Show me! Dialogical use of sandtry while working with families with small children in a clinical psychology practice
Abstract
Use of sandplay/sandtray has a long tra-dition in psychotherapy of young children. In this article authors focus on the use of sandtray in the first session with a family with a psychosomatic child.
In their day-to day practice the authors root themselves in dialogical approach as a part of a broader family therapy context. Their focus is not just on working with the child but also on working with the whole family system. The attention of therapist in this approach oscillates between being with the child who explores his/her feelings and experiments with his/her own "voice" in expressing it and between his/her parents (and siblings) whom he/she supports in their ability to listen and understand the child. Compare to other therapeutic schools, the dialogical use of sandtray serves mainly to improve the communication within the family.
The authors demonstrate their work in presen-ting two case studies. In the theoretical reflection they present seven steps in the dialogical use of sandtray. In the conclusi-on their define some pros and cons of the dialogical use of sandtray.UKAŽ MI TO! 2021: 195-212