What is sandplay? Can it help adults as well as children? Originally published in 1992, the late Joel Ryce-Menuhin, leading exponent of sandplay, gives an engaging account of this increasingly popular Jungian therapy, drawing on his own wide experience of using sandplay with patients of all ages and backgrounds. He shows how it can help patients to express ‘beyond words and before words’ the deepest archetypal images from the unconscious, and how effective sandplay can be in the healing of pathology, neurosis and grief. A former concert pianist, who became a Jungian analyst, he was the first to introduce Jungian sandplay therapy to Britain.

What is sandplay? Can it help adults as well as children? Originally published in 1992, the late Joel Ryce-Menuhin, leading exponent of sandplay, gives an engaging account of this increasingly popular Jungian therapy, drawing on his own wide experience of using sandplay with patients of all ages and backgrounds. He shows how it can help patients to express 'beyond words and before words' the deepest archetypal images from the unconscious, and how effective sandplay can be in the healing of pathology, neurosis and grief. A former concert pianist, who became a Jungian analyst, he was the first to introduce Jungian sandplay therapy to Britain.

This book discusses the deep inner process of becoming a sandplay therapist, addressing important creative aspects of understanding and practising sandplay. It describes the current theory behind the Jungian approach, the roles of the therapist and the client, and explores the healing potential of nature and the numinous in art and sandplay.

Sandplay in Three Voices provides a unique and engaging understanding of sandplay - a growing modality of psychotherapy. Emerging out of informal conversations among three senior therapists, it examines the essential aspects of sandplay therapy as well as the depth and breadth of the human psyche. The book is organized into eight sections covering eight of the most important topics in sandplay - Therapist, Silence, Child, Mother, Self, Shadow, Chaos, and Numinous. Each section begins with a trialogue discussing theory, history and practice of sandplay in that area. The trialogues allow the reader to witness three senior therapists addressing and attempting to understand the many layers of each topic, and reflect their agreements and disagreements as they reveal their individual thoughts on, and personal experiences of, the themes they discuss. Each trialogue is followed by a set of solo presentations in which each author focuses on her contribution, and on the role of each topic in sandplay. Illustrated by original clinical examples, this unique approach addresses issues of concern to analysts and other psychotherapists. Its basic orientation makes it of particular value in the study, practice and teaching of sandplay therapy.

While the hands explore the sand’s consistency, its smoothness, and its readiness to respond to the slightest touch, all sorts of perceptions and emotions go through the clients’ state of mind, and they cannot say whether they came from inside or out. It appears to be a circular process, a very subtle but also very persistent and concrete dialogue between the inner and outer worlds, between body and psyche, and more generally, between psyche and matter. The author explores the psyche’s astonishing capacity and determination to regulate itself by creating images and narratives as soon as a free and protected space for expression is provided. A variety of examples from analytic practice with adults and from psychosocial projects with children in vulnerable situations illustrate how sandplay can be used in different therapeutic settings.

“Valuable above and beyond a case study because it remarkably grounds what can be very illusive alchemical imagery into psychological experience.” – Margaret Johnson, editor, Psychological Perspectives “A testament to the healing capacities of the imagination, the humble “star in man” that connects us to the unconscious: to unknown and unexpected developments in ourselves.” – Literary Aficionado I suspect that far more would be resolved, and much of the world’s suffering wouldn’t be in vain, if only we could transform the wars in the Middle East and elsewhere in this world into the likes of Randy’s sand trays. War of the Ancient Dragon: Transformation of Violence in Sandplay is a major contribution to Jungian Psychology, Sandplay Therapy, and to the world at large. I urge you to read and to tell others about this powerfully moving book. – Mel Mathews, Publisher, Fisher King Press Six-year-old Randy conducts bloody wars in the sandtray, calling them “World War One,” World War Two, and “The War of the Ancient Dragon.” He burns fires and bombs helpless victims, killing some and saving others. What could possibly be going on in his imagination? The contents of his imagination—what the alchemists call the “realm of subtle bodies”—are revealed in his sandplay from one session to the next, and there we see the raw, autonomous dynamism that motivates Randy, already branded a bully and nearly expelled from first grade. We see fiery, destructive conflict, part his, part his culture’s, part lived, part projected, a conflict of archetypal opposites that engulf Randy’s personality and fuel his violent behavior. But also from Randy’s imaginal world, out of the very war between opposites that drives him, the unknown third possibility unfolds. Allowed to exist and be seen with a paradoxical healing aim, the war fights itself out over time in the safe container of the sandtray, finds its unpredictable resolution, and gradually releases Randy from its grip. He finally emerges, calling himself “king of the bloodfire,” returned to the rule of his own emotional life. He has adapted to school, proud of his achievements, a star student in math. Randy’s lively narratives animate his dramas and reveal the distinct hallmarks of an alchemical opus over the course of 24 therapy sessions. He remarkably echoes the words of the ancient sages such as Zosimos, who centuries ago in his own imagination witnessed the “torture” of transformation in fire. Randy’s process is thoroughly documented and amplified, unveiling the alchemical stages of transformation—nigredo, albedo, and rubedo—in a way that helps us relate to those chapters in our own individuation struggles. Psychological Perspectives editor Margaret Johnson writes that the work is “valuable above and beyond being a case study because it remarkably grounds what can be very illusive alchemical imagery into psychological experience.” War of the Ancient Dragon guides us through the gritty realities of the alchemical process, helping us realize how they can manifest in everyday life, dream images, and fantasy. Above all the book is a testament to the healing capacities of the imagination, the humble “star in man” that connects us to the unconscious: to unknown and unexpected developments in ourselves.

Clearly and entertainingly written, this book presents an exciting new technique of self-analysis. Based on the psychological theories of C.G. Jung, the ‘Watchword’ technique will enable you to identify your psychological type and to explore the structure and dynamics of your personality. As you learn to recognize the various forces and tendencies within the psyche, you will acquire greater understanding of your inner self and your personal relationships. This practical method of self-exploration guides you systematically along the difficult path towards the ultimate goal of self-realization or individuation. It uses a structured form of word association which you assess and interpret yourself, following simple guidelines that require no numerical scoring. Easy to understand and fun to use, the book makes an intriguing and useful introductory guide to Jungian analytical psychology. It will appeal to a wide range of readers, including professional psychologists and students of psychology, counsellors and psychotherapists, as well as anyone interested in self-exploration and personal growth.