{"id":342,"date":"2025-08-04T05:46:16","date_gmt":"2025-08-04T05:46:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thechangenavigator.co.nz\/?page_id=342"},"modified":"2026-07-30T02:59:34","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T02:59:34","slug":"ifs-brainspotting-somatic-sandtray-play","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/thechangenavigator.co.nz\/index.php\/ifs-brainspotting-somatic-sandtray-play\/","title":{"rendered":"More Information"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover is-light\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"405\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-664\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/thechangenavigator.co.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cogs-and-process-smaller-file-1024x405.jpg\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thechangenavigator.co.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cogs-and-process-smaller-file-1024x405.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/thechangenavigator.co.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cogs-and-process-smaller-file-300x119.jpg 300w, https:\/\/thechangenavigator.co.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cogs-and-process-smaller-file-768x304.jpg 768w, https:\/\/thechangenavigator.co.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cogs-and-process-smaller-file-1536x608.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/thechangenavigator.co.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cogs-and-process-smaller-file-2048x810.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-0 has-background-dim\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-cover-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-ast-global-color-1-color has-text-color has-link-color has-x-large-font-size wp-elements-2992110ee10e7ef66bd6bb8b355f02ca wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>More<br>Information<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-1-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-ad3fc97a4a787635524b20ae4b9f4e60 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Why Talking Isn\u2019t Enough<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Talking can be powerful \u2013 but it\u2019s not always enough. That\u2019s because trauma, emotional memory, and core patterns are often stored in parts of the brain that <em>don\u2019t use language<\/em>. Talk therapy mainly engages the <strong>left hemisphere<\/strong> and <strong>neocortex<\/strong>. These are the thinking, verbal parts of the brain. However, emotional healing also requires access to deeper systems: the <strong>right hemisphere<\/strong>, <strong>the limbic system<\/strong>, <strong>the nervous system<\/strong> and the <strong>brainstem<\/strong>, where unprocessed experiences, implicit memory, and nervous system responses are held.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s why I integrate approaches that engage the <em><strong>whole brain and body<\/strong><\/em>, not just the thinking mind. These methods are gentle, effective ways to reach and release what talking alone can\u2019t touch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-1-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-ccbc9692c02e0f1fa275819aee241612 wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"parts-work\"><strong>Parts Integration Involves Getting to Know All Parts of You<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Informed by Internal Family Systems, understanding our different parts helps us make sense of the inner voices or patterns that sometimes feel at odds with one another. You might have a part that wants to move forward, and another that feels stuck or scared. Rather than trying to silence or fix these parts, IFS invites us to understand them. Each part has a reason for being there, often rooted in protection or past experience. When we get curious with compassion, these parts soften, and we can reconnect with our core self \u2013 calm, clear, and capable of leading from within.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What is Internal Family Systems therapy?<br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/what-is-ifs-therapy-internal-family-systems-therapy-5195336\">https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/what-is-ifs-therapy-internal-family-systems-therapy-5195336<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-1-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-01081e1ec90806eea8dd2642800640f5 wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"Sand-Tray-Therapy\"><strong>Uncovering the Unknown<\/strong>:<strong> Sand Tray Therapy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sand tray therapy is a creative and powerful way to explore thoughts, feelings, and experiences that can be hard to express in words. Using a tray of sand and a collection of miniature figures, you or your child can create scenes that reflect your inner world, consciously or unconsciously. These scenes often reveal what\u2019s beneath the surface, helping us see patterns, express emotion, or process pain in a safe and contained way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For children, the tray becomes a natural space for storytelling, play, and emotional expression. For adults, it often helps bypass the thinking mind and access symbolic, deeper layers of the psyche, especially when talking feels overwhelming, stuck, or limited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sand tray therapy engages and connects both the right and left hemispheres of the brain, allowing for emotional integration and insight through images, sensations, and meanings, not just logic. Whether you\u2019re navigating grief, trauma, identity shifts, or simply trying to make sense of a situation, the sand offers a gentle and surprisingly revealing path forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/thechangenavigator.co.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/adult-sand-tray4-90-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-102\" style=\"width:318px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thechangenavigator.co.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/adult-sand-tray4-90-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/thechangenavigator.co.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/adult-sand-tray4-90-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/thechangenavigator.co.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/adult-sand-tray4-90-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/thechangenavigator.co.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/adult-sand-tray4-90-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/thechangenavigator.co.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/adult-sand-tray4-90-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What is Sand Tray therapy? <br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/what-is-sand-tray-therapy-4589493\">https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/what-is-sand-tray-therapy-4589493<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-1-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-8492d8d17d04605f8ef3c566569717d0 wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"brainspotting\"><strong>Memory Healing: Unlocking Your Brain\u2019s Natural Healing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Brainspotting is a powerful tool for accessing and releasing trauma and emotional pain stored deep in the brain and body. It works by identifying specific eye positions that correspond to unprocessed material, often beyond conscious awareness. By simply noticing where the eyes naturally focus during distress or emotion, we can access the brain\u2019s innate ability to process and heal. Unlike traditional talk therapy, this approach bypasses the thinking brain and goes straight to the implicit memory source, which we often can&#8217;t remember. This allows for deep shifts without reliving or retelling painful stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What is Brainspotting? <br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/brainspotting-therapy-definition-techniques-and-efficacy-5213947\">https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/brainspotting-therapy-definition-techniques-and-efficacy-5213947<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-1-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-bff32b8bf2f944d00fb1e7505db1cecb wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"somatic\"><strong>Embodied Healing: Discovering What Your Body Already Knows<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our bodies carry the imprint of our experiences, especially when those experiences were too much, too fast, or too soon. Somatic work helps us tune into the nervous system\u2019s subtle signals: tension, numbness, gut feelings, racing hearts. These are not \u201cjust symptoms,\u201d they\u2019re messages. Instead of talking <em>about<\/em> stress or trauma, we learn to feel and respond to what the body is telling us. Through gentle awareness and regulation, this work helps release survival responses (such as fight, flight, or freeze) and create greater safety, calm, and presence in the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What is somatic experiencing?<br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/what-is-somatic-experiencing-5204186\">https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/what-is-somatic-experiencing-5204186<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-1-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-7638c8fe84bfdb15fc1195b5541bca03 wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"healing-through-play\"><strong>Healing Through Play: Child-Centred Play Therapy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Children don\u2019t process experiences the same way adults do \u2013 they communicate through play. Non-directive play therapy offers a safe space where children can express their feelings, process experiences, and explore their world through toys, stories, and imagination. It\u2019s not just \u201cplaying\u201d, it\u2019s therapeutic play, guided by the child\u2019s inner wisdom. As the therapist, I follow the child\u2019s lead with empathy and structure, helping them build emotional resilience, confidence, and coping skills, all without needing to put everything into words. This approach honours the child\u2019s natural healing process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What is Play therapy?<br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/play-therapy-definition-types-techniques-5194915\">https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/play-therapy-definition-types-techniques-5194915<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For more play therapy information, visit these TED talks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=-J-cihpkSoo\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=-J-cihpkSoo<\/a> The Power of Play to Heal and Connect |  Amy Work<br><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/SbeS5iezIDA\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/SbeS5iezIDA<\/a> Trauma and Play Therapy: Holding Hard Stories | Paris Goodyear-Brown. This has confronting material, so please take care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-1-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-fa65547d0f6e6911389f0da4d351b28a wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"vagus-nerve\"><strong>Nervous System Regulation: The Vagus Nerve and Your Nervous System<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your nervous system is constantly scanning the world around you, deciding whether it&#8217;s safe to connect, necessary to act, or time to shut down and protect. Polyvagal theory helps us understand these automatic responses and why they matter, especially after stress or trauma. It is your body&#8217;s wisdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The vagus nerve operates through three states: safe and social (calm, connected, present), fight or flight (mobilised and ready for action), and shutdown or freeze (numb, collapsed, disconnected). These aren&#8217;t choices. They&#8217;re survival responses wired deep in the brainstem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many patterns that feel &#8220;stuck&#8221;, such as anxiety, avoidance, or difficulty connecting, are simply the nervous system doing what it learned to do. Through gentle, body-based approaches, we can help it update those responses, building greater capacity for safety, presence, and connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What is Polyvagal Theory?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/polyvagal-theory-4588049\">https:\/\/www.verywellmind.com\/polyvagal-theory-4588049<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"499\" height=\"85\" src=\"https:\/\/thechangenavigator.co.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/banner-full-CN-full-002.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-140\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thechangenavigator.co.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/banner-full-CN-full-002.png 499w, https:\/\/thechangenavigator.co.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/banner-full-CN-full-002-300x51.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 499px) 100vw, 499px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Why Talking Isn\u2019t Enough Talking can be powerful \u2013 but it\u2019s not always enough. That\u2019s because trauma, emotional memory, and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":4,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-342","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thechangenavigator.co.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/342","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thechangenavigator.co.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thechangenavigator.co.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechangenavigator.co.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thechangenavigator.co.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=342"}],"version-history":[{"count":33,"href":"https:\/\/thechangenavigator.co.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/342\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":842,"href":"https:\/\/thechangenavigator.co.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/342\/revisions\/842"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thechangenavigator.co.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=342"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}