SystemWork in a Sand Tray

A sand tray is especially interesting when working with a DID system. Things become visible, tangible. We are using an „Inner world technique“.

 

Maps

A sand tray can help you with mapping. You can find figures or symbols for all of you and place them in the tray in a way that describes your relationships. That might include co-conciousness, amnesia walls, conflicts and unknown parts you are barely aware of etc. If you choose to use symbols, maybe you can find items that reflect the personality of the parts they will stand for. It could be very helpful later. Poly-fragmented systems might have to use symbols for clusters of parts. There are limits to this technique 🙁

You can also map your inner world. Some have a whole inner landscape with buildings and forests and lakes, islands, caves etc. Sometimes certain parts can be found in certain areas of the inner world. This might give you important information for your SystemWork. Some don’t experience an inner landscape, but they are aware of certain structures that include parts. Mapping that in a tray could also be important work.

A current conflict can also be mapped. You can find symbols to represent the topic and place the figures or symbols for each one of you in a way to show your opinion or position. Seeing the whole picture can often support the negotiations, as it is easier to see where you are at. The scene in the sand might show you who is suffering from the conflict the most, who might not be heard or taken care of. The bigger the system the easier it is to forget someone, especially when they go quiet when not feeling well. If your symbols express personality traits it might show who is more vulnerable or more suited for a certain job.

 

Perspective

You could map a situation in your tray and then look at it from the different perspectives.

You can also let everyone map the situation from their point of view. Sometimes parts of a system see things very differently and noticing the differences in perspective can help you to understand each other better and sometimes reveal cognitive errors. Hills or holes or trenches or walls could look very different for each part.

It helps to take pictures of any map you create so that when you map the same topic next time you can see the progress or changes and evaluate them.

 

There are also ways to work more actively in the tray.

All these are just examples. Please get creative and express yourselves, do your own thing.

 

Grounding

A tray could be divided into a section for the past and the present. You can help parts of you to get oriented by guiding them out of the past-section and into the present. They can look at items that stand for the present first, keeping it in the tray, then look around in the room. We found this to be less shocking. They play their way into the present.

You could lead a rescue mission in the same way. Some of you can play their symbols into the scene where part of you got stuck and play your way out together, first arriving in the other side of the tray, then arriving in the room the tray is in.

That seems to be more difficult than just doing it inside? It is also more grounding, with items to touch and a scene on the outside, contained in a tray. It is less likely to get overwhelming. More tangible, more real, less risk to get lost.

 

Resources

You could find support with the creation of an inner Safe Place if you do it in a tray. Some might find it easier to create something visible and tangible. Sometimes it is hard to focus and create a three-dimensional place with details in your mind. Doing it with your own hands can increase the feeling of it being your own and moving your figure there can help you when you first practice going there.

Safe Places might not be the only new areas in your Inner World you want to create. Maybe you need a playground, places for community or certain needs… those too can be symbolically created in a tray while you give shape to them inside.

You can add your Inner Helpers to your sand tray world as well as other resources that might help you. If you map a conflict or difficult situation and realize that someone needs support you can look at your collection of helpers and resources and pick what is best for the situation. It will remind you of what you have and to use it.

 

 

 

Inner team meeting

Yes, you can have those in an inner conference room. Or within an imagery of your choice. You can also use a sand tray for support. Using figures or symbols you can have visual help, especially when you struggle to „enter“ your inner world for team meetings and you only discuss with the voices in your mind. A tray could show whose turn it is to speak and present their opinion or needs. It can help you not to lose sight of the quieter fellows and ask them to contribute too.

 

You can play through different options during your negotiations to get a better feeling if you like the changes or not, if it could work or not. You could e.g. use a set number of coins to discuss how to spend your money, then distribute them to symbols for certain uses until you find a compromise that works for all. Remember, we play our way through this.

If you have a problem with system-harming behavior you can analyse it in the tray. That way you can create some distance to the emotions that might be involved. You can look at the situation that started it and play through different alternatives how you could have avoided it by working together and using your resources. It might also show where you have not been connected enough to support each other. Play through it until you have a plan that might work next time.

 

Expression

Sometimes there are Littles who don’t speak, maybe they are too young or maybe they lost the courage to speak or they are not allowed to. They can still express themselves in a sand tray. Let them play. Traumatized children often express their experiences during play. It gives them a chance to work through something, to find a solution in the sand and to continue the story so that it doesn’t end with the trauma. This might be less controlled, more on the expression/play side of sand tray work, but it can be priceless. The sensory experience of expressing through their hands is superior to painting pictures. It is grounding in itself.

 

Change

If you portray a situation in the sand tray and then pretend you are changing something, it is just a game, you might see the consequences even before you do it in real life. If you don’t like it, you change it back and try something different.

Maybe things in your Inner World need to change. You could eg. place a light source in your tray and see what happens. Or let old paths in your tray lead to a different destination. Change always takes time and usually needs baby steps if you want it to last (and avoid crisis).

 

Sharing

Sometimes one part holds an emotion and others don’t. Sharing could lift a burden from one and add depth to the other. It also brings them closer together. Your goal doesn’t have to be fusion, being closely connected will still benefit you. When sharing things you need to take it slow and only share small amounts. You could work with an emotion stone and move it between the symbols for parts of you. You might build a brick wall between your symbols and remove one brick. A teaspoon, a pinch, a drop. You can increase the amount with time.

This can also be used to share memories. Or to stop yourself from sharing too much. If you feel flooded by someone else you can put the brick back, restore the wall, until you are ready to take more, while you make sure they are with an Inner Helper. This is not about leaving each other alone, just about finding a healthy measure and not get overwhelmed.

 

Sharing can develope into experiments with blending too and that can be tested and expressed in a tray. The symbolic work might accompany you on your way to fusion, if that is what you like.

 

 

A sand tray can be very beneficial and support your system work. It is one tool in the toolbox and you will need others as well. While not everything can be solved in a sand tray most things can be expressed in it. Things you might not be able to put into words. I really hope that sand trays will not be left to psycho-analysis in the future and that play will find a new role in trauma therapy for adults.

 

 

[Note by a Protector:  I think it would be best to try this with a T. Seriously.]