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Why Work Creatively with Trauma? Part 2

  This is the second blog where Lindsey, Director of Jill Carter Training and Integrative Sandplay and Trauma tutor explores the importance of working creatively with trauma. Traditional Talk Therapy is Not Sufficient Over the past few years there has been growing recognition that engaging exclusively in traditional talk therapy is not always sufficient to…

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Why Work Creatively with Trauma? Part 1

This is the first of a series of blogs where Lindsey, Director of Jill Carter Training, and Integrative Sandplay and Trauma Tutor, explores the importance of working creatively with trauma.  What Happens Following Trauma? Trauma profoundly affects the brain, body, mind, and spirit. Lasting changes occur in brain structures and the relationships between them. This…

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Reflections on being busy

Lindsey, Director, Integrative Sandplay and Trauma Tutor, shares her reflections on the effects of busyness.   Many of us have thrown ourselves heart and soul into our pursuits, whether it’s returning to school, diving headfirst into our careers, or pursuing personal goals, only to find that we’re already yearning for the next break. It often…

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How can I use Internal Family Systems theory in Sandplay Therapy?

IFS and Sandplay Therapy are incredibly powerful ways of working therapeutically with clients of all ages. Laura McGuinness – who is trained in both – is our newest Sandplay Teacher. Here she talks about how the marriage of the two works in her own practice … Laura will be teaching an Introduction to Integrative Sandplay…

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What is Sandplay using Internal Family Systems?

How can I learn to unblend and unburden parts using miniatures in the sand tray? Our latest sandplay teacher Laura McGuinness, who is also a level 2 trained IFS therapist, explains more … Sandplay is a non-verbal way of working at unconscious levels of the psyche. The non-directive nature allows children, young people, and adults…

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What is Authentic Movement?

Dance and movement therapy is an exciting way of working creatively with trauma. In this episode, Nicola Herd, who is a guest teacher on the Certificate in Working Creatively with Trauma, explains the history and application of Authentic Movement, which is one of the most popular ways of using movement in therapy…. Nicola is a…

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authentic movement

What is Authentic Movement?

Nicola Herd who is a Dance and Somatic Movement Artist, Educator and Lecturer explains .. Authentic Movement is an open-ended movement practice that provides space to deeply listen to and express the voice of the body. Influenced by Carl Jung’s ‘Active Imagination’ and sometimes referred to as ‘moving imagination’ this practice offers support in situations…

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what is expressive arts?

How to choose an Expressive Arts Training Course

Expressive arts therapy is an exciting way of working therapeutically. It uses creativity and intuition to help us (and our therapy clients) move from one expressive media to another. This fluidity allows one form to influence another, helping to ‘heighten and intensify our  journey inward’. Using different media in counselling also relieves symptoms of stress…

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Expressive Arts Therapist

How do I become an expressive arts therapist?

One of the most frequent questions we get asked is how do I become an expressive arts therapist? As our tutor Irene Dudley-Swarbrick explains, that question needs to be answered in the context of counselling and psychotherapy training in the UK… In an earlier blog we outlined the differences in the UK between art therapist/art…

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what is expressive arts?

Art therapy? Creative arts therapy? Expressive arts? Confused?

Irene runs Introduction to Expressive Creative Arts weekends face-to-face at the Tara Centre in Lancaster, UK and online. You can find dates for them on our website here. You can book the introductory weekends on the website here. The groups are small about 8 to 10 people and all creative materials are supplied. The weekends cost…

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expressive art therapy and art therapy

What is the difference between expressive art therapy and art therapy?

You’ve probably noticed sometimes we talk about expressive art therapy, arts therapies, creative therapy or sometimes creative and expressive art therapy? Confused? Let’s rewind a bit! Our tutor Irene Dudley-Swarbrick explains how to make sense of this. We talk about Arts Therapies (in the plural) when we mean an umbrella term under which comes the…

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certificate in integrative sandplay training

What’s the future of Sandplay therapy training?

Is traditional Jungian Sandplay Therapy rising to the challenge of an increasingly trauma-focused world? Or is it in danger of being left behind by newer, shinier evidence-based ways of working?  Jill Carter looks of the dilemmas that sandplay therapists now face. When I first started teaching sandplay training courses 15 years ago, very few people…

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what is expressive arts?

What happens on an expressive arts training weekend?

Do I have to be creative or artistic to join your Introduction to Expressive Arts Weekends? Am I still welcome if I can’t draw? Our tutor Irene Dudley-Swarbrick answers your questions:   Irene will be running face-to-face creative and expressive arts therapy trainings from September 2022 at the Tara Centre in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. To…

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Do I have to be artistic to use expressive arts?

Am I still welcome if I can’t draw? Our tutor Irene Dudley-Swarbrick answers your questions. This weekend event is for practitioners in counselling and psychotherapy, education, or mental health fields. We’ll meet in a small group setting either online or at the Tara Centre in Lancaster. I am an experienced Person-Centred Expressive Art Therapist and…

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So what does it feel like doing creative work online?

As we come to the end of the school year in the UK and hopefully get some rest during August, Jill Carter reflects on what has been a particularly challenging year for many of us as therapists. How has the move online changed counselling training? Jill Carter Training Limited offers trainings in Integrative Sandplay, Working Creatively…

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How has moving online changed creative courses?

As we come to the end of the school year and hopefully get some rest during August, Jill Carter reflects on what has been a particularly challenging year for many of us as therapists. How has the move online changed counselling training? And what can we do to avoid burnout? As the pandemic lessened its…

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what is expressive arts?

How does expressive art work?

How does expressive art work? Using expressive art or creative arts is an expression of emotion. It helps us to process memories and calm our minds. It is therefore an effective way of working with your clients and looking after yourself as a therapist. Expressive arts is not just visual art, it also includes sandplay,…

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therapeutic arts What is Expressive Art or Creative Arts Therapy

What is Expressive Arts?

What is Expressive Art or Creative Arts Therapy? The world is showing us the importance of art and creativity. Art is above all an expression of emotion and humanity. The creative and expressive process can therefore help you and your counselling clients communicate your inner experience when you run out of words. Therapists also need…

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What can I do as a therapist in this pandemic?

The longterm mental health consequences of Covid-19 can seem overwhelming. But there are small things that each of us can do. Creative trauma UK trainer Jill Carter offers some gentle suggestions     If you are interested in learning more about our courses, take a look at our website menu.

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Mental Health Consequences of Trauma: The Invisible Third Wave

The battle is still on to save lives during the Covid crisis. As a traumatised world, we are just trying to get through. But Jill Carter wonders how we start to tackle the mental health consequences of the trauma caused by the pandemic. I watched the faces on the news this week of the bereaved…

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How to recover from extreme stress: self-care for therapists

Counsellors and psychotherapists are going to be busy helping front line workers and clients heal after the extreme stress of Covid-19. Jill Carter suggests ways to recover from extreme stress During difficult times, it’s a natural response to try to keep going. Therefore, the phrase ‘living off our nerves’ is very apt. We are all…

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Ideas for expressive art therapy activities: combining creativity and therapy

Expressive arts therapy is a way of combining non-verbal counselling therapies such as art, movement and sandplay. Jill Carter describes how this synergy works in practice      If you are interested in learning more about Creative Art Therapy Jill will be running Expressive Arts Therapy: an Online Weekend Introduction Course on 20th/21st March…

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what is expressive arts therapy

What is Expressive Arts Therapy? Counselling as Creative Process

Traditionally psychotherapy has meant talking therapy. But as interest in trauma has grown, counselling and creativity have integrated. Jill Carter explores expressive arts therapy Like many therapists who gravitated to expressive arts therapy, I trained in traditional talk therapy first. I enjoyed listening and talking to clients. However, I soon saw the limitations of words.…

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Does Online Creative Therapy Work?

Creative counselling. Jill Carter talks about her own battle with taking her practice online – and offers tips on using art and sandplay on Zoom     If you are interested in learning more about our online Sandplay, Creative Arts and Trauma Training, go to our website: https://jillcartertraining.co.uk/ In September, we will be running the following…

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How to provide creative therapy online: ideas for counsellors

The pandemic moved many therapists online. We can still do more than talking therapy. Jill Carter shares creative solutions with arts and sandplay via the internet In early 2020, I was teaching arts and creative therapies from a rented office in London. The room buzzed with clients and students choosing from my collection of sandplay…

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creative supervision

Supervision: Tree of Life or the Emperor’s New Clothes?

Counselling Supervision This is part of the title of my PhD research project. Included in my research aims are the following questions: What is happening in supervision? Does supervision do what it claims?   In this short blog, I share in the briefest of ways, some of what I have discovered and hope to take…

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complex trauma training uk

Symptoms of PTSD – A Personal View

Complex trauma training UK — Jill Carter outlines a creative view of the effects of trauma. There is an introduction to working creatively with trauma course online March 6th/7th 2021.     If you are interested in learning more Working Creatively with Trauma™ the next Introduction weekend course is online on Saturday and Sunday 6th/7th…

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what is post traumatic stress disorder ptsd

What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?

Our thoughts on what is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the controversy over whether its diagnostic criteria cover what people call ‘trauma’. “A bad thing happened – I didn’t want it to happen – nobody could stop it happening” Survivor of American school shooting.   This is for me a very clear definition of…

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The importance of holidays for self-care

The importance of holidays for self-care

Holiday self-care checklist As therapists, we spend our days helping people through difficult times. Our subject matter is heavy. Each hour brings a new cognitive, emotional or relational conflict for us to understand and confront. It’s fascinating work, but it takes its toll. It’s all too easy to focus on improving our clients’ self-care at the…

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Creativity and working with social difference

This post is to mark Creativity and Wellness Week, written by Emma Steadman. Creativity in supervision Creativity in supervision is a key factor in enabling us to see what we cannot see or what we only partially see. For me, creativity in supervision enables insight for the benefit of our clients. It is not the…

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complex trauma training uk

Sandplay Therapy Explained

Jill Carter explains what sandplay therapy is and why it’s effective with children, young people and adults in counselling.      If you are interested in learning more about sandplay therapy, the next Introduction to Sandplay is in London. UK on October 12-13th. For more details and to book at our EARLYBIRD OFFER go…

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what is sandplay therapy

What is Sandplay Therapy?

Sandplay therapy is an effective and proven therapy to use in counselling children, young people and adults. In simple terms, the sandplay therapist asks the client to choose miniature figures from shelves and put them into a box of sand. This creates a free and protected space. The client can express feelings, memories and traumatic…

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nutrition and stress management

Nutrition and Stress Management: 5 Tips for Emotional Stress Relief

By nature, counsellors, play therapists and psychotherapists are caring and compassionate people. We enter the field to help others. But sometimes caring can be over-done. We focus on other people’s well-being and spend hours giving, often leaving ourselves outside of the circle of care. Nutrition and stress management is an important part of re-balancing that.…

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sandplay therapy for dementia

Sandplay and Dementia Counselling: Connection through Touch

Sandplay therapy is an excellent non-verbal way to help a person with a diagnosis of dementia express themselves. To mark Dementia Action Week, Emilia who is a recently qualified Sandplay Therapist  (who trained with Jill) describes working in sandplay and dementia counselling …   Sandplay offers a safe place to support for people living with…

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Buddhism and Psychotherapy: Enlightenment in Counselling

“We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves”.   Buddhism psychology and psychotherapy often go hand in hand. But who is the man who became Buddha and how is his life relevant to counselling today?   In many parts…

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complex trauma training uk

To the One who is Free – Buddha’s Birthday

The birth of the Buddha is marked in many parts of the world on 12th May. He’s often used as a symbol of kindness and compassion. But the man himself – born a Nepalese Prince – fought a long battle to find Enlightenment. Jill Carter tells his story.      If you are interested…

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jung's archetypes may day the green man

Jung’s Archetypes of May Day

Unite and unite and let us all unite For summer is a-come unto day And wither we are going, we will all unite In the merry morning of May   Jung’s archetypes appear in The Cornish May Carol, which is one of hundreds of songs and poems celebrating May Day. Traditionally, it is a holiday…

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The True Archetypal Meaning of May Day

There are many Gods and Goddesses behind the idea of May Day going back into the mists of time. Jill Carter discusses how much we need their help now to help the environment.      If you’re keen to find out more about Working Creatively with Trauma™ take a look at my course coming up…

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Star Wars Day – the Force behind George Lucas

Jill Carter discusses the archetypal mythical meaning of Star Wars and pays tribute to the man who inspired George Lucas – the Jungian writer and author of the Hero’s Journey, Joseph Campbell.    If you’re keen to explore how Sandplay Therapy could help in your work take a look at the course coming up…

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joseph campbells heros journey

Star Wars Day May 4th: A tribute To My Yoda

It seems as if the Star Wars films have been around forever. If the person that the films’ director George Lucas called “My Yoda” is right, then they have been. Lucas had read the book “Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey” when he was a student and returned to his books whilst completing the original Star Wars films in…

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maiden watching st george slaying the dragon

One Dragon to Slay

Jill Carter talks about the Jungian archetypal meaning of Saint Georges’ Day and how all of our young people need his heroic energy      It’s St George’s Day – 23 April. We all know that St George is a symbol of patriotism and courage but for Sandplay therapists he has another meaning… Dragons…

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The Jungian Archetypes behind the Myth of Saint George

Saint George is most associated with football, patriotism and of course (sorry) Brexit.   George is England’s Patron Saint. He is also one of the most common Jungian archetypes or symbols. We don’t however know much about him. Various writers place him in the Middle East, Persia or Russia. He could have lived in the…

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Why is creativity therapeutic?

Jill discusses creativity and expressive arts in counselling.     Want to find out more? Join us on our Online Introduction to Sandplay course on 6/7th March 2021 – click here to find out more and book

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why is art therapeutic

Why Is Art Therapeutic?

What comes to mind when you think about working creatively? Painting? Sandplay? Interpretative dance? Do you have to have artistic skills in order to find art therapeutic? If you are a counsellor or psychotherapist, do you think you need to be able to paint or draw to be an expressive arts therapist? One of the…

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Healing Trauma with pilates

Healing Trauma from the Core with Pilates

Contrary to popular belief, trauma is not just a psychological issue; it can have a profound effect on our physical health too. This is because the mind and body are inseparably linked. Indeed, the mind influences the body through many biological mechanisms, including the nervous system, the immune system and hormones. In the case of…

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yoga for healing trauma

Yoga for healing trauma

  Yoga is an ancient form of exercise that focuses on strength, flexibility and breathing to boost physical and mental wellbeing. Science proved the power of yoga for healing trauma to help with a wide range of health conditions, from anxiety & stress to inflammation and chronic pain. Indeed, a growing body of evidence suggests…

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dance therapy

The benefits of dance therapy for trauma

Dance has played an important role in human culture for centuries. Before the evolution of the written language, it was one of the methods people used to recount traumatic events and pass the stories down from generation to generation. It’s an ancient and powerful way for people to express themselves and deal with painful feelings…

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Losing our touch? Podcast

The human need to connect through storytelling and touch. Why it will always survive the cyber world.     Want to find out more? Join us on our Introduction to Sandplay course on 9/10th February 2019 in Ealing – click here to find out more and book Join us on our Introduction to Using Therapeutic Art Activities…

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creative traditions

Creative Traditions: Are We Losing Our Touch?

When I started this business, I had a pretty definite idea of what creative therapy was. It was things like sandplay, art, movement and dance. But the more I think about it, the more I see creativity in many things that we do. I find fascinating by a survey of three and a half thousand…

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complex trauma training uk

What’s the difference between Jungian and Integrative Sandplay?

Jill discusses creativity and expressive arts in counselling. Want to find out more? Join us on our Introduction to Sandplay course on 9/10th February 2019 in Ealing – click here to find out more and book You can also book on our Certificate in Integrative Sandplay which starts 7th September 2019 – click here to find out…

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Putting The Creative Into Supervision Training for Counsellors

It goes without saying, yet is worth saying, that in counselling and psychotherapy we hold a lot of responsibility and emotional processes. Often, we do this in isolation as we may be the only therapist working in a school or organisation or on our own in private practice. Supervision courses for counsellors have an important…

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complex trauma training uk

The Power of Presence at Christmas

The Power of Presence at Christmas This week, Jill discusses how vulnerability can actually help us feel more boundaried in our work, and enable our clients process. Want to find out more? Join us on our Introduction to Sandplay course on 9/10th February 2019 in Ealing – click here to find out more and book

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complex trauma training uk

The Power Of Vulnerability As A Therapist Or Supervisor

The Power Of Vulnerability As A Therapist Or Supervisor This week, Jill discusses how vulnerability can actually help us feel more boundaried in our work, and enable our clients process. Want to find out more? Join us on our Introduction to Sandplay course on 9/10th February 2019 in Ealing – click here to find out more…

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The Present of Presence overactive brain

Overactive Brain: the Present of Presence

I have been away on a meditation retreat for the last few days, so today my overactive brain finds the world very loud. It’s a funny thing stepping out of the day-to-day world.  When I first arrived at the retreat, my mind was buzzing with the hundreds of things I could/should/would be doing. If only…

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Mental health in schools for therapists

Article by Emma Steadman   Mental health in schools is a priority It is really important to lay the foundations of a good relationship at the beginning, so give time to contracting with the school leaders. Many of the places you work may not have had counsellors at the school or may not have thought…

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complex trauma training uk

An Introduction to Jill Carter Training

Welcome to my first podcast. Listen to this to hear a bit about what we do. If you are interested in our courses have a look at www.jillcarter.training.co.uk. There is an introduction to sandplay now booking for 9/10 February 2019 in Ealing, London – find out more here. There will be a weekly podcast here so stay…

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Five Ways that Sandplay Works

Five Ways that Sandplay Works

It doesn’t rely on words If you have ever asked a child how his/her day was at school or asked a teenager how they are feeling, you will already know that words have limits! Sandplay works because it is a great way of helping someone to express himself or herself without having to talk to…

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Boost Your Wellbeing With Creativity

Creativity and Wellbeing: Support for Therapists

Written by Cara Williams   As busy therapists, we spend a lot of time dealing with other people’s problems. Our own creativity and wellbeing can suffer as a result. While we’re trained to protect ourselves using  boundaries, some client work is very emotionally draining. This is as true in sandplay therapy and creative trauma work…

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post traumatic stress disorder treatment

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment

As we pause to remember the centenary of World War One, we reflect on how post traumatic stress disorder treatment has developed in those 100 years.   We hold in our minds and hearts the millions who died in the Two World Wars and many other conflicts. 20,000 British soldiers lost in the D-Day Normandy…

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feeling vulnerable and being strong

Feeling vulnerable and being strong

I am reading Brené Brown’s new book “Dare to Lead”, which is all about the importance of feeling vulnerable and owning it in business. The book leaves me thinking about the role that vulnerability plays in counselling, sandplay and creative arts therapy. Supervisors and teachers tell us (consciously or unconsciously) that feeling emotionally doesn’t help…

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death-rebirth-archetype-sandplay

Death and Rebirth Archetype in Sandplay Therapy

This week is Halloween, but it’s also All Saints Day and the Day of the Dead. Traditionally this is a time to let all our ghouls and ghosts and skeletons out. We celebrate them, give them sweets and lay them to rest. Children love this time of year, but some adults find the rituals morbid.…

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The signs and symptoms of burnout

Whether you’re a counsellor, teacher, social worker or psychotherapist, you are dedicating much of your life to looking after others. Whilst this can be extremely rewarding, it can also be very stressful and emotionally draining. Especially if you are also a parent or caring for a family member. It’s therefore easy to ignore the signs…

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sandplay-therapy-dragon

How does Integrative Sandplay Therapy work?

If you are interested in sandplay therapy training, you have probably looked at many different courses. Sand play is described as Jungian Sandplay in most places and integrative sandplay therapy in a few. What’s the difference? Sandplay sprang up organically in the 1920s when counsellors in London noticed young child clients started putting toys into…

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creative-play- meet- traumatised- parts

Creative Play Activities to Meet Your Traumatised Parts

In my years teaching sandplay and creative play courses, I have seen many people meeting their traumatised parts for the first time in a sandtray. There in that little wooden box are the lost parts that call out in our dreams. Now we see them in all their 3-D numinous glory. Once a kind witness…

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