A simple way to talk about
therapy is to say that it is a process of helping the unconscious to become conscious. It
is only when we become aware of our needs, of our motivations for doing what we do, and
our patterns of behavior that we can make good choices for ourselves.
Verbal communication is invaluable and at the
same time limited as a means of becoming aware of our inner life and our unconscious ways
of relating to each other and the world. In order to move beyond those limitations I use a
variety of non-verbal or experiential tools including Sand Play and working with art
materials.
The use of Sand Play is a wonderful way to
discover ourselves. So well and so often it is said that a picture is worth a thousand
words. Sand Play, at the most basic level, is a process of creating a picture in a tray
with sand using symbolic and realistic miniature people, animals, and objects. In a
magical kind of way, the picture begins to reflect one's inner world and interpersonal
world. For couples and families the picture can become a new way of seeing and
experiencing styles of relating and of observing unresolved conflicts. The photo above is
a "picture" that has been created.
In much the same way as Sand Play works, the
use of other art materials - paper, glue, pastels, paints, crayons, and clay - can
facilitate a deeper awareness of self. Surprise discoveries about thoughts, feelings and
ways of being (beliefs) are not uncommon in the process of creating "art." This
can become a place, much like in our dream life, where the unconscious is given permission
to show itself so that we can better understand ourselves.
From time to time, in counseling, I will
invite you to use these non-verbal means for expression of your self.
