JOURNAL OF SANDPLAY THERAPY VOLUME 26 Number 1 2017 REFLECTIONS: BOOKS & EVENTS JACQUELYN KELLEY: AN INTERVIEW BY MURIEL DONNELLY Debbie Mego Los Angeles, California, USA 2017 Sandplay Therapists of America /Journal of Sandplay Therapy Debbie Mego is a Certified Sandplay Therapist Teaching member of Sandplay Therapists of America and the International Society for Sandplay Therapy. Paintings, pp.2-5: Details from the Villa of Mysteries Revisited by Margaret Humphris 2012. On January 19, 2017, Jacquelyn Kelley, a Teaching Member of Sandplay Therapists of America and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker was interviewed by Muriel Donnelly on an Empire Broadcasting radio program called Professional s Round Table. Jacquelyn Kelley tells the story of how she became a sandplay therapist and shares her experiences using Sandplay Therapy with terminally ill clients in a hospice setting. I was very impressed with her ability to spark interest in what sandplay is really about, outlining its basic requirements and tenets using clear, concise language. Initially the interviewer, Muriel Donnelly seemed understandably a bit dubious about sandplay, commenting humorously that she normally tells her kids to get out of the sand unless we re on vacation. By the end of the interview, she expressed a much deeper understanding of sandplay as a process. Jacquelyn Kelley is the owner of Adult Child and Family Counseling and the Director of Social Services at Compass Hospice in Plano, Texas. She worked as a special education teacher for six years before pursuing a Masters in Social Work, a career change motivated by her desire to do more in-depth work with emotional and behavioral concerns. Kelley worked for many years as a school social worker in various states. While in Minnesota she was first exposed to sandplay; subsequently it has been a big piece of her work in private practice as she has moved and taught around the country. Currently Kelley offers counseling for children, adults, families and couples. She uses sandplay with children and adults individually.
In response to Donnelly s question, What was it about Sandplay that attracted you to it? Kelley describes how, while working in schools she encountered many children with behavioral problems who were very bright and had been in counseling before. They pretty much knew all the counseling lingo and could talk rings around any counselor and avoid their problems. When she began to use sandplay with these children, she watched them work nonverbally, using images to play out what s happening for them in their lives and to find a way to get through it and heal and move on. It s that powerful healing and almost transformation that I have seen happen with individuals who did sandplay therapy. In addition to being a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Jacquelyn Kelley is also certified in Thanatology by the Association for Death, Education and Counseling (ADEC). Kelley explains that thanatology involves studying the perceptions of death from different cultural perspectives, looking at how different cultures deal with death, beliefs about assisted suicide, as well as religious aspects. Given her dual certifications, Kelley is uniquely trained to do hospice work using sandplay. When she speaks about her hospice work the depth of her understanding is evident. At a poignant moment in the interview Donnelly comments, I ll be honest with you. I don t fear death but I don t want to die... I m the mother of two young children. I love my kids so much I can t imagine not being with them constantly. When I was younger I was more carefree and I wouldn t even think about it. But now I have so much to lose that I do think about it. Detail from the Villa of Mysteries Revisited by Margaret Humphris 2012.
Kelley agrees with her that people have different approaches to death at different points in their lives. She emphasizes that death is part of living. It s that one for sure thing we all have in common. She feels it is a sacred time and a sacred space to be with someone when they are dying. In both sandplay and hospice work, we have to learn to listen and watch in different ways because when those sacred times come or you experience them, you have to be open and be aware in order for you to perceive them and allow the others to experience them as well. Donnelly asks how Sandplay Therapy helps people to heal when they realize they could potentially be coming to the end of their lives. Kelley explains that sandplay enables clients to play out or use images that have given them meaning in their lives. She describes working with a woman who recreated images from different phases of her life. She was able to do her life review and see where her life has had meaning. That s what s important to all of us. What is the meaning of our life, especially when we come to the end. What difference have I made and what difference do I make to people? So they could see it visually with the images they put in the sand.
As the interview progresses, Donnelly s initial doubts about sandplay seem to be gradually replaced by a kind of fascination. It s interesting how sandplay allows you to express thoughts without having to say anything out loud She ponders what happens in sandplay that allows this sense of being at peace with oneself and whether we can all achieve this potentially. Kelley explains the importance of the relationship with the therapist who holds the process, essentially enabling people to do their own healing and growth. Muriel Donnelly ends the interview by thanking Jacquelyn Kelley and commenting, I think my topic of conversation at dinner tonight will be Sandplay. JACQUELYN KELLEY: AN INTERVIEW BY MURIEL DONNELLY Debbie Mego Los, Angeles, California, USA KEY WORDS: Sandplay therapy, interview, Jacquelyn Kelley, hospice, terminally ill, Professional s Round Table, thanatology, cultural perspectives, death. ABSTRACT: This is a Reflection on an interview of Jacquelyn Kelley, LCSW, CST-T with Muriel Donnelly on January 19, 2017 on Empire Broadcasting s radio program, Professional s Round Table. Jacquelyn Kelley shares personal history about how she came to be a sandplay therapist, as well as the way she uses her training in thanatology and sandplay therapy when she does hospice work. She concisely outlines the basic tenets and requirements of Sandplay Therapy. Muriel Donnelly begins the interview seeming somewhat dubious about Sandplay, however by the end of the interview shows much interest. Kelley shares many interesting insights about using sandplay both as a school social worker and as a hospice worker. Detail from the Villa of Mysteries Revisited by Margaret Humphris 2012
About the author: DEBBIE MEGO, PHD, LCSW, CST-T has used sandplay in her private practice for over twenty-five years. She is a Certified Sandplay Therapist Teaching Member of Sandplay Therapists of America and the International Society for Sandplay Therapy. She is a co-coordinator of the Sandplay Community of Los Angeles and a Clinical Supervisor at Counseling West in Van Nuys, Los Angeles. Dr. Mego is currently in private practice in West Los Angeles where she offers sandplay supervision and works with adults, specializing in the treatment of depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder, life transitions, cross-cultural and adoption issues. Dr. Mego has a background as a classical pianist and works with people in the arts, using sandplay as a tool in helping overcome creative blocks. She has also published in the Journal of Sandplay Therapy. CORRESPONDENCE: Debbiemego@aol.com / debbiemego.com About the artist: MARGARET HUMPHRIS, MFA, MSW, LCSW-BACS, CST is an analytically oriented therapist and sandplay therapist on the senior staff of the Mental Health Service at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. She is a Certified Member of Sandplay Therapists of America and the International Society for Sandplay Therapy and has been practicing sandplay therapy for fifteen years. She is a founding member and past president of the C.G. Jung Society of Baton Rouge. Margaret Humphris is also a professional artist and long standing member of the Baton Rouge Gallery. Her paintings have shown throughout the southern United States and in New Zealand, with several published in the Journal of Sandplay Therapy. CORRESPONDENCE: mhumph4@lsu.edu Details from the Villa of Mysteries Revisited by Margaret Humphris 2012