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Certificate in Expressive Sandplay and Symbol Work
with children, adolescents and adults
12-Day Training Course
in-person in Singapore
Facilitator: Paula Huggins
Limited Number of Spaces Due to COVID-19 Regulations
Maximum 10 participants
2022 Course Dates
Attendance at all 12 days in the correct order is mandatory
17- 19 March 2022
Workshop One: Foundation Skills
30 May – 1 June 2022
Workshop Two: From Theory to Practice
5 – 7 September 2022
Workshop Three: Jungian Influences, Dream Work & Symbolic Expression
17 – 19 October 2022
Workshop Four: Transpersonal Contexts and Supervision
21-23 November 2022 – Reserved Dates
In the event of sudden changes to restrictions or regulations as we transition to endemic status for COVID here in Singapore, please hold this as the “fall-back” date.
To Register Your Interest Click Here
Venue
38a Seah Street
(S)188394
This course was created by Dr Mark Pearson and Dr Helen Wilson, authors of Sandplay and Symbol Work (ACER Press 2001) and founders of Expressive Therapies Australia. It has been continuously taught around Australia for over 29 years, in SE Asia since 2006 as well as in the Czech Republic.
Sandplay Therapy is a hands-on expressive counselling and psychotherapeutic modality that has been in use for over 80 years. Research shows it to be effective with children, adolescents and adults in settings that range from schools, hospitals, welfare agencies and private counselling practices. This course provides a thorough 12-day training, with practical experience and supervision in the ETA approach to Sandplay Therapy and Symbol work. It is an approach that bridges the gap between verbal therapy and the expressive somatic therapies, combining elements of each to become a powerful intervention tool for use by trained professionals.
Who Can Benefit?
This professional extension training program is designed for qualified practitioners (or those currently undergoing training) who work with adults, adolescents or children in a mental health or helping professions (such as social workers, counsellors, psychologists, pastoral care workers) and related fields (such as school teachers, learning support teachers, childcare/student care tutors, occupational or speech and language therapists) who wish to integrate sandplay therapy skills into the existing framework of their current practice, be it as a psychotherapist, counselor, social worker, teacher, nurse, art therapist, play therapist, coach or psychologist.
This course is for professional and personal development. It does not qualify participants to work with clients without previous training in a professional field of work. Participants must already hold a relevant qualification allowing them to practice in their chosen field.
Be aware this course is highly experiential and involves hands-on practical experiences of exercises that will involve personal processing and growth.
The focus will be on the practical experience of sandplay therapy and symbol work in a group setting providing a thorough overview of the approaches and techniques that allow participants to work on a personal level with this modality which translates into being able to offer the modality in a therapeutic way as a professional.
Participants can expect to gain awareness of:
- An overview of the history and development of Sandplay and Symbol Work as a pyscho-therapeutic modality, including Jung, Lowenfeld, Kalff and Ammann’s contributions to the field.
- Hands-on experience of Expressive Sandplay and Symbol Work in the group setting.
- The tools of the trade: how to set up a Sandplay room and symbol collection.
- How to facilitate Expressive Sandplay or Symbol Work sessions with respect for their clients’ process and the heritage of sandplay.
- Integration of Expressive Sandplay Therapy as a non-verbal theoretical approach through expressive role-play techniques.
- The neuroscience that guides understanding of the psychological mechanisms supported by Sandplay and Symbol Work.
- Tracking Sandplay sessions and methods of note-keeping.
- Research-based understanding of which populations most benefit from sandplay and awareness of contra-indications.
- Various approaches to the progression of Sandplay sessions that allow client’s journey to be assessed.
- Understanding transference and co-transference in the Sandplay session.
- Expressive Sandplay as a support for Transpersonal Psychotherapy and its influences on the psyche.
- Experience of Sandplay group/peer supervision.
Your Investment:
SG$ 3950
Early Bird SG$3800 (until 17th Feb 2022)
To Register Interest Click Here

Payment Options: Via Cheque, Bank Transfer or PayNow.
A flexible payment plan ($1000 deposit, followed by monthly installments) is available.
Included in this price: Workshop manuals, PDF version of the course text: Sandplay and Symbol Work by Mark Pearson and Helen Wilson (currently out of print), electronic Book of Readings, morning and afternoon tea.
Course Assignments
To complete the Certificate, participants are expected to submit three assignments: a short video recording of themselves facilitating a session (with a partner from the course – not an actual client); a 1500-word literature review essay; and a case study presentation in front of the group.
Cancellation Policy
We are unable to offer refunds if you are unable to attend for any reason. We appreciate that unexpected events do occur and so we allow participants to transfer to the next available course if needed – dependent upon availability in that course.
Successful Completion of the Certificate
The Certificate in Expressive Sandplay Therapy and Symbol Work is awarded to participants who:
- Complete the course assignments in a timely manner to the required standard;
- Hold a professional qualification that allows them to use the techniques taught on this course with a specific population; and
- Miss no more than 7 hours of class time across the 12 days.
For those not meeting the above criteria, a Certificate of Participation will be given.
To Register Interest Click Here
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