FAQ

 

Q. How do I get services?

Most of our clients receive services through Medi-Cal administered by their county mental health department, through Beacon, or on a sliding scale.

Please refer to the Locations tab under Contact Us on our website.

Q. Do you offer bilingual services?

Yes, we offer services in Spanish and English.

Q. What is sandplay therapy?

Imagine a collection of thousands of miniatures from all ages and cultures: real and fantasy people, images from different spiritual orientations, heroic and wounded figures, dinosaurs, wild animals, dragons, monsters, and animals/people/things from everyday life.

Clients choose figures to make a picture in a tray filled with sand, either dry or wet. They make a series of sandplay pictures over time, allowing a release and finding of solutions around negative patterns and conflicts that are difficult to talk about or be aware of.

The hidden pictures of the psyche also become visible as do solutions for problems that seemed overwhelming. Clients are then able to develop healthy and self-nurturing patterns and find more constructive ways to seek fulfillment of their needs and interact with others.

Sandplay was developed in the 1950s by Dora Kalff and has been researched since then. For many clients, specific changes are seen over time in the sandplay pictures. Life changes often appear later on or in conjunction with sandplay therapy as well. Please visit www.sandplay.org for more information about sandplay.

Q. How will my child feel about going to therapy?

Many parents worry that a child will feel stigmatized or strange about going to therapy. Through all our years working with children, we see many children enjoy the process and often they show signs that they are even relieved to have a place where they can express their feelings and work through conflicts.

In the initial meeting, you and the therapist will discuss ways to talk about the process with your child. We are always open to your child’s feelings about therapy and we invite an open dialogue with the child whether in words or through play.

Q. Where can I get more information about related services?

Here are some websites you might find helpful:

www.sandplay.org (more information about sandplay)

www.lomi.org (lists therapists north of San Rafael)

www.somaticpsychotherapycenter.org (body-centered psychotherapy in San Francisco)

www.psychehealing.net (the website for Kathy Buys, MFT in San Mateo)