Identification of play therapy stages in a brief sand-tray process

Abstract

The prevalence of resource and time constraints compounded by too few professionals to serve large populations poses a major challenge for South African psychology. Expressive Sandwork is an intervention model that engages briefly trained volunteers under supervision to facilitate sand-tray therapy. This intervention has been conducted successfully in China, Columbia and South Africa. The Shongollolo Expressive Sandwork project adapted the model to a six session group intervention in a resource constrained context. At the project site, a Gauteng township primary school, supervised educational psychologists in training (EPTs) facilitated the group with each client assigned a therapist. In light of evidence based practice, this case study measures a selected case from the project against researched play therapy stages to gain insight into the intervention s utility. Using a Jungian Analytical Play Therapy (JAPT) framework, a deductive thematic analysis was conducted through interpretivist lens. Case file contents were matched against selected themes to detect play therapy stages within the client s process. The set themes were the play therapy stages of Rapport Building, Working through and Termination as outlined by Schaefer (2011). The analysis intends to reflect attained play therapy stages in the adapted intervention. This is envisioned as contributing to JAPT knowledge of intervention adaptation for unique contexts.