Interviewer: Edna G. Levy
On behalf of the editorial team of the online magazine N’Areia, the official publication of IBTSandplay, we would like to interview you so that you can share your rich experience and knowledge in Sandplay Therapy with our readers. We know that your journey and expertise in the field are a great source of inspiration for many professionals and students who follow our content and it would be an honor to feature you in our magazine.
We believe that your perspective on Sandplay Therapy, your experiences, and approaches would greatly enrich professionals, psychologists, or physicians interested in this therapeutic practice.
I: How and when did you first come into contact with the Sandplay method? Did you begin with your own therapeutic process in Sandplay or through studying the method?
Around 1986, Elizabeth Zimmerman, newly returned from Switzerland, was the first person to utter the magical words: “Do you work with Sandplay?”. I had no idea that Sandplay and Analytical Psychology were so closely connected. Soon after, I sought out Fátima Gambini, one of the pioneers of the method in Brazil. I promptly began my personal process – I needed to experience it!
I: What was your formal training like, and who were your mentors during it?
My first true encounter with Sandplay, as mentioned earlier, was with Fátima Gambini, with whom I spent five years in therapy. Even after years of analysis, Sandplay therapy brought understanding to many aspects of my soul.
Later, I had the opportunity to deepen my practice through supervisions with Ruth Ammann during her visits to Brazil, which greatly enriched my knowledge of the method and its therapeutic impact.
I: What was the personal impact of Sandplay on you?
At first, I didn’t quite understand why I felt such enthusiasm when I entered a Sandplay room and saw the miniatures and the sand. It was a paradox: everything was so small yet so vast. The delicacy of the objects amazed me, but their power frightened me. I describe this impact in my book “Conversa com a Saudade”: touching crystals held in a box had a profound effect on me. They were tiny grains of sand staring at me, as if saying, “Come, let’s search.” But search for what? New paths, new possibilities? There was no clear answer – only ellipses. It was necessary to dive in, to submerge in that immensity, and open myself to discovery.
They say crystals have the power to amplify everything. I believe so. Every time I face the sandbox, I feel like I’m facing the universe – and as I touch the crystals, I realize the possibilities are endless. And I find that each time I come into contact with an image, I become aware of my own smallness before this vastness.
I: How would you define your awakening to Sandplay? Do you associate it with a specific symbol?
Yes. Marbles immediately reminded me of a time in my life when I began my first analysis. At that stage, I would draw little circles in a row – they even looked like necklaces. The images return, like myths that reappear at certain life stages to show us new directions.
The image of the circle evokes the mandala, a form that holds symbolic representations of the unconscious. This connection to the circular also reflects a search for the Self, for a greater encounter. Symbolically, drawing circles in succession can be seen as a search for the center – the idea of continuity, of not stopping.
Learning to see the images through all the functions they present – feeling, hearing, seeing, and knowing when to wait for revelation – is the secret of Sandplay.
Thinking of the particles of the universe it contains, it was through touching them that I experienced the symbol of transformation in the deepest way. The kaleidoscope experience helped me perceive what I felt internally. The inner revolution was reflected in a sequence of images, which, even if I didn’t understand them immediately, gave me a sense of safety, confidence in tomorrow, and the necessity to live the present – elements that foretold transformation.
I: With all your experience today, would you change any part of your journey?
No, I believe I followed the path of the heart.
I: You were one of the first Sandplay Therapists recognized in Brazil by the international society. How would you describe the development of Sandplay in Brazil? Do you see any major differences between Brazilian and foreign professionals? Are there any aspects that concern you?
In my view, we’re doing well. In Brazil, to train in Sandplay, one must be a psychologist or a physician, and I believe this is the right path. To understand another, one must first gain deep self-knowledge, which is inherent to a psychologist’s training, before seeking specialization in Sandplay.
However, I am concerned by the enthusiasm of some professionals who receive informal training. Sandplay may be a playful resource, but it’s far from being just a game. It is based on four essential pillars: personal therapeutic process, theoretical knowledge of Analytical Psychology and Sandplay, clinical practice, and supervision.
I: What is the risk of informal training – for both the professional and the patient?
Metaphorically speaking, stairways are fascinating, but they can collapse – or reach such a height that descending becomes impossible for either or both the therapist and the patient.
Sandplay is not a toy; it is a tool for self-knowledge. It deals with our anxieties, doubts, sorrows, and joys. To share these aspects with someone unqualified can be harmful not only to the patient but to the professional as well.
Sandplay is not a recipe where, if it goes wrong, you throw it away and start over. It is a therapeutic process that requires not only theoretical but also practical knowledge.
We deal with the deepest abysses of the soul.
I: If a professional became interested in the Sandplay method, what would you advise: to start with their personal therapeutic process or the study of the method?
I would advise starting with a personal process and then beginning the study of the Sandplay method.
I: What “golden tip” would you offer to professionals interested in working with Sandplay Therapy?
“Don’t leave it for tomorrow – start now.”
I: Finally, we’d love for you to leave a message for those who are already Sandplay Therapists in Brazil.
Friends, helping others also teaches us about ourselves and opens new frontiers – for both the patient and the therapist.