Ethical issues in sandplay therapy practice and research.

Abstract

Both the diversity and the universality of expression through sandplay allow the practicing therapist to learn and understand to a greater degree the complexities and wonderment of human nature, experience, and resilience. As we move forward in our learning and our sharing, both as individual therapists and as members of professional organizations engaged with sandplay therapy, it is critical that we recognize and remain attuned to the ethical issues that arise. Many times there are no easy answers or solutions to the dilemmas that we confront-the child who desperately wishes to continue with therapy but whose parent refuses to allow it; the need for ongoing professional consultation with relatively few available therapists to provide it; maintaining one's role as therapist with a client who one sees on a regular basis through other activities; facilitating access to sandplay therapy for those potential clients who want it and could benefit from it, but whose funds and life situations do not permit them that access. Many of these issues are common across therapeutic modalities but offer particular challenges in the context of sandplay therapy. We draw in each of these chapters from well-enunciated ethical principles of clinical practice and research. We have integrated to the extent possible relevant portions of professional ethics codes governing mental health professionals from an array of English-speaking countries-Australia, Canada, the UK, the USA, and New Zealand-to maximize the relevance of the text to sandplay therapists worldwide, whether they are licensed as psychologists, marriage and family therapists, counselors, or social workers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)