Hong Kong Sandplay Therapy Association (HKSTA)

What will you associate with the word Buddha? What is Buddha? What are the different levels of meaning of Buddha? How our clients express the symbol of Buddha  in sandplay therapy? The Lotus Sutra teaches that we can become Buddha. This means that we can realize the Self in our individuation process. (Tadashi, 2012)
 

HKSTA July 2020 Study Group
Symbol Study: Buddha
Presenters: Dr. Natalie Chantagul (Psychotherapist at Bangkok Psychological Services (BPS); Has been learning sandplay therapy since 2016)
Date: 30 July, 2020 (Thursday)
Time: 8:00pm – 10:00pm (online)
Language: English

In this study group, Natalie will share the journal article “Buddha in Sandplay Therapy: Symbolical Interpretation of Buddha and the Lotus Sutra. ” by Tadashi Maeda (Journal of Sandplay Therapy, Volume 22, #1, 2012). She will have a case sharing to illustrate the symbolic meaning of Buddha and explore this symbol from Thai people‘s perspective, which is less mentioned in the article. In addition, she will also share different Buddha images her clients expressed in the sandtrays.
 

This study group is only opened to members of the Hong Kong Sandplay Therapy Association.

What will you associate with the human skeleton at the first mind? The scary, dangerous or fearful image or something that related to evil. However, from the religious and cultural perspectives, it has a different interpretation on the human skeleton which is “the harbinger of transformation, a new form of life inherent in the death of the old” (Marina, 2018)*.

In this study group, Sun will use the journal article “The human skeleton and the development of identity in a child’s sandplay process” by Marina Ionescu (Journal of Sandplay Therapy, Volume 27, #2, 2018) and Sun will have a case sharing to illustrate the symbolic meaning of the human skeleton and explore the view from Eastern perspective, which is less mention in the article, on this symbol.

HKSTA June 2020 Study Group
Symbol Study: Human Skeleton
Presenters: Poon Yat Sun (Registered Counsellor & Clinical Supervisor (APCPA); Has been learning sandplay therapy since 2018 )
Date: 24 June, 2020 (Wed)
Time: 7:00 – 9:00pm (online)

This study group is only opened to members of the Hong Kong Sandplay Therapy Association.

The crocodile, alligator, caiman all belong to the family of crocodilian species. They are descendants from the ancient dinosaur era and has evolved with not much changes. However, in mythology, they are transformed into dragons and Jung saw them interchangeably. In this study, Berenice will go through the ecological aspects of the crocodiles and how they are being perceived metaphorically as symbols for males and females differently, their universal significance and how they are being imagined as dragons in myths and fairy tales.

When crocodiles and alligators appear in dreams, they depict emotions that we try to repress or avoid, or they may signify that there are hidden dangers that we have to be aware of. Examples of dreams that contain these symbols are listed on the document: “Dream Dictionary – Alligator” and you will find it in our dropbox resource library. Another article Berenice will use is “The crocodile and the cosmos: Itzamkanac, the palace of the the Alligator’s House” by Ernesto Vargas Pacheco & Teri Arias Ortiz. You can access the article through our dropbox.

In the study group, Berenice will share her three female clients’ cases who have used crocodile and/or alligator in their sandplay journey. She will also use a journal article: “A boy’s encounter with dying and death: the loss of a twin” by Antoninette M. Eimers (Journal of Sandplay Therapy, Volume 28, #2, 2019) where a boy uses the figurines of crocodile to process his grief and fear. Berenice also invites participants who have trays that depict crocodiles or alligators to share in the discussion. Please reply to this email if you plan to share your cases.

HKSTA May 2020 Study Group
Symbol Study: Crocodile and Alligator
Presenters: Berenice Lee (Berenice is a Certified Counsellor. She is in private practice and has been learning sandplay therapy since 2012)
Date: 18 May, 2020 (Monday)
Time: 7:00 – 9:00pm (we will meet online)

This study group is only opened to members of Hong Kong Sandplay Therapy Association.

This symbol study of dog was originally planned to hold in February. Because of the global health crisis, we need to make changes and we will now have the meeting online in April.

The dog is the first domesticated animal and is commonly associated with loyalty and vigilance. Often acting as guardian and protector, dogs are portrayed as guides and companions. In sandplay therapy, dog unusally represents an instinct which is easy to integrate and even can be assimilated. Other than her own research on the symbol, Chris will use the Journal article: “The Dog: Guide, Guardian and Soul Mate” by Jellemieke Hees-Stauthamer” (you can find the article in our online resource library). She will also use Barbara Hannah’s book “The Cat, Dog and House Lectures and The Beyond” for her presentation. If you do not have a copy of this book, it is worth ordering one:
https://www.bookdepository.com/Barbara-Hannah-Cat-Dog-Horse-Lectures-Barbara-Hannah/9780933029590?ref=grid-view&qid=1579837510547&sr=1-1
Carmen will use her clinical cases to illustrate the symbol. She will present a six year old boy who have fear in moving to his new stage of development and we will see the significance of the dog symbol in his process.

HKSTA April 2020 Study Group
Symbol Study: Dog
Presenters: Chris Cheung Yee Ping (Chris is an educational psychologist working in local schools and she is also a practitioner using therapeutic play skills in her clinical work) and Carmen Cheuk (Carmen is an Associate Member since the inaugruation of HKSTA in 2011 and she is a Play Therapist specializing in working with children).
Date: 17 April, 2020 (Friday)
Time: 8:00 – 10:00pm (we will meet online)

This study group is only opened to members of Hong Kong Sandplay Therapy Association.

We will look into the individuation process in the recent famous movie, Frozen 2 in our March Study Group. Unlike traditional hero journey, Frozen 2 is a modern shift from the romantic classical film of the 1940s and 50s, such as Snow White and Cinderella of Disney, to the platonic “sisterly” love that takes the hero through their journey. The heroine’s journey of Elsa started with answering the mystical voice, as a symbol of the collective unconscious and risked the plunge, then completed the individuation process.

Individuation, according to the C.G. Jung describes the psychological process of inner growth, centralization where the individual find its own self. Jung indicates that it is the process of forming and specializing the individual nature. In particular, it is the development of the psychological individual as a differentiated being from the general collective psychology. Individuation, therefore, is a process of differentiation, having for its goal the development of the individual personality. (C.G. Jung, C.W., Vol. 6, para 757)

Topic: The Individuation Process in Frozen 2
Presenter: May LIU
Date: 25 March , 2020 (Wednesday)
Time : 8:00-9:00pm (After 9th AGM)
Language: Cantonese

Note: Please watch the Movie Frozen 2 before attending the study group if possible

In this study group, we will discuss the symbolic expressions, the process of the separation and integration through acknowledging and accepting the shadow of heroine journey towards the individuation process in the movie. We will use the following four articles in the discussion and you can find them in our Dropbox Resource Library.

Articles:

1. Book Chapter: “The Twofold Movement of Individuation” in The Principle of Individuation by Murray Stein, 2006.

2. Disney’s Frozen 2 Reveals a Shift in the Collective Unconscious by Hila Hershkoviz

3. Elsa’s Heroine’s Journey Completed – Archetypal Symbolism in “Frozen 2” by Valerie Estelle

4. Let It Go: Revising ‘The Princess Story’ in Disney’s Frozen by Dikaia Gavala

This study group is only opened to members of Hong Kong Sandplay Therapy Association.

HKSTA Study Group will meet online due to the public health crisis caused by the coronavirus. In order to minimize the risk of infection and safeguard the health of our members, we will have our first online study group in February 28. We will use zoom to hold the meeting.

If you plan to join the study group and do not have a zoom account, please download the software in the link below:
https://zoom.us/download

Please also familiar yourself with how to join a meeting and we will send you a link when we confirm your participation in the Study Group:
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362193-Joining-a-Meeting

In this Study Group Bobby will share a clinical case of a boy who suffered from life threatening illness in our Study Group. He will also use a journal article “Glimpsing Sacred Mountain: A brief Sandplay process of a Boy with Cancer.” by Kate Amatruda in our discussion. You can download the article from our Dropbox resource library.

Suffering from life threatening illness can be a terrifying experience, especially for a young boy who had lived in hospital for chemotherapy for over a year. After returning to school, he had to face the threat of relapse and prolong sickness due to side effects of medication. Bobby will show us how Sandplay Therapy has helped him to recover and dealt with suffering. Bobby will also explore transference issues and symbolic expression during his sandplay therapy process.

Topic: Sandplay process with Children who have life threatening illness
Presenter: Bobby Fung
Date: 28 February , 2020 (Friday)
Time : 7:00-9:00pm
Language: Cantonese

This presentation was originally scheduled to be held in January and had been postponed. The February one which will explored the symbol of dog will re-scheduled to April 2020.

This study group is only opened to members of Hong Kong Sandplay Therapy Association.

In December’s study group, Ruby Mui will lead us to study a book chapter from how Sandplay heals trauma from a neuropsychological perspective, wrote by L Freedle. The non-verbal, depth oriented, and multi-sensory nature of Sandplay Therapy serves safe and direct access to trauma and an experiential means to work through it. Through sand touching and moving, free playing, symbolizing and self reflection in the presence of an attuned therapist, multiple brain systems are activated for healing and transformation. Four features of Sandplay therapy that support neural integration are reviewed, they are relational safety, somatosensory engagement, symbolic expression of the trauma narrative, and mindful participation. The author of the book chapter also presented her case to illustrate the concepts. The study group will be run in Cantonese.

Topic: Healing Trauma Through Sandplay Therapy: A Neuropsychological Perspective
Facilitator: Ruby Mui, PsyD
Date: 16 December, 2019 (Monday)
Time : 7:00-9:00pm
Venue: Rm301, 3/F, David House, 8-20, Nanking Street, Jordan, Kowloon

This study group is only opened to members of Hong Kong Sandplay Therapy Association.