with children, adolescents and adults

ETA’s 12-Day Certificate Training
Singapore

12 days in-person
plus additional 8 hours online sessions for
case presentation sessions

Facilitator : Paula Huggins

Course Dates

To Earn ETA’s Certificate in Sandplay and Symbol Work attendance at all 12 days in the correct order is mandatory

12 – 14 Dec 2024
Workshop One: Foundation Skills

Outcomes:

• Evolution of Sandplay Therapy and the development of Symbol Work as a trauma-informed therapeutic modality.
• Theoretical overview of sandplay and introduction to some of the research in the field.
• Concept of using experiential creative-arts-based activities for emotional regulation and self-awareness.
• Understand and apply the 5 stages of the therapeutic journey as outlined by Pearson & Wilson (2009).
• Understanding the terminology used in formal discussion of the method: sandplay vs sandtray vs symbol work.
• How to facilitate a sandplay session in a professional manner with client-care at the forefront.
• Introduction to use of somatic feedback to enhance self-awareness and self-expression using body scanning, visualisation and drawing to provide support for soothing emotional dysregulation as well as building interoceptive self-awareness in clients.
• Use Symbol Work as a catalyst for enhanced connection and self-expression.
• Through personal process and guided experiential activities participants will learn how and when to use Sandplay in sessions with clients.
• Use of music as a catalyst for enhancing awareness of feelings and emotional expression.
• Introduction to Gardiner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory and use it as guidance for multi-modal sessions.
• Professional and Ethical Considerations for the Use of Sandplay in client settings.

20-22 Feb 2025
Workshop Two: From Theory to Practice

Outcomes:

• Comprehend the importance of personal process: grasp the ethical need for personal process in developing therapeutic skills.
• Identify key factors that foster strong therapeutic relationships, enabling clients to access their creativity and playfulness for growth and healing.
• Examine the historical influences and contributions to Sandplay and Symbol Work theories and practices
• Understand Margaret Lowenfeld’s influence on the evolution of Sandplay.
• Harness the Power of Symbols: Understand the purpose and impact of using symbols in therapy and enhance your comfort and proficiency in working with symbols, images and metaphor.
• Recognize the role of creativity in enhancing mental health and how Sandplay activates the inner healing mechanism.
• Gain awareness of the factors that make Sandplay an effective therapeutic intervention for trauma recovery and personal development.
• Examine research and evidence-based studies on the application of Sandplay with specific client populations.
• Identify various ways in which Sandplay supports clients’ growth.
• Learn to apply three different frameworks to understand and assess client progress in Sandplay.
• Implement forms to track session progress and themes effectively.
• Gain further experience in facilitating Sandplay and activities using Symbol Work in sessions.
• Learn and apply expressive arts techniques for grounding, centering, stabilization, and integration during Sandplay sessions.
• Explore Expressive Arts Techniques including the use of movement, art, visualisation, symbol work and writing.
• Employ symbol work and other expressive modalities to explore strengths, and build self-awareness and emotional growth.

27-29 March 2025
Workshop Three:
Exploration: Deep Healing Using Sandplay & Symbol Work

Outcomes:

• Articulate a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental principles and practices of Sandplay Therapy
• Identify key elements within a Sandplay Therapy process and recognize critical aspects to monitor during client sessions.
• Identify key components of Jung’s model of the Psyche and demonstrate a basic understanding of essential psychoanalytic terminology.
• Outline the stages of Jung’s Individuation Journey and illustrate how these stages may be manifest within the Sandplay process and how individuation supports a client’s return to positive, productive everyday relating with self and others.
• Describe Dora Kalff’s therapeutic framework and understand how her application of Sandplay therapy enhances self-esteem and stabilizes clients’ sense of self.
• Understand how to structure symbol work activities effectively and utilize reflective questions to deepen the therapeutic process.
• Critically appraise the principles of trauma-informed therapy and explain how Sandplay Therapy creates a supportive, healing environment for trauma recovery.
• Evaluate research-based evidence to articulate the compatibility between trauma-informed care and Sandplay Therapy.
• Explore the intersection of Sandplay Therapy and neuropsychology, with an understanding how principles of neuropsychology apply in Sandplay Therapy.
• Illustrate an archetypical journey of trauma healing using Sandplay Therapy and Symbol Work.
• Implement activities that incorporate a client’s connection to the natural world and understand the connection Sandplay Therapy and Symbol Work bring to the healing process in trauma-informed care.
• Understand the process of ethically and therapeutically integrating a client’s dream content into therapy using sand and symbol work.

12 – 14 June 2025
Workshop Four:
Consolidation: Resources for Self-Connection, Building Hope and Grounded Presence

Outcomes:

• Understand the vital role of supervision in enhancing the effectiveness of sandplay therapy and for both personal and professional growth.
• Utilize sandplay and symbol work tools to reflect on and assess your professional journey.
• Set goals for future professional development based on insights gained through these methods and identify strengths and areas for improvement in your approach to therapy.
• Examine the dynamics of the client-therapist relationship within the context of sandplay therapy.
• Understand projection, transference, and counter-transference and how they impact therapy.
• Learn to use co-transference as a tool to strengthen the client-therapist relationship to foster therapeutic progress.
• Make ethical choices around therapeutic capacity to work with clients.
• Understand the Transpersonal context of Sandplay and Symbol work and its relevance to trauma-informed therapeutic work.
• Learn the core principles and foundational assumptions of transpersonal practice and psychotherapy and its relevance to trauma recovery.
• Explore the contributions of transpersonal methods to trauma recovery and use transpersonal interventions such as visualization, mindfulness, active imagination, and other expressive therapies with clients to improve client outcomes.
• Explore how this approach can be integrated into your practice and used to enhance outcomes.
• Gain a historical overview of Transpersonal Psychology with an understanding of the development and evolution of this field including the work of Maslow and Grof.
• Understand the role of the Transpersonal in Kalffian sandplay therapy through exploration of Jungian ideas such as transcendent function and activation of inner healer.
• Explore how incorporating spirituality can enhance therapeutic outcomes and trauma-recovery through an exploration of meaning and purpose.
• Further review current knowledge and research on sandplay therapy and identify key findings and their implications for practice.
• Explore the importance of spontaneity and silence in sandplay therapy as therapeutic tools.
• Understand how sandplay therapy activates the regenerative energies needed to support post-traumatic growth.
• Identify common themes that emerge in sandtrays and learn to work with these themes therapeutically with particular reference to Bennett’s framework.
• Examine how the principles of sandplay and symbol work align with contemporary psychotherapy practices and explore ways to integrate these principles into your therapeutic approach.
• Gain awareness of vicarious trauma and its impact on YOU as a therapist.
• Learn strategies to prevent and mitigate the effects of vicarious trauma.
• Participate in role-play and visualization exercises to deepen your understanding of therapeutic gifts and apply these activities to enhance your therapeutic approach.

Case Presentation Sessions (online via Zoom)
Monday 5th May 2025 5:00 – 7:00pm
Thursday 8th May 2025 9:00 – 11am
Monday 26th May 2025 5:00 – 7:00pm
Thursday 29th May 2025 9:00 – 11am
Monday 9th June 2025 5:00 – 7:00pm

Participants will need to attend a minimum of FOUR of the five sessions on offer. Participants will present a case study at one of their four selected supervision sessions. Additional dates/timings may need to be added/removed depending on the number of participants.

To Register Your Interest Click Here

Venue
Gentle Art of Expressive Therapy
50b Smith Street (Chinatown)

ABOUT THIS COURSE

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 more than three decades, 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 in-person training, with practical experience and supervision in ETA’s approach to Sandplay Therapy and Symbol work.

It is a modality 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 experience of exercises that will involve personal processing and potential for personal growth. However, it is a professional course and NOT personal or group therapy. 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 engage on an experiential level with this modality which translates into being able to offer the modality in a therapeutic way as a professional. In addition, participants will be introduced to the use of art, movement, music, visualisation and role-play techniques to use with clients.

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 Jungian heritage of sandplay.
• Integration of Sandplay and Symbol Work as a non-verbal theoretical approach through somatic awareness, arts-based activities, journaling and expressive role-play techniques.
• The neuroscience that guides understanding of the psychological mechanisms supported by Sandplay and Symbol Work and the role it plays in a trauma-informed healing approach.
• 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 mapped and understood.
• 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
Full Certificate Course – 4 workshops
(12 days in-person plus attendance at four 2-hour online sessions. Dates for the supervision sessions will be between end of Workshop Three and beginning of Workshop Four)

Early Bird SG$4280 (available until 12th October 2024 – full payment to be received by that date)
Full Price: SG$4430

To Register Interest Click Here

Payment Options: Via Cheque, Bank Transfer or PayNow.

A flexible payment plan ($1000 deposit, followed by 4 monthly installments) is available. Please request details.

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 and snacks.

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 (this final assignment will be delivered online at one of the scheduled group supervision sessions).

Cancellation Policy

We are unable to offer refunds if you are unable to attend for any reason. If you need to withdraw prior to the course commencing you have the option of finding another qualified person to replace you.

We appreciate that unexpected events do occur and so, if the course has commenced and something happens that prevents you from attending, we do allow participants to transfer to the next available course, subject to availability of places.

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 Attendance will be given.

To Register Your Interest In Enrolling Click Here

Further Questions before you commit? Simply complete the form below and I will be in touch: