Sand Therapy Competencies

Abstract

As the practice of sand therapy grows and flourishes, the need for the identification of competencies of sand therapy practitioners is imperative. The purpose of this study was to identify sand therapy competencies (STC) in four categories: knowledge, skills, attitudes, and professional engagement. Using qualitative research design with a purposive sample, the researchers used an initial, open-ended, and researcher-developed STC survey and the additional process of member checking to determine a final list of competencies for sand therapy practitioners. Outcomes identified a total of 33 competencies with 15 knowledge, 7 skills, 7 attitudes, and 4 professional engagement competencies. These findings provide a framework of competencies with which sand therapy training programs, professional organizations, and credentialing standards should be aligned. Future research on the acquisition of sand therapy competencies and research with more diverse samples is indicated.

Group Supervision Using Sandtray: A Protocol with Counselors-in-Training

“…Since then, clinicians and supervisors in the counseling field have used sandtray therapy as a crosstheoretical and creative intervention that allows individuals to process their experiences through the use of miniature figures in the sand (Homeyer & Sweeny, 2023;Perryman et al, 2021). Since sandtray therapy requires great clinical competence, researchers have developed the Sand Therapy Competencies that provide best practices and centralize the importance of knowledge, skill, attitudes, and professional engagement (Hartwig et al, 2023). Homeyer and Sweeney (2023) define sandtray therapy as: An expressive and projective mode of psychotherapy involving the unfolding and processing of intra-and inter-personal issues through the use of specific sandtray materials as a nonverbal medium of communication, led by the client or therapist and facilitated by a trained therapist (p. 6).…”

“…According to the ACA ethical codes, to practice, clinicians would need some training and supervision before conducting any intervention with clients or supervisees (ACA C.2.b., 2014). Similarly, the Sand Therapy Competencies indicate that ongoing training, supervision, collaboration, and consultation are integral components of ethical sandtray therapy practice (Hartwig et al, 2023). There are several training and certification programs for sandtray therapy at the local, state, and national levels, and supervisors interested in facilitating sandtray therapy with supervisees could find several options for training to support their supervision practices.…”