Southwestern College Santa Fe, NM
Sandplay Therapy Testimonials
“In September 2011, I took a Southwestern College workshop on sand tray therapy with Josie Abbenante. The workshop opened my eyes to a new, wonderful therapeutic modality. Work in the sand is rich in metaphor; its non-verbal, artistic manner opens the unconscious in safe, gentle ways and leads to expanded states of consciousness, while the kinesthetic quality of the work allows for gentle brain integration. Working in this way, deep healing happens. I was so impressed with this modality that I wanted to learn more. I stared working with Lorraine Freedle, a certified SandPlay therapist, both doing my own SandPlay process, and constantly continuing to learn more. Now, three years later, I felt confident enough in this modality to introduce it into my own practice with my clients, and I am working toward obtaining a SandPlay practitioner designation.” Inessa Mil’berg
“In the Fall of 2011, I took a Sand Tray weekend course with Josie Abbenante in the Children’s Mental Health Certificate program at Southwestern College. Digging my fingers into wet sand was a more powerful and enriching experience than I ever could have imagined. Though I created some powerful sand trays throughout the weekend with the more traditional dry sand and figurines, I was strangely drawn to the primal wet sand & natural objects kind of play- which was not necessarily like building castles on a beach. When Lowenfeld first developed this therapeutic tool, he started out with plastic containers and rudimentary supplies. The process of delving deep into the unconscious through a chthonic encounter in a rectangular bin was nothing short of a rebirthing experience for me. I welcome the opportunity to study this medium more in depth and to apply it in my practice one day. Though it appears simple, it carries invaluable healing power not found in other modalities. I strongly encourage anyone brave enough to go down the rabbit hole to consider sand tray/ Sandplay.” Brii Sebastian, transpersonal chakra-therapist.
“It was a perfect example of it (the College mission)—my consciousness was expanded not only through the presentation of the material, but through my self-exploration with the tray.”
“This course was profound and powerful. It inspired me to think of different processes for self and other. The tales shared were nothing short of beautiful. I feel blessed to have been in this class, this weekend with Josie, who made me feel truly witnessed and contributed greatly to a shift in consciousness and psyche.”
SWC student