Sandtray Therapy​ for Spiritual and Religious Trauma

    Date: June 4-6, 2025

    Time: (June 4-5) 9:00am - 4:45pm;  (June 6) 9:00am - 3:00pm

    Presenters: Jake Johnson, PhD, LMFT, AAMFT-Approved Supervisor and Marshall Lyles, LMFT-S, LPC-S

    Hours: 12 continuing education hours can be earned for attending this training as consistent with Texas Board requirements (Marshall Lyles is seeking approval to offer continuing education credit to counselors. Please check our website for updates.). The optional third day of the training is for personal growth and as such CEs will not be offered. (A minimum of five people need to register for the optional third day in order for it to be offered.)

    Description: Spirituality is considered by many to be a resource in times of stress. However, many have also experienced spirituality to be a context for trauma in their lives and relationships. Spiritual trauma creates a complex web of hardships for those impacted by it. Not only does it create painful identity wounds and profound confusion with one’s sense of self, it also substantially impacts one’s relational world. Clients attempting to heal such traumas deserve to be met in spiritual safety, and sandtray therapy has much to offer in this regard. In this workshop, participants will be offered support in bringing the sacred art of sandtray into gentle contact with spiritual trauma. After two days of CE offering, participants can opt in to a third day of personal processing in a small group facilitated by the workshop leaders.

    Learning objectives:
    1. Define spirituality, including how it is understood and has been lived out across various contexts over time
    2. Identify experiences that may lead to spiritual trauma and core elements of such trauma
    3. Discuss the basic tenets of sandtray therapy 
    4. Compare how sandtray therapy and traditional talk therapy approaches differ when caring for those impacted by spiritual trauma
    5. Engage in self-of-the-healer sandtray experience regarding one’s own sense of spirituality and how this connects to one’s work as a healer
    6. Explain needed adaptations to traditional sandtray therapy for effective work with spiritual trauma
    7. Discuss beginning, middle, and end-phase sandtray work for a client impacted by spiritual trauma 
    8. Engage in self-of-the-healer sandtray experience regarding bearing witness to the spiritual trauma of others

    Registration information: The registration fee is $450 for the first two days, which include CEs. The optional third day costs an additional $150. If you select to sign up for the third day in the registration section below, you will receive an email with a payment link once the 5 person minimum has been reached.
    The training will occur at The Workshop, 300 Allen St., Austin, TX, 78702

    Cancellation policy: Registration is non-refundable; any participant who needs to cancel is welcome to find someone to fill their spot. To address any concerns or to resolve any disputes regarding this event, email [email protected].
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    Registration