Working with the Shadow and Golden Shadow in Therapy

  In the The Red Book, Jung wrote,  "I must learn that the dregs of my thought, my dreams, are the speech of my soul." In poet Robert Bly’s book A Little Book on the Human Shadow: A Poetic Journey into the Dark Side of the Human Personality, Shadow Work, and the Importance of Confronting Our Hidden Self he encapsulates the shifting, shadowy parts of The Shadow in the image of “the long bag we drag behind us” that contains all the discarded parts of ourself.  While we often think of the shadow as our repressed fears, rage, or shame, Jung and Bly also spoke of the golden shadow—the brilliance, creativity, or power we project onto others but struggle to own for ourselves.

Sandplay both simple and profound. Why consider sandplay?

Sandplay both simple and profound. Why consider sandplay?

"Sandplay therapy utilizes a small tray of wet or dry sand in which you are invited to create scenes using miniature objects--a nonverbal communication of their internal and external worlds” (Labovitz Boik, and Goodwin 2000). I believe that we all have an intrinsic creative capacity that is essential to our feelings of aliveness. As a result of overwhelming experiences we can feel cut off from this capacity. Sandplay is a way to safely and in a protected, safe relational space, begin to renew contact with this process.