ing the largest and most elaborate sand castle the teacher had ever seen. The child was respectfully
scooping the sand up in his hands, then patting it firmly yet gently into place. He had carefully cre-
ated towers and turrets, dug a moat, and raised flags, in total absorption.
When the boy completed his impressive work of art, he rested back on the sand, appearing to
admire his own work. Then, suddenly, he leapt forward, jumped on the castle, smashed it down,
spread it over the sand, and watched as wave after wave washed away any evidence of its existence. It
was as though the castle had never existed.
The teacher was shocked. What a waste! Why should such an achievement be obliterated? Why
would a creator destroy his own work? He walked across the beach and asked the boy, “Why do you
spend so much time and effort building such a huge and elaborate castle only to break it down?”
“My parents have asked me the same question,” confided the boy. “My mother sees something
very symbolic in it, but then that is my mother. She tells me that each grain of sand is like each as-
pect of humanity. Together they can form something impressive but, when we forget about our re-
lationships with others and try to exist like a solitary grain of sand, something is destroyed in much
the same way that I destroy a castle, or that the ocean breaks it up into millions of pieces and disperses
it along the beach.
“My father says it is a way of learning about life. Nothing lasts forever. Like sand castles, every-
thing is created and destroyed, exists and vanishes, is impermanent. When we appreciate this we can
begin to enjoy the time that we have available. He says that building sand castles is a way that chil-
dren intuitively come to learn and understand these important lessons of life.
“For me?” asked the boy. “For me, I am just playing. I just want to enjoy what I am doing and
have fun.”
The lecturer untied his shoelaces and cast aside his footwear. He peeled off his socks and rolled
up his trousers. He un-knotted his tie and sat down beside the boy, asking, “May I stay and play with
you?”
In an award-winning article entitled “Playful Metaphors” in the American Journal of Clinical Hyp-
nosis,Dr. Julie Linden claims, “It is through play that children develop, and when development has
been interrupted therapeutic play can heal” (2003a, p. 245). Play is thus presented as essential to the
process of maturation and the process of healing, serving several functions. Biologically, play provides
exercise, develops physical skills, and offers release of energy. Intrapersonally, it helps develop per-
sonal mastery, mind-body interaction, and conflict resolution. Interpersonally, it facilitates the devel-
opment of identity and social skills, while socioculturally, it models culturally appropriate behaviors
and roles (Schaefer & O’Connor, 1983).
When you set out to communicate a healing story through play or playful activities, several ther-
apeutic benefits are almost inherently present:
■ Play is likely to create a good mood or feeling in your work, thus shifting the unpleasant,
negative associations the child may have with the way the therapeutic “issue” has been tack-
led by direct parental injunctions in the past.
■ By the time the child is hauled into our office and we are instructed to “fix” him or her, re-
lationships between the key players and the “issue” are often negative. Play is one quick and
effective method to modify that situation, enhancing and facilitating positive relationships
between therapist and child as well as between parent and child.TOOLS & TECHNIQUESTools and Techniques 37