Video #4 PArt 1 of the Sand Tray Therapy Counseling Session Student #4 Summer 2013

by Perry Birbrager
(Sandy Springs)

Sand Tray Therapy Video Critique: Debbie (the client) has put together her world using miniatures. She describes her world as scary and sad. Steve (the therapist) asks Debbie to talk about what she is experiencing in her body, such as tension, breathing, and any other feelings. Debbie takes some del breathes, and dives into her world. She focuses on one part of her tray, which is a representation of herself. She has several figures that represent herself. Her family is also represented in the tray. The tray in the session centers around the most important people in her life. There are many important people in Debbie's life, represented by the many figures in the tray. One example of a figure in Debbie's tray is a fairy with a wand and a missing wing. This represents Debbie's feelings that she tries to help others and feels a need to help others. Another figure in Debbie's tray is an angel without a wing. This represents to her how she feels people view her as a perfect angel. The broken wing symbolizes her view of herself as not perfect. There are many other representations in Debbie's tray, and overall it seems as though she tries to help others out, and people view her as angelic and caring. The therapist counsels Debbie, and tells her that it seems as though she bears a heavy load, the burden of caring for so many. At this point, Debbie starts to truly explore her emotions, and opens up about how she struggles with being totally honest with others in her life. She experiences the realization that she holds back in what she feels from others to not hurt them. After looking at the tray some more, she says she feels like she is trapped in a box, stuck in a place that makes her feel like she doesn't exist. The therapist helps Debbie realize that she is not truly in touch with how she feels. Debbie closes part 1 discussing how she feels as though there is no movement in her relationships.