Guidelines for the Contents of a Final Sandplay Case Study

• 30 – 50 pages of text (clear pictures of the whole tray, including the boundaries of the tray, should be presented in a separate file).
• The therapist has to declare that he/she received the signed consent of the patient or his parents to write this thesis.
• Confidentiality has to be respected.
• The case study presents the whole therapeutic process which must be concluded. The student has to demonstrate his/her understanding of the depth of the Sandplay process. The number of trays should be sufficient to show the development and transformation of the symbolic process.

Contents

Introduction

1. presentation of the setting, number of sessions and pictures and other general circumstances of the therapeutic process
2. theoretical framework and approach of the therapist’s work; description of the methods that are used in therapy

• Anamnesis (personal and family history of the patient)
• Detailed description of the patient’s symptoms and diagnostic reflections
• Psychodynamic reflections about the patient’s situation which links past history and current problems
• Describe patient’s goal and expectations for therapy

Exact description of each Sandpicture in two parts:

1. clear description of the therapeutic session and the construction process of each Sandpicture (dry/wet sand; how the sand was manipulated; in which order the objects are used / placed in the sand; the relation of the objects to each other. Report the client’s comments. Through this description, the reader must get a vivid impression of the whole picture and the creation process.
2. Analysis /interpretation of the Sandpicture based on the former description. Symbols should be interpreted in the context of the therapeutic situation and the particular case, using references to e.g. alchemy, fairy tales and mythology, clearly connected to the clinical material presented. Kalffian and Jungian concepts should guide the interpretation. Other theoretical backgrounds can be introduced if they are part of the therapist’s training or particularly useful for understanding.
3. Transference and counter-transference dynamics shall be included. Describe how the „free and protected space“ was maintained.
4. Integrate Sandplay litterature and other theoretical sources in a consistent way.

• Link the therapeutic process to the actual life of the patient and other data such as dreams, outer life, past experiences, family problems, physical conditioins.
• After the description of the pictures : review of the process and its evolution throughout the series of pictures. What happened in terms of psychodynamic evolution / psychological growth / individuation? Demonstrate the ability to summarize the Sandplay process in a way that makes sense as a meaningful inner process. Describe how the results of the Sandplay process were integrated in the client’s life.
• Mechanics: The paper has to meet professional writing standards, including logical structure and professionally referenced material. It must be well written with correct spelling, sentence structure, and grammar.
• Add bibliography about references that were used with relevance in the text.