Sandwork

Often, our hands know how to untangle what our minds struggle with in vain.
C.G. Jung
“…the child’s psyche, in a state of need, reacts very sensitively to the slightest suggestion.”
Eva Pattis-Zoja

Expressive Sandwork© is a method of psychosocial support for children aged 6 to 14, successfully implemented and developed across various settings in public and private institutions worldwide. Expressive Sandwork© is a non-directive, non-violent, non-verbal, intercultural, resource-oriented method. It is based on free symbolic play, which allows working with a wide range of children’s problems and needs.

In projects with Expressive Sandwork©, children receive free assistance. The method is highly effective. Expressive Sandwork© is based on the theoretical developments of C. Jung and is an adaptation of Margaret Lowenfeld’s “World Technique” and Dora Kalff’s sand therapy. It is designed for use in emergencies, natural disasters, and other catastrophes and provides long-term intervention in vulnerable communities. The author of this method is Eva Pattis-Zoja, a Jungian analyst (IAAP) and sandplay therapist (ISST) working in private practice in Milan, Italy. She founded the International Association for Expressive Sandplay (IAES), offered training in Jungian analysis and sandplay therapy, and initiated expressive sandplay projects in Europe, Ukraine, Asia, Latin America, and Africa.

The ES project is based on the following theoretical principles: the child’s internal symbolic process, the power of silence, the connection between the child and the facilitator, and the group containment system. Based on these principles, future facilitators are offered an approach to some fundamental concepts, such as the ability of the psyche to create spontaneous images, self-regulation of the psyche, the importance of play as a transitional space between the inner and outer worlds, and the attachment system that can be activated between the child and the mediator, providing containment for traumatic experiences and creating a free and safe group atmosphere.

Expressive Sandwork© in Ukraine
Start of training – March 2017, Kyiv – 4 groups (24 children)
October 2017 – January 2018: implementation of the method in eastern Ukraine – cities: Sloviansk, Pokrovsk, Popasna, Girske, Rubizhne
Slovyansk – 6 groups (36 children)
Pokrovsk – 22 groups (172 children)
Popasna – 10 groups (60 children)
Hirske – 15 groups (90 children)

Since 2022, specialists from the NaUKMA Mental Health Center (Vorzel), Romanenko Ludmyla and Zhadik Iryna, have been actively implementing the method throughout the country. Teams are currently working in the cities of Zaporizhia, Lviv, Drohobych, Vynnyky, Skhidnytsia, and Vorzel-Bucha. Since 2022, more than 50 facilitators have been trained, most of them psychologists, and 25 groups of children (150 children) have participated in activities.

Organization of space and materials

A central aspect of the first session of the ES project with children is the careful organization of space and working materials (miniatures). It is psychologically essential to offer children an orderly space that contrasts with the chaotic environments in which many live. Similarly, the consistent placement of boxes and figures creates a sense of stability, facilitating children’s play. Based on an understanding of the meaning of this aspect of ES, facilitators must participate in organizing the space, as this is part of building a group atmosphere and preparing for the meeting with the children.

The most appropriate way to organize the setting is to place the figures and miniatures in the center, surrounded by tables and chairs for facilitators and sandboxes for children. To ensure stability in the arrangement and placement of the figures, it proved helpful to organize them into containers, first classifying them by category (e.g., vegetation, domestic animals, wild animals, people, fantasy figures, mythical and sacred figures, etc.), and then arranging them in the center in order from inorganic to organic and imaginary. The containers are also numbered sequentially, which makes it easier to arrange them in the correct order each week.

Setting: Children are offered 12 sessions, held weekly at the same time. Each session lasts 45 minutes, with 40 minutes of quiet play. Five minutes before the end, the child can tell their adult about their sand picture if they wish. Adults sit opposite each child.

Partners: All events are supported by the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, the NGO “Words Help,” #InternationalAssociationforExpressiveSandwork IAES, the Professional Association of Child Analytical Psychologists, and Malteser International. [#MalteserInternational]

More information: https://www.facebook.com/groups/402749483983073