- This event has passed.
Where Symbols Meet Consciousness: EMDR-Sandtray Therapy – London, Wesley Euston
This is the EMDR Sandtray workshop - delivered over 18 hours in London by Ana Gomez. This event has 15 CPD / CE points approved by the EMDR Association UK.
The course is practical and hands-on - running from
- Friday 3rd October 2025 - 8.30 am - 5 pm
- Saturday 4th October 2025 - 8.30 am - 5 pm
- Sunday 5th October 2025 - 8.30 am - 1 pm
You will need to bring sandtray minatures with you (around 50 figurines including people, pets, gates, animals, fantasy figures, food etc.). Plastic sandtrays and sand will be provided for the training. A list will be sent to you, closer to the time.
Overview
This immersive 18-hour training explores the transformative power of integrating EMDR therapy with sandtray therapy, creating a multimodal approach that accesses both explicit and implicit trauma memories. By utilizing the wisdom of symbols, the kinesthetic power of the sand, and the unique portal into deeply held, often unspoken experiences, this approach provides a powerful pathway for trauma processing and healing.
Rooted in established theory, cutting-edge research, and the latest insights from neuroscience and autonomic nervous system regulation, this training provides practical, hands-on strategies for the delivery of EMDR therapy in combination with sandtray therapy. It emphasizes clear markers that guide moment-to-moment decision-making, while also highlighting the importance of the therapeutic relationship, co-regulation, presence, and reciprocity as foundational elements for deep, transformative healing.
Participants will also learn to support client history-taking and treatment planning within the sandtray, effectively utilize preparation and resourcing phases, and access trauma memories at varying levels of distance. This approach honors the bihemispheric structure of the brain, gently inviting the voices of the left brain while honing in on the wisdom of the right, leveraging the power of metaphor, symbolism, and sensory engagement for profound, lasting change.
Learning Objectives:
- Integrate EMDR Therapy and Sandtray Therapy:
- Apply practical, hands-on strategies for delivering EMDR therapy in combination with sandtray therapy.
- Use clear markers to guide moment-to-moment decision-making for complex trauma cases.
- Support Client History and Treatment Planning:
- Learn to support clients in building their trauma history and treatment plans within the sand tray.
- Recognize themes and symbolic patterns that can inform case conceptualization.
- Utilize Preparation and Resourcing in the sand tray:
- Create a safe, contained therapeutic space for clients during the preparation phase.
- Use sandtray techniques for resourcing and stabilization, integrating symbolic and embodied elements.
- Access Trauma Memories Across Multiple Levels of Distance:
- Use the sandtray to adjust psychological distance, helping clients access memories with varying levels of emotional intensity.
- Honor the bihemispheric structure of the brain, gently inviting the voices of the left brain while honing in on the wisdom of the right.
- Integrate Interweaves and Metaphor in Trauma Processing:
- Use interweaves that draw on the wisdom of metaphor and symbolic representation for clients who are stuck or struggling to integrate traumatic material.
- Recognize when to introduce interweaves to shift processing and resolve blocks.
- Enhance Therapeutic Presence and Attunement:
- Cultivate therapeutic presence, co-regulation, and reciprocity as foundational elements for deep, transformative healing.
Use nonverbal cues, embodied attunement, and symbolic awareness to foster client safety and openness.
