Past Presentations

May 31 - June 2, 2013. Albuquerque, NM.

Body, Sand and Self: Symbolic Expression in Dance Movement Therapy and Sandplay

Abstract:  Sandplay therapy links emotion and image through body movement and symbolic play. Jungian theory, fundamental Sandplay techniques and understanding symbolic process can be effectively combined with dance/movement therapy. Therapists experience and witness how symbol and affect are linked physically in clients expressive play and unconscious material is integrated. A case study illustrates the therapeutic use of Authentic Movement and Sandplay.

Extended Description:  Sandplay therapy links emotion and image through body movement and symbolic play. Dance/movement therapy, including Authentic Movement, can be offered with Sandplay to enhance integration and healing in therapy with children and adults. In Sandplay, people express their inner world as they play and sculpt the sand, select symbolic objects and figures, and arrange them in a rectangular container. Understanding how to witness and amplify the symbolic process with Sandplay gives dance/movement therapists new perspectives and creative therapeutic approaches. Sandplay therapy appeals to people across cultures, transcends language, and is useful in a wide range of clinical and community settings.

This presentation began with a lecture and visual presentation explaining Sandplay therapy techniques and theoretical foundation, articulating many specific similarities between DMT and Sandplay. Participants then engaged in a combined movement and Sandplay exploration to illustrate the experience of somatic empathy using Sandplay figures. Through observing and witnessing the process, we discussed how symbol and affect are linked and expressed in gesture, posture and facial expressions. The presentation concluded with a brief case presentation, sharing an authentic movement and Sandplay therapy of a middle aged Latina/Filipina woman struggling with physical injury, self-esteem and life choices.

Jung’s theories informed the development of Sandplay therapy by Dora Kalff, one of his students. The relatedness of dance/movement therapy and Sandplay therapy was first explored in the 1990’s by Jungian dance/movement therapists Joan Chodorow (1991) and Carolyn Grant Fay(1996). With this presentation, DMT’s learned about and perhaps were inspired to further study Sandplay and incorporate it in their practice.

The presentation is designed for mid-level and advanced DMT’s. Participants received handouts and references.

October 12, 2012.  Albuquerque, NM.
American Dance Therapy Association National Conference.
ADTA.org

International Sandplay Forum

We invite everyone who is curious to learn about innovative use of Sandplay in various cultures and settings. Panelists include Sachiko Taki-Reese, Ed.D, MFT, JA, CST-T describing Sandplay with survivors of the tsunami in Japan, and Kathy Buys, MFT, sharing her experiences offering Sandplay in Uganda. An open discussion with panelists and audience moderated by Ellen Searle LeBel, LMFT, BC-DMT, CST.

2012 Sandplay Therapists of America National Conference. May 31 - June 3, 2012. Berkeley, CA. www.sta.org

Integration, Reflection & Return Conference Closing Session.

After a deep encounter with the Self, how do clinicians and clients hold that feeling, image, and experience internally? Our closing community session will include time to review, remember, and explore this question theoretically, personally and collectively as the conference closes, and participants prepare for departure.

Regina Driscoll, Ph.D, CST-T; Ellen Searle LeBel, LMFT, BC-DMT, CST; Liza Ravitz, Ph.D., JA, CST-T; Ellen Saul, MS, LP, CST-T; Laura Soble, MFT, REAT, CST

2012 Sandplay Therapists of America National Conference. June 3, 2012. Berkeley, CA. www.sta.org

Help for Therapists with Traumatic Stress

How do you know if you are experiencing traumatic stress? Are you feeling flooded or helpless after sessions with a client? Are you dreading sessions with traumatized clients, feeling burned out or less compassionate? There is help for understanding your own risk of vicarious trauma thanks to recent neuroscience research. We now have evidence of the physiological and psychological responses to trauma, including therapists’ experiences with their traumatized clients. This is good news!

In this presentation you will learn about the autonomic nervous system and how mirror neurons and somatic empathy contribute to developing traumatic stress and burnout. You will understand how to assess risks and observe signs of stress related to vicarious trauma for yourself and colleagues and playfully practice interactive strategies to use in therapy sessions for managing or preventing traumatic stress. Finally, you will explore ways to improve self care, reduce stress and help you become more aware and able to effectively treat trauma.

North Coast Association of Mental Health Professionals
Wednesday October 5, 2011 at the Humboldt Area Foundation, Indianola, CA. To find out more about NCAMHP please visit www.ncamhp.org.

Mirrors, Mounds and Meanders: A Case of Healing in Mid-life from Childhood Abandonment and Abuse.

In this case, we witness an adult woman's Sandplay as she forms a therapeutic attachment and overcomes her fear of uncovering the profound neglect and abandonment of her childhood. Her dreamwork and Sandplay process reveals a landscape of healing images with many mounds, mirrors and meandering rivers and paths. As her unconscious is expressed, we see the emergence of archetypal images of the divine child, nurturing feminine figures and a vivid integration of the Self. For further information about this event or Sandplay Therapists of America go to the home page of www.sandplay.org.

This presentation was sponsored by Tessamarie Capitolo, CST, at the Sandplay Therapists of America Assembly 2011, October 21-23 in Chanhassen, Minnesota. I presented the case as part of this national gathering of Sandplay therapists.

Embodied Sandplay Therapy: Joining Psyche and Soma              

  Description:  In this experiential presentation, participants will learn how to cultivate an embodied approach to Sandplay therapy through movement and witnessing.  Therapists will learn about the concepts of kinesthetic empathy and somatic transference through activities that increase spatial awareness, improve tracking of sensations and affect and practice somatic witnessing and mirroring.  Miniature figures and archetypal imagery will be used to illustrate how the body relates to symbols and unconscious themes.                         

Abstract:  Awareness of bodily experiences in Sandplay helps therapists identify emotional states, co-transference and developmental themes as they are expressed somatically.  With increased attention to sensation, emotions and associations with somatic expression, Sandplay therapists can observe their own kinesthetic responses as well as witness their clients' emerging unconscious themes.  Concepts and practices from dance/movement therapy and authentic movement will be introduced and explored in relation to embodied symbols and archetypes that emerge in a Sandplay process.

Sandplay Therapists of America National Conference. June 3-6, 2010 Boulder, CO.