A Single-Case Study of Sandplay Therapy in a Fifth-Grade Elementary School Girl with School Violence Trauma: Focusing on Changes in Dreams and Symbolism
Moon-Hee Park, Hyeon-Jeong Kwak
Psychological Counselling and Sandplay Therapy August 1, 2026 DOI: 10.54084/pcst.2026.8.2.28 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative instrumental single-case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | A fifth-grade girl who had experienced school violence-related trauma |
| Intervention | Sandplay therapy |
| Duration | 15 counseling sessions |
| Key findings | Symbols in the girl's sandplay works evolved from safety and protection themes, through relational exploration and inner experience, to confronting trauma, while dream symbols were transformed rather than repeated. These symbolic changes accompanied improvements in sleep stability, emotional stability, interpersonal relationships, and psychological assessment findings, suggesting a consistent pattern of psychological change across multiple data sources. |
Abstract
This qualitative instrumental single-case study explored the patterns and meanings of symbolic changes in dreams and sandplay works during sandplay therapy with a fifth-grade girl who had experienced school violence-related trauma. Based on Stake’s (1995) instrumental case study approach, data collected from 15 counseling sessions—including photographs of sandplay works, dream reports, therapist observation records, parent and teacher reports, and psychological assessment data—were analyzed. Data analysis was guided by Stake’s (1995) principles of direct interpretation and categorical aggregation, and symbolic meanings were interpreted from a Jungian analytical psychology perspective while giving priority to the client’s individual context. The findings showed that the symbols expressed in the sandplay works evolved from themes of safety and protection in the early stage, through relational exploration and the expression of inner experiences in the middle stage, to the coexistence of opposites and active confrontation with traumatic experiences in the later stage. Dream symbols reported at the beginning of therapy were not simply repeated in the sandplay works but were transformed and elaborated throughout the therapeutic process. These symbolic changes were accompanied by improvements in sleep stability, emotional stability, interpersonal relationships, and psychological assessment findings, demonstrating a consistent pattern of psychological change across multiple sources of data. This study traced the symbolic transformation of dreams and sandplay works over the course of therapy and suggests that examining their interrelated changes may contribute to a deeper understanding of psychological processes in children who have experienced school violence-related trauma. The findings also extend the literature beyond symptom-focused outcome research by providing a process-oriented perspective on symbolic change in sandplay therapy.