SELF-RESTORATION AND INITIATION IN ANALYTICAL CHILD THERAPY: OBSERVATIONS ON SANDPLAY

This exploratory study addresses problems that lie within analytical (i.e., Jungian) child therapy. In this therapeutic approach, it is generally held that a symbolic experience of the Self is of crucial importance in the recovery of the health of a child. At some point in the therapeutic process, a child is seen as producing in its play a symbolic representation of the Self--this signifying a deep integration within the personality and a sense of inner wholeness restored within the child (Self-restoration). This study addresses how such experiences are arrived at; in so doing, it utilizes research into the psychology of initiation, as developed by analytical psychologists in reference to adults.; In adults, according to this research, an experience of the Self is generally approached through some form of initiatory process. The question posed in this study is: If the adult symbolic experience of the Self--of psychological wholeness--is arrived at through a process of initiation, can the same be true for children? The study indicates that the answer to this question is yes.; The null hypothesis--that an initiatory approach to the Self never occurs within childhood--was confuted by presenting three cases to the contrary. Two cases were drawn from the investigator's clinical work; one was drawn from existing clinical literature. All three cases utilized sandplay as the principal therapeutic modality. Three judges were employed who independently assessed the initiatory character of the material. Considerations were developed indicating that Self-restoration via initiation is a likely tendency which can be extended beyond the three cases examined.; The study indicates that the elements and issues pertaining to the psychology of initiation--as developed within analytical psychology in reference to adults--have relevance to the important process of Self-restoration in child therapy. The study also extends research in the psychology of initiation into an age range (latency) where it has hitherto been given little attention.