2023, Vol.14, No.1

Journal of Symbols & Sandplay Therapy 2023 KCI Impact Factor : 0.44

pISSN : 2234-0556 / eISSN : 2288-5188
https://journal.kci.go.kr/sandplay

I am speaking to you today at the request of your president, Mikyung Jang, on a topic that is of great interest to all psychotherapists, namely the therapeutic relationship. I was asked to address the question: How do Sandplay psychotherapists connect with clients’ souls and how do their souls connect with the materials? These relationships develop from the first session onward, and it continue to develop throughout the therapeutic treatment.

This study investigated inter-right brain synchrony between therapist and client in Sandplay therapy, using hyperscanning technique based on functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). fNIRS is a non-intrusive method that measures changes in oxyhemoglobin the cerebral blood. A total of seven therapist-client pairs-i.e., 14 participants-wore fNIRS devices on their heads and engaged in two sessions of Sandplay therapy, with each session lasting for 30 minutes. The study observed synchronization in the right and left prefrontal cortices of both therapists and clients in all seven pairs, during every session. Interestingly enough, synchronization occurred not only while the pairs engaged in verbal communication about the completed sandpicture but also during the non-verbal process of clients' creating sandpictures. The outcome of the study hence suggests neurobiological fundamentals for the therapeutic relationship between therapist and client, which is also called the therapeutic resonance, relational mutual regression, therapeutic alliance, and mother-child unity.

This study investigated the effects of Sandplay therapy on smartphone overdependence, impulsiveness, and interpersonal problems in college students. A survey was conducted on 359 four-year college students, and 10 smartphone overdependent students were selected for both the experimental and control groups. The experimental group received 10 sessions of Sandplay therapy. Results showed that Sandplay therapy reduced the degree of overdependence, impulsiveness, and interpersonal problems in smartphone overdependent college students. Qualitative analysis identified common themes such as “being left alone,” “a side of myself I want to hide,” and “struggling to escape.” This study highlights the potential of Sandplay therapy as a treatment program for smartphone overdependence in college students. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.