For Jungian analyst and professor, Jorge de la O, the desire to become a therapist began in the late 1970s when he saw Violet Oaklander[1] the founder of Gestalt therapy with children and adolescents, at a confluent education conference at USC. Oaklander presented some slides on the process of sandtray (a somewhat different process from Sandplay, the Jungian approach to sandtray which was created by Jungian analyst Dora Kalff)[2]. When Jorge saw the trays and the work Oaklander was doing, he was completely taken by it. "It was magical," he reports. As a kindergarten teacher at the time, he knew he wanted Sandplay in his life, and a seed was planted....

After starting the program at Pacifica Graduate Institute (where he now holds a faculty position), Jorge’s early fascination with Sandplay was renewed. The Counseling program required that each student training to be a therapist undergo their own personal therapy, so Jorge immediately looked for a Sandplay therapist who was also a Jungian analyst. All the tumblers just sort of fell into place right from the beginning, he notes.

sandplay_by_dora_kalff.jpg?t=1507063614125&name=sandplay_by_dora_kalff.jpg&width=200I can relate to Jorge’s perception of Sandplay as “magical,” having been completely taken by some of the case studies presented at a recent conference I attended on Sandplay, and how Sandplay works so magnificently in the healing process. The founder of Sandplay (and author of the book by the same name), Dora Kalff, saw Sandplay as a free and open space where individuals create images in the sand using miniatures[3], Jorge informs me. It is a nonverbal form of therapy which allows psyche to come to the surface, much like active imagination. Part of the magic, as Jorge explains it....

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ABOUT THE HOSTS/PRESENTERS
BONNIE BRIGHT, Ph.D.,(Founder of Depth Psychology Alliance), is a Transpersonal Soul-Centered Coach certified via Alef Trust/Middlesex University, and a certified Archetypal Pattern Analyst®, and has trained extensively in Holotropic Breathwork™ and the Enneagram. She has trained with African elder, Malidoma Some'; with Transpersonal Pioneer Stan Grof; and with Jungian analyst, Jerome Bernstein, among others.Her dissertation focused on a symbolic look at Colony Collapse Disorder and what the mass vanishing of honeybees means to us both personally and as a collective. Bonnie’s path to soul began with a spontaneous mystical experience in 2006, and she continues her quest for awakening each day with a sense of joy, freedom, and gratitude at the magic afoot in the world.

DR. CHRISTOPHE MORIN holds a Ph.D. in Media Psychology with a focus on Neuropsychology, pioneering the integration of brain science with emotional resilience, spiritual growth, and personal transformation. As adjunct faculty at Johns Hopkins University, he teaches neuroscience and AI, making cutting-edge research practical and empowering. He’s the author of OPEN: The Neurospiritual Guide to the Self-Healing Power of your Brain; OPEN UP: The Neurospiritual Guide to Your Enneagram Type (2025), and The Serenity Code (2021).
In OPEN and OPEN UP, Christophe explores how neuroplasticity, personality, and spirituality intersect to rewire consciousness and foster joy. With decades of experience leading transformative retreats across 40+ countries, Christophe blends neuroscience with spiritual traditions to guide others in releasing limiting beliefs and embodying change. His mission: to help people unlock their highest potential and live with balance, purpose, and flow.