Sandtray Therapy Class-Anger Management Sandtray-Student #11

(Sand Tray Therapy Student)

My anger issues are something that I am very aware of. When we were asked to create an anger management sand tray for sand tray therapy, I looked forward to it because I struggle with managing my anger. However, in viewing my tray I guess I expected something more profound and this was the end result.
The big hippo is on the outskirts of my tray and two soldiers with guns and the frost container are on the opposite end. On the far right of the tray are a boat, train, and the words vacation and fun. The middle of the tray contains angry animals: shark, t-rex, rhino, and a cheetah. A soldier with a gun pointing stands in between the angry animals and a happy face and red soccer ball.
I decided to look up the meaning of a hippopotamus in the dream dictionary and symbol dictionary. Hippopotamus in the dream dictionary has several meanings-aggressive nature, hidden strengths, unknown influence and power than realized. The hippopotamus also is territorial-someone overstepping bounds, and the need to escape from the daily grind and relax. A symbols dictionary also characterizes hippopotamus as symbolizing brute strength, destructiveness, and fruitfulness.
In translating this tray, the hippo and “frost” are the extreme ways I deal with my anger. The hippo is side of me that lashes out when I continue to stuff things inside instead of utilizing more ways of dealing with my anger such as communicating with my loved ones when something upsets me, writing a letter-journaling after the incident takes place, etc. But instead of I blow up and lash out after a minor incident triggers my frustration from previous events that my loved ones are unaware of. The frost factor demonstrates the depression-anger turned inward. When I am depressed, I isolate myself from others and do not want to socialize or participate in events because I am so down that I do not want to be around other people. In the soldiers hands are guns as if saying, enter at your own risk but stay away or you are going to get hurt. This represents how I feel while in this depressed state-leave me alone but if you decide to come my way, it may hurt…
The angry animals are smaller and look as if they are in fighting battle mode along with the soldier to tear down the depression and fight against it. It also looks like if the ball and the position could be all of the players involved in dodge ball but the middle figures outnumber the frost and the soldiers and are ultimately more powerful than the depression and the big hippo. The happy face is in the tray as a reminder for me to remain positive in this journey and use my strengths to battle my depression and continue to fight and seek out the root of my depression, anger, etc.
The vacation and fun are in the tray for me as a sign to take a break and have some fun. The tray is saying that a vacation does not have to be anything elaborate but is needed. I can take a half day trip, a day trip, a trip to the spa, a trip to play miniature golf, a go cart riding excursion etc. Fun is a must! If I do not manage and fight against my anger and depression, it will destroy me.