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Images of the Self: Sand Play Therapy Process
Out of print for nearly 20 years, Images of the Self has remained a foundational text on Jungian personality theory in sandplay therapy. In this classic work, Weinrib shares her understanding of how sandplay works to heal and transform the psyche.This updated edition features a new introduction by Dr. Katherine Bradway, colleague and friend of Weinrib, two new chapters from Weinrib's published papers, and a wealth of clearly accessible reference material for study and research.
172 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1983
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 1, 2023
I happened upon this book as I was nondiscriminatory reading whatever happened to be on a pile of books I had lying around. I don't know why this ended up on a pile, since I'm very much not a psychotherapist, but it happened to be there so I gave it a go.
This book opens up pretty good. First 15 pages or so explain how play is good for adults, and not only for children. It explains that unstructured play is even better for connecting with your self. And it is even better if it is done in peace & quiet, without anyone judging you. And it is super better if you take a photo of it, so you can later figure out what you actually built. And it is double super better if someone is watching you play, since you might get giant creative impulse and energy, and it will need to be guided into some useful project.
When this book was written, sand and lead toys and black and white photos were bleeding edge. Now, we have Lego and Cell phone cameras. I don't get why I would want to pay someone $$$ to watch me play with legos, but I'm not going to argue that unstructured creative play is good for the soul!
And this is where good things end and drudgery begins.
Next 60 pages delve into "theory of sandplay". Here is a sample quote from the book: "Digging with our hands, we are actively working in the earth, digging out the energies of the feminine... This feminine activity may give immediate access to the deepest transcendental stratum. Reactivation of the feminine may be a way to reactivate the spirit. Centuries of neglect of feminine reality has led to the desiccation of spirit; rigidity and dogma. Our deepest religious impulses have been thwarted."
This is followed by second part of the book, a 60 page case study of a patient who has been suppressing a lot of his emotions. It presents 14 dioramas with photos, descriptions, patient's descriptions and therapist's analysis.
Some of therapist's observations: "The vulture, as a devourer of the dead, was sacred to most of the goddesses, Hathor, Nekhbet, Maat, Isis and Hera." or "On the upper shore of the water is an emerging crocodile, a symbol of the cold-blooded devouring mother." or "In Hindu belief, the dance of Shiva symbolically created the union of space and time which resulted in the creation of the phenomenal world." I wish I has Estelle's knowledge of mythology. I also utterly fail to see how is this the correct interpretation or what it means.
I'll end with this glorious quote: "On the right, the body of water bears a striking resemblance either to uterus and birth canal or...". If author saw this, I'd hazard a guess one of her daughters was pregnant at a time and she was working out her own thoughts.
Overall, this book manages to present a good idea of creative unstructured play in a boring way. Save yourself couple of hours and go build some sand castles instead.
This book opens up pretty good. First 15 pages or so explain how play is good for adults, and not only for children. It explains that unstructured play is even better for connecting with your self. And it is even better if it is done in peace & quiet, without anyone judging you. And it is super better if you take a photo of it, so you can later figure out what you actually built. And it is double super better if someone is watching you play, since you might get giant creative impulse and energy, and it will need to be guided into some useful project.
When this book was written, sand and lead toys and black and white photos were bleeding edge. Now, we have Lego and Cell phone cameras. I don't get why I would want to pay someone $$$ to watch me play with legos, but I'm not going to argue that unstructured creative play is good for the soul!
And this is where good things end and drudgery begins.
Next 60 pages delve into "theory of sandplay". Here is a sample quote from the book: "Digging with our hands, we are actively working in the earth, digging out the energies of the feminine... This feminine activity may give immediate access to the deepest transcendental stratum. Reactivation of the feminine may be a way to reactivate the spirit. Centuries of neglect of feminine reality has led to the desiccation of spirit; rigidity and dogma. Our deepest religious impulses have been thwarted."
This is followed by second part of the book, a 60 page case study of a patient who has been suppressing a lot of his emotions. It presents 14 dioramas with photos, descriptions, patient's descriptions and therapist's analysis.
Some of therapist's observations: "The vulture, as a devourer of the dead, was sacred to most of the goddesses, Hathor, Nekhbet, Maat, Isis and Hera." or "On the upper shore of the water is an emerging crocodile, a symbol of the cold-blooded devouring mother." or "In Hindu belief, the dance of Shiva symbolically created the union of space and time which resulted in the creation of the phenomenal world." I wish I has Estelle's knowledge of mythology. I also utterly fail to see how is this the correct interpretation or what it means.
I'll end with this glorious quote: "On the right, the body of water bears a striking resemblance either to uterus and birth canal or...". If author saw this, I'd hazard a guess one of her daughters was pregnant at a time and she was working out her own thoughts.
Overall, this book manages to present a good idea of creative unstructured play in a boring way. Save yourself couple of hours and go build some sand castles instead.
April 7, 2026
There are so many patients I work with whose intellectualization of their feelings has thwarted our movement in therapy, and I am genuinely excited to see how Sandplay shifts things for them. This book helped me feel confident enough to give it a try.
August 29, 2015
Great detailed intro to Jungian Sandplay Therapy and walkthrough of an adult case
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews