Put Your Hands in the Sand

A brief introduction to Jungian sandplay therapy.

- Karen Hartfield

Dora Kalff, a Swiss Jungian analyst, developed Jungian-based sandplay therapy in the mid-1900s around three defining influences in her life. As one of Carl Jung’s students, she embraced Jungian theories of psychology and the power of the unconscious in her own practice. She also adapted and expanded what she learned from contemporary child therapist Margaret Lowenfeld’s extensive work with children and play. Finally, Kalffwas exposed to Buddhist thought when she housed Buddhist monks who had fled their home country for political reasons. Sandplay therapy combines these influences in its recognition of the deep wisdom and import of the psyche, the concepts of presence, and the creation of a sacred space for healing.