Workshop: Sandtray & Expressive Arts Therapy Training Weekend

Sky Mountain Institute & The Mindgarden Centre 

Led by, Deborah Armstrong, Ph.D., LMFT-S, RPT-S, REAT, REACE

Focusing Oriented Sandtray Practice 

Sandtray & Expressive Arts Therapy Workshop Training Weekend

This weekend workshop will introduce participants through didactic and experiential processes to the practice of infusing Sandtray with Gendlin’s Focusing process, making for a potent recipe for growing embodied self awareness, compassion, and mending. A basic skills level in Sandtray is recommended, but novices are welcome. Multimodal/Intermodal Expressive Arts will amplify the weekend’s activities. 

Goals:

1) Growing familiarity with Gendlin’s Focusing process.

2) Growing familiarity with Sandtray as a powerful and brain-wise practice in therapy.

3) Growing familiarity with infusing Focusing with Sandtray that is also amplified with multimodal/intermodal expressive arts practices.

Objectives:

1) Participants will define and describe Gendlin’s Focusing Process.

2) Participants will articulate how Sandtray in therapy can be understood as a Brain-Wise practice, that helps to repair human beings from the inside out.

3) Participants will apply skills integrating Focusing Oriented Sandtray that is amplified by multimodal/intermodal expressive arts practices. 

Domains of Learning and Experiential Processing:

• Eugene Gendlin’s Focusing Process

• Focusing Oriented Sandtray Practice

• Multimodal/Intermodal Expressive Arts Practices

• Neural Integration as a principal component of Brain Wise practices in therapy; and how Focusing, Sandtray, and Expressive Arts are exceptionally effective at facilitating neural integration. 

Agendas:

Friday Evening:

• Centering and Intention Process;

• Didactic Introduction to Focusing Oriented Sandtray Practice;

• Demonstration of Focusing Oriented Sandtray amplified by multimodal/intermodal expressive art practice;

• Community movement response dialogue and conversation; and

• Gratitude Sharing Ritual.

Saturday Morning:

• Centering and Intention Process;

• Neural Integration as a principal feature of Brain Wise Practices in therapy and how Focusing, Sandtray, and Expressive Arts accomplish this; 

• Skill building practices in pairs: Focusing Oriented Sandtray Practice;

• Community sharing and conversation;

• Lunch

Saturday Afternoon:

• Centering and Intention Process;

• Skill building practices in pairs: Focusing Oriented Sandtray Practice; 

• Fishbowl practice - Focusing Oriented Sandtray Practice; 

• Community Movement Reflection and Conversation; and

• Gratitude Sharing Ritual.

Sunday Morning:

• Centering and Intention Process;

• Community Check-in about learning and experience intentions;

• Skill building practices in pairs: Focusing Oriented Sandtray Practice;

• Skill building practices in pairs: Focusing Oriented Sandtray Practice;

• (*) or other as determined by Community Check in;

• Lunch

Sunday Afternoon:

• Centering and Intention Process;

• (*) or other as determined by Community Check in;

• Community Focusing Oriented Sandtray Practice amplified by Expressive Arts and Gratitude Ritual; and

• Leave-taking Process. 

(*) There will be a fifteen-minute break every two hours. 

(*) Evaluations will be sent and returned via/online e-mail and CE’s will be awarded after these are received. 

(*) Article pertaining to the workshop and the agenda will be sent to registered participants prior to the workshop via-email. 

Cost: $375  17 CEs  available