F.A.Q.

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The idea that one can solve their problems by taking the right medication every day may sound appealing, and it would be wonderful if it were that simple. Mental and emotional problems usually have multiple causes, and medication is not a panacea. It can "soften" the symptoms, but it can also have side effects and often does not completely cure the problem. Psychotherapy can be time-consuming and not without its own challenges, as "uncomfortable" feelings and thoughts emerge along the way. Nevertheless, psychotherapy provides long-term benefits and support. Understanding and addressing the deeper causes of one's emotional or mental problems not only provides relief but also equips the individual to avoid similar situations in the future. Psychotherapy also provides skills related to managing emotions and gradually changing behavior.

One of the goals of proper psychotherapy is change, and a competent psychotherapist must be properly trained to help you identify your goals and work toward achieving them. A good psychotherapist is someone with whom you can talk comfortably, who cares about you and your problems, and who can support you in the process of personal changes you are trying to achieve.

Artistic expression does not rely on verbal communication or good use of language. Thus, Art Therapy broadens the communication channel between therapist and client beyond the verbal level and facilitates the expression of emotions through art.

Art Therapy is suitable for children and adults who are facing difficulties at home, school, or work, anxiety, panic attacks or depression, eating disorders, self-esteem problems, post-traumatic stress, learning difficulties and/or hyperactivity, or those who want to creatively explore their inner selves and their way of life.

It is not necessary to have skills in drawing or painting to participate in Art Therapy. Art is used exclusively as a communication tool between psychotherapist and client.

In brief, in the Sandplay method the client creates representations in a sand tray, using the sand itself as well as miniatures which they select freely from an extensive collection. This process takes place silently, in the presence of the therapist who observes without comments or guidance. The miniatures act as symbols or archetypes and form a kind of "alphabet" through which the client is invited to express themselves.

The effectiveness of Sandplay lies in the fact that it provides both the therapist and the client with something three-dimensional and tangible that they can both work on. It offers an "immediacy" which can be more powerful than a verbal description, and which can be particularly helpful in cases where what troubles us is difficult to understand and express. The therapist participates by helping the client use their creation in the sand tray to explore their inner world and work toward a better balance between themselves and the world.

The available collection should be as large as possible, in order to represent a "world" – real or imaginary – as broad as possible. It is also critical that the client chooses freely, so that what is created in the sand tray is determined as much as possible by their inner world ("let the symbols choose you").

For children, the Sandplay method seems appealing because it is a kind of play that the child finds natural. At the same time, however, it provides an opportunity to overcome the difficulty that the child has in understanding and answering questions about their feelings or in verbally explaining how they feel with sufficient accuracy. The therapist can guide the child through modes of expression that are friendlier and exert less pressure compared to a discussion based exclusively on questions and answers. Nevertheless, even for an adult, the temporary "bypass" of language achieved when expressing through Sandplay is extremely useful because it offers the opportunity to distance oneself from any fixed ways of thinking and to approach their inner world more directly.