The debt we owe to the play of imagination is incalculable. - Carl Jung

Welcome

This is the site for the British and Irish Sandplay Society (BISS), a national member of the International Society for Sandplay Therapy (ISST). ISST is the international body founded in 1985 by Dora Kalff for the study and practice of Sandplay Therapy, and the protection and development of this therapeutic method. ISST is an affiliate of the International Association for Analytical Psychology (IAAP) and is also based in Zurich, Switzerland.

BISS is a professional body that represents and supports the professional practice of Jungian Sandplay in both Britain and Ireland. It was founded in 1987 by Joel Ryce-Menuhin, a London based Jungian Analyst and Sandplay Therapist. BISS is one of a number of national societies from around the world that make up the membership of ISST.

The therapeutic approach of Jungian Sandplay is based on Dora Kalff's application of the psychology of C.G. Jung, to an embodied experience of image creation and development in sand, using small symbolic objects to create three dimensional images. While initially Sandplay was used exclusively with children and adolescents, it was later found to be highly effective as a means of working therapeutically with adults. The Training Programme in Jungian Sandplay offered by BISS is based on Jung’s analytical psychology, together with Kalff’s understanding of symbolic presentation through image creation, and the clinical practice of Sandplay as a non-verbal therapeutic method. The Programme is both experiential and theoretical and aims to facilitate personal and professional development and growth for candidates.

The BISS website provides a range of information about Jungian Sandplay, including information on the London-based professional Training Programme and a list of full members of BISS and ISST in both Britain and Ireland. Whether you are just browsing in curiosity or seeking specific information, we hope you will find clear and helpful information here. If you have additional queries or would like further details please don't hesitate to contact us.