This is a case study of sandtray therapy on an adolescent exposed to domestic
violence. The subject is a middle-school third-grader in M city. Sandtray therapy
was employed to dissipate the child's anxiety and enhance the adaptation to
ordinary life. Before the therapy, sentence completion test and impact of event
test were employed as pre-test.
The sandtray therapy was practiced in the counsellor's therapy center from 13
August 2015 to 10 May 2016, once a week in total 25 sessions, 50 minutes per a
session. To examine the results, the sandtrays of every session were analyzed, and
test scales of HTP, KFD, SCT, BDI, and impact of event were given before and
after.
At first, the adolescent showed acute depression and emotional instability, and
substantial anger and distrust made her want to repudiate her father. At school,
she had heavy conflict with her teacher and was unfulfilling in her academic
achievement. As she got the constant sandtray therapy, however, she broken out
of her closure in the dark, getting brighter and more cheerful personality, as well
as more active and positive thoughts rather than the negative ones from distorted
cognition. Later on, she could decide what career to take and became highly
passionate in her studies, to acquiring various certifications about computer.
Finally, her depression and anxiety decreased significantly, while her emotional
stability improved to the degree of her actually enjoying the adaptation to the
communal life.