer with the added presence of policemen and firemen. There’s also a fairly tranquil beach scene taking shape on the eastern side of the tray. Day five brought an element of playfulness with the skateboard and the absence of any of the threatening imagery. Day six is slightly less carefree, but there is still an absence of the threatening imagery that was present on day one. It is not until the final day that a threat reappears in the form of the shark, though this is offset by the warmer happier images of the penguin and the puppy that also appear on day seven. It is interesting that this tray seems to chart the ebb and flow of my moods over the course of doing the tray. Perhaps the imagery is a bit more dramatic than the shifts in mood felt, but I can definitely think of some anxiety I was feeling about certain issues on day one that I was able to either resolve or put out of my mind in the days that followed. Day five, interestingly, corresponded with an unexpected day off (a paid day off, I might add) that gave me the opportunity to relax a bit, and have a bit of fun. The other interesting thing I noticed in this exercise is how certain symbols do keep reappearing. The water is here, as are the boat, the elephant, and the whale. The sad clown also turned up briefly.