Redeption of the Shattered

A Teenagers's Healing Journey Through Sandtray Therapy

By Bob Livingstone LCSW

 

Therapy for some is a joke, to use for comedy bits in movies and TV shows. For some, it is a way for them to justify whatever vice or sin they indulge in, running a gamut from hating their mother to being forced to eat broccoli as a child. However, to others like author Bob Livingstone, it is a return to normalcy, a releasing of demons, and a chance to purge emotional baggage in exchange for a fresh perspective.

Death is never an easy subject to deal with, and the death of a family member, especially a parent, can have a lasting effect on anyone, regardless of their age or closeness to the deceased. The passing of his father left a deep emotional chasm on young Bob Livingstone, one that he chose to deal with using a rather unique and ingenious type of healing, a sand tray.

The best way to describe this technique is to think of a miniaturized sand pile, the type that can be, or used to be, found in playgrounds all over the country. Remember as a child how you would build castles and forts, using twigs for everything from trees to people, and then drawing roads and streams in the sand itself. Think of it that way, only on a tabletop. There are toys and figures used to represent anything from the Grim Reaper to an Angel of Mercy, and all points in-between. Clientele of these practitioners do the same as in the days of their youth; use the sand and the figures to tell a story. However, these are not stories of dragons and fairy princesses locked in a castle, but repressed feelings locked away in the heart and mind.

Livingstone presents his travels through his despair and emergence clearly and concisely. With each chapter he shows a picture of the tray he created, the story that went with it, the figures he used, and the meaning behind the story, allowing a rare insight into the helping and healing process that few outside of a physician's office ever see. Included at the end of each section is a series of questions that will allow the book to be used as a textbook, leading into some deep ongoing discussions no doubt, but also gives you something to think about even if you are reading alone. However, in fact, you are not alone, he is there every step of the way, explaining the what's and why's of the experience.

Is this book easy to read, yes, but is it an easy read? The answer to that is a resounding no, but perhaps it will give someone the strength or courage to seek help themselves, and that would be a greater testament to the author and his work than anything I can say here.