Processing Military Combat Trauma Through Sandtray Therapy: A Phenomenological Study

ABSTRACT

This phenomenological study features four men who participated in the neuro-integrative approach of sandtray therapy to process trauma resulting from military combat. Researchers asked: What is the observed experience of military service members engaging in sandtray therapy to process combat trauma? They engaged in a sandtray therapy session with each participant to gather this information. Two primary thematic categories emerged from this research: sandwork and emotional processing, which both hold several subthemes. The implications of these findings are salient to counselors and other mental health practitioners, as it appears that sandtray is an accessible modality that can be used to effectively process combat trauma. Additional implications are discussed in regard to clinical practice and research.

KEYWORDS:

• Military
• sandtray therapy
• qualitative research
• creativity
• creativity in counseling