Humanistic Sandtray Therapy and Couples Counseling: A Phenomenological Inquiry

Author

Ruben Gomez

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D)

Department

Counseling

Date of Award

Fall 2024

Abstract

Divorce is a legal dissolution of a marriage by a court or other competent body. Over the past four decades the divorce rate in the United States has climbed from 20% up to 50%. Divorce not only impacts the couple but also their children and can have a profound impact on their social and psychological well-being. There are a multitude of reasons that cause distress in a relationship such as finances, poor communication, and intimacy to name a few. Sometimes the sources of distress can lead the couple to make the decision to divorce. Efforts to prevent divorce have been the implementation of pre-marital counseling, an increase in number of marriage and family therapist trained, and the development of therapeutic interventions such as Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and Gottman Method Couples Therapy. Although these preventative measures have shown positive results, there remains a gap in finding a method that is completely successful. The focus of this phenomenological study was to introduce Humanistic Sandtray Therapy to couples in counseling and ascertain their lived experiences. The themes that emerged from the participants feedback are discussed, and the implications and recommendations for counseling are outlined.

Advisor

LaVelle Hendricks

Subject Categories

Counseling Psychology | Psychology | Social and Behavioral Sciences

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