Abstract:
The paper examines the impact of Sandplay therapy on neural processes, highlighting the activation of the right hemisphere of the brain, responsible for processing visual information. Neurological studies, including those of Penfield, Iacoboni and Damasio, are presented in support of the hypothesis that Sandplay contributes to neural reorganization and the creation of new cognitive and emotional connections by integrating symbolic images into the individual's mental maps. The research includes a constatative study on 12 preschoolers involved for three months in activities that include symbolic play and sand, the results indicating changes in the variables monitored: receptivity, expressive language, attention, memory. By conducting a detailed case study, the beneficial effects of Sandplay on a child with anxiety with psychotic manifestations are illustrated, demonstrating a significant reduction in symptoms and better emotional regulation through symbolization and reconfiguration of mental maps. The results of the study indicate that Sandplay therapy is an effective therapeutic intervention, based on the principles of neuroplasticity, facilitating the restructuring of cognitive and emotional processes, the integration of symbolic experiences and neuropsychic development. The research is ongoing, with new hypotheses to be tested and additional statistical analyses to be performed, in order to strengthen the validity of these methods in the field of therapeutic and educational interventions.
