Certification

Qualifications for Registration  STR , STR-C & STR-CT
Visit the Association for Sandplay Therapy to apply

Registration Requirements

Registered Sandplay Therapist – STR

1.   MAST Membership: STR applicants must be MAST members prior to submitting the STR application.

2. Education:  Applicants must provide evidence of post graduate education in mental health treatment, such as psychotherapy, counseling, art therapy or social work on the Masters and/or Doctoral Level. Exceptions will be made for applicants from those countries where these options are not available. In such cases, applicants must provide evidence of some university background, training in psychotherapy, counseling, social work or art therapy and experience as a counselor, therapist or social worker.

3.  License:  Applicants must provide information pertinent to professional license or certification as required by his or her resident location.

4.  Liability Insurance :  Applicants must provide evidence of current and continued liability/malpractice insurance.

 5.  Sandplay Training Courses:  Attendance and participation in the Association’s Sandplay Trainings I and II, using the AST approved Core Curriculum, totaling a minimum of 120 hours. 

Or, applicants must provide evidence of the equivalent education received from International Society for Sandplay Therapy-ISST Certified Teachers. Such exceptions will be individually evaluated by the Council and supplemental learning and/or experience may be required where necessary. If training was taken elsewhere, candidate will take the AST online Quiz on Sandplay Understanding. See the “Assessments” tab.

6.  Elective Courses: Attendance at and participation in elective Sandplay courses taught by Registered Sandplay Therapist – Supervisors-STR-S or International Society for Sandplay Therapy Teachers-ISST, totaling 10 hours.

7.  Online Coursework: Successful completion of Dr. Turner’s online Sandplay curriculum, Introductory and Intermediate courses. See www.barbaraturner.org    “Online Courses” tab.

Or, evidence of having read, studied and gained fluency with the classic works in Sandplay: Dora Kalff’s Sandplay: A Psychotherapeutic Approach to the Psyche; Estelle L. Weinrib’s Images of the Self: The Sandplay Therapy Process; and H.G. Wells’ Floor Games. Evidence will be provided by successfully passing the Association’s online quiz designed for this purpose. See the “Assessments” tab for the Quiz on Sandplay Fundamentals.

8. Personal Sandplay Experience with a Registered Sandplay Therapist-STR, STR-C, STR-CT, or a Certified Sandplay Therapist-ISST to include a minimum of 21 personal Sandplay process hours. Some of these may be completed on the course if you are undergoing experiential training. However, in addition to any completed on the course, a minimum of 12 individual face to face process hours is required.

The Association recognizes that a  Sandplay process is an intimate personal experience shared between client and therapist. The effectiveness, depth or sincerity of the Sandplay work cannot be insured nor measured by quantity of time or numbers of sand trays. The authenticity of the work is entrusted to the individual Candidate. The purpose of the personal Sandplay experience is for the Candidate to undergo and experience sandplay as a client.

9.  Summary of Personal Process Experience:  A written summary by Candidate of his or her personal experience of the personal Sandplay process not to exceed 500 words, or two pages.

10. Consultation by a Registered Sandplay Therapist – Consultant – STR-C, or  STR-CT, totaling 50 hours, a minimum of 10 which must be individual supervision, the balance of which may be group or individual supervision. Must present a minimum of 5 times in group meetings of 110 minutes.

11.  Sandplay Case Review – with an STR-C, or STR-CT with whom they have not worked. The case review is not a test of expertise, rather a  demonstration of a working awareness of symbolism and psychic process in Sandplay.

12.  Disposition to Sandplay Work: Registrant must attest by written word that he or she understands the power and depth of Jungian Sandplay and that practicing Sandplay is a sacred responsibility, which demands reverence and humility. To maintain these values Registrant agrees to practice loving compassion with his or her clients, colleagues and with him or herself. Registrant acknowledges that should he or she ever begin to feel seduced by or some way disordered in relation to the power of Sandplay he or she agrees to seek immediate supervision and/or therapy. If the Council of Mentors has concerns about the actions of a Member, they may call the Registrant in for review and direct Registrant to seek remedy, which may include supervision and/or therapy. If Registrant feels that a Member colleague is acting in a way that is disordered to Association’s core values he or she agrees to approach and discuss the concerns with the Member and, if unresolved, to bring this to the attention of the Council of Mentors under protection of anonymity. The Council of Mentors will review and manage any such issues with loving compassion, making recommendations for remedy to the Registrant where necessary. Should the Registrant fail to comply with the disposition of the Council of Mentors, he or she is subject to suspension or termination of Registration.


Registered Sandplay Therapist – Consultant  STR-C

1.   Experience as a Registered Sandplay Therapist: A minimum of three -3- years as a STR. 

2.  Mentored Consultation Training:  STR-C candidates will seek their own mentoring/training assistance from a current STR-CT.  This will include work with groups and individuals with the mentor.  

In this course of training, the candidate begins as an assistant consultant, and follows all of the RST-CT’s suggestions for improvement, skill building, group guidance and group member empowerment skills.  At the discretion of the RST-CT, the candidate will then act as lead consultant in one or more group and individual consultations, until such time as the supervising RST-CT feels the candidate is qualified for independent work as a RST-CT.

When prepared and with mentor’s approval, the candidate will conduct one or more group and individual consultation sessions with an STR-CT with whom they have not previously worked for approval of readiness, or suggestions for further learning by the second STR-CT.

3.   Working Understanding of Jungian Personality Theory:  Online course work Level III or equivalent demonstration of a working understanding of Jungian personality theory in Sandplay process. See www.barbaraturner.org for the online curriculum in Jungian personality theory.


Registered Sandplay Therapist – Consultant Teacher
STR-CT
  1. RST-C Membership:  To qualify as a Sandplay Therapist Consultant Teacher, the candidate must have been an RST-C for a minimum of two -2- years.
  2. Academic Contributions:  The candidate must have made academic contributions to the field, in the form of published materials in Sandplay in  journals known in the field, in books, etc.
  3. Pedagogy in Sandplay Training:  Attend pedagogy courses in Sandplay therapy taught by STR-S – 10 hours

    Course content to focus on Sandplay education, process management of participant transformation and other concerns related specifically to teaching Sandplay.

  4. Mentored Teaching with STR-CT:  Work with Teaching Mentor in several trainings to gain experience of content delivery, participant management, containing participants’ transformation, etc.  When Mentor feels the applicant is ready, applicant will prepare and teach two cases, providing participants with an outline of the process of change in each case. Draw on all learning and incorporate Jungian personality theory. Have participants complete evaluation forms in each instance and review with Mentor Teacher. Mentor will provide a written summary of teaching, evaluations and review with candidate.

    4.  Mentored Teaching of Original Curriculum: 
    Prepare and teach a full-day curriculum of Registrant’s own design under Mentor’s supervision. Have participants complete evaluation forms in each instance and review with Mentor Teacher. Mentor will provide a written summary of teaching and evaluations and review with candidate.

5.   Academic Contribution to Sandplay: Do one of the following:

A.   Write and publish a case study in a Sandplay Journal or on the Association’s Educational website page.

B.   Write and publish a theoretical paper on an aspect of Sandplay and illustrate with vignettes from several cases. Publish in a Sandplay Journal, a professional journal or on the Association’s Educational website page.

C.   Write and publish a book showing new work and insight into Sandplay therapy.

D.  Do original research in Sandplay therapy and publish the results in a recognized professional publication

6.    Network with International Colleagues:  Attend one or more international conferences on Sandplay Therapy. Make presentations when possible.

STR-CT Members may teach Sandplay therapy with a curriculum based on the AST Core Curriculum and approved by the Association’s Council of Mentors, or other such body appointed by the Council. STR-CT Members may also teach the AST Core Curriculum developed by themselves and approved of by the Council of Wisdom. STR-CT may teach Dr. Turner’s original Core Curriculum by separate agreement. 

Certified Sandplay Training