Where Words Can’t Reach

Neuroscience and Satir in the sand tray

You will learn:• That therapeutic attachment of right brain to right brain is critical to

transformational change. • Your relationship is essential, the technique should be virtually invisible.• You are a co-regulator• Your use of intuition comes from the right brain. With practice of the skills

you can use it • That drive for safety through attachment is the basis of all coping

behaviours.• The fear response in the brain and how to appreciate the role it plays for

children.• You are an amygdala whisper• That by addressing the internal world of the child through figurines the

child will experience transformational change.• How to ask questions of the child and figurines• How to set up a sand tray and figurines.

• Children put up defenses to protect from pain=cutting, ODD, depression, selective- mutism, ADHD,

• Appreciate how they have tried to keep you safe

The use of the sand tray provides the ability to access the unconscious right brain/ body (mind)

by creating images and then putting words to it.

This is called right brain intuition with left brain deliberation

You are “Quieting Fear”

Transformation is Integration of mind and body which brings about Regulation

• Most counselling is working with trauma • Trauma is a loss of safety.• Our job is to quieten fear (amygdala whispers)• Therapy is a RH to RH in the sand tray.• The sand tray is an expression of the internal

world of the RH(and external)• It brings together dissociated parts and

integrates them, bilaterally and vertically.

Transformation is Integration of mind and body which brings about Regulation*

• Most counselling is working with trauma• Trauma is a loss of safety• Our job is to quieten fear (amygdala whispers)• Therapy is a RH to RH in the sand tray.• The sand tray is an expression of the internal

world of the RH.• It brings together dissociated parts and

integrates them, bilaterally and vertically.

Questions, Silences and Mirroring

• There is no template• Client cannot manipulate you-you are in control. You

are in control of the process, the client is in control of the content.

• Each question implies an understanding of the client.• Trust your intuition• They mirror your state• Ask questions of the figurines, to explore the child’s

iceberg

Process question

• What do you want to work on?• Where do you want to start? The part that

wants to be different or what the stuck part looks like?

• Can you make a picture of it?• I will tell you what I see.• Tell me about your picture.

Process Questions of Fear

• What does that fear look like?• Is it old?• Did you know its being trying to keep you

safe ?• Can you accept that it has been trying to keep

you safe? • What do you want to do with this (fear) in the

sand tray?

Process Questions of pain

• What does the “pain” look like?• How old is it?• What does it need?• Does it need some light? I am going to lend

you some. • Can you show how you have tried to protect

the pain?

Process Questions of Yearnings of Being

• Can you imagine what it would like to not have this (fear).

• What does this part need?• What is getting in the way?

MOBILITY Social Engagement System

IMMOBILITY

Chaos River of Integration/ Window of tolerance

Rigidity

Anxious insecure attachment/ disorganized attachment/

reactive attachment disorder

Attached Attachment disorder

Disintegrated Integrated Disintegrated

Hyperaroused/ Dys-regulated Regulated Hypoaroused/dys-regulated

ADD, ODD, conduct disorder

Placating, blaming, supereasonable, irrelevant

Healthy

--------------------------------------------------

Congruent

Depression, speechless,

Frozen coping stance

Forgiveness

• Can you forgive the part that has held on to the fear?

• Can you forgive the part that has treid to keep you safe?

• Can you forgive thepart that did not know what else to do?

Introduction to the iceberg.We all are have icebergs and in this model the therapist is most interested in what is underneath the tip of the iceberg where the behaviors lie. The behaviors bring the child into therapy. The therapy begins underneath the waterline. The feelings, the feelings about the feelings, the perceptions, the expectations and the yearnings. Understanding the iceberg is essential to assessment and on going therapy

The Iceberg

Left brain=conscious thinking

Implicit procedural memory of the right hemisphere.

Imp

licit m

em

ory

in th

e rig

ht h

em

isp

here

“S

elf”

therapist client

sand tray

Feelings

We all have feelings but children will often have difficulties putting words to them. (Emotional Focus Therapy, Rogerian )

“How does that guy feel?What is he feeling right now?”

Five Essential elements of Transformational Change

Has to be systemic

Internal and externalConnecting self to other

Interpersonal neurobiology

Change focused

We cannot change what happened but we can transform the impact

in the present

Change in the sand tray comes from either adding, taking away, or moving

figurines

Positively Directional

Positively directional using the child’s internal

resourcesCan you imagine what it would be like to not feel

this way?

Use of Self-Lots to say here• Actively involved but not controlling.• Model congruence• Accept the child-do not try to change them• Don’t take away their coping stance –add to it.• Use touch and humour• Be at same physical level-small chairs• Help them to find their own resources• We are amygdala whispers/co-regulators• We are born to affiliate (RH) Power comes from

LH

Has to be experiential

• How does the guy feel now that he is safe?

• What is that like for you to see he is safe?

• Mind and body are connected. The body senses and the right brain picks up the sensations.

• Make the unconscious –conscious. Allow the repression of the left brain

Check in with what is happening in your body right now

• Scan your body for tension• Where is the tension?• What is it telling you, what does it want you to

hear• What are your tears telling you?• Breath into any parts that are asking to be

paid attention to.

Fear and The Brain

• Chapter 4

Fear-Stephen Porges, 2011

• Comes from three systems of defense;

• Social engagement-ventral vagal nerve• Mobilized-flight or fight• Immobilized-freeze

Stored in the implicit memory of RH

Coping Stances

We defend ourselves and that what the DSM looks at.

We need to get under the defense.

They have been trying to keep the child safe.

Life Energy

“The wellspring of our potential for becoming more fully human”

Tap into the spiritual to our very core being

Attachment and IntegrationAs transformation occurs bi lateral and vertical integration occur

A sense of self is right hemisphere, connecting the individual to emotionally salient experiences

Therapy is the affect- communication and regulation cure not talking cure

How to Conduct a Session

• Welcome, eye contact• Check in with the child’s body• Ask for a commitment to change• Make a picture• Describe what you see• Look for energy or hot spots• Have the child explore alternatives, positive

possibilities.

How to Conduct a Session continued

• Transform the picture• Have the child experience the transformation

in their body• Anchor the change• Reflect on the session• Appreciate the childs engagement• Good bye ritual

A Case Demonstration

• Chapter 6. Page 85

To Direct or Not Direct the Play

Complex and Challenging Cases

Chapter 8 page 127