Video #5 PArt 2 of the Sand Tray Therapy Counseling Session Student #4 Summer 2013

by Perry Birbrager
(Sandy Springs)

In part 2 of the sand tray therapy counseling session, the therapist asks Debbie about her frustration with no movements in her relationships. He asks her about her role as a listener, and mentions that he is curious how much people listen to her. She acknowledges that she feels very few people do listen to her. Her relationships feel almost one sided in the amount of support given and received. The therapist brings attention back to the miniatures representing her, and talks about the other miniatures in close proximity. She has a tree positioned in her world because it is barren, and she feels as though she is barren when listening to people so much. Debbie also has a gravestone in her world, and that represents her fear of the unknown. She also has a grim reaper in her world. Debbie dreams of writing a children's book. The grim reaper represents self doubt, in her mind that she will not be able to accomplish her goal of writing the book. she feels constant guilt, and things are going out of control. She feels guilty that if she succeeds with her book, she won't be working a typical full time job. She also looks at her kids leaving the nest and moving onto new journeys in their lives, she feels like she is going to be alone and left behind. There therapist goes on to summarize her concerns; the loss of her children's childhood, and the hard time she has letting go of the memory of her kids being young and dependent. She goes on to mention that her divorce was hard on the kids The therapist closes with trying to help Debbie understand that at a certain point, kids need to grow up and make their own lives, and parent and children's relationships tend to change at that point