Stephen A. Armstrong

Impact of Group Sandtray Therapy on the Self-Esteem of Young Adolescent Girls

The effectiveness of group sandtray therapy was examined using a pretest-posttest control group design with young adolescent girls (n = 37) identified as having low self-esteem. A split-plot analysis of variance (SPANOVA) revealed statistically significant differences between participants in the treatment and control groups in self-esteem on five of the six subscales of the Self-Perception Profile for Children. The implications of the findings are discussed.

Spirituality and Counseling Supervision: Current Practices of Board-Approved Supervisors

This study surveyed three levels of licensed professional counselors—interns (LPC-Is), counselors (LPCs), and supervisors (LPC-Ss)—regarding the extent to which spirituality is addressed in supervision. An exploratory factor analysis (N = 373) revealed four salient factors: supervisory system, meaning and values, client system, and diversity. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) showed statistically significant differences between LPC-Ss and LPC-Is. This study found supervisors’ perceptions of addressing spirituality in supervision were statistically significantly higher than interns. Implications of the findings are presented.

Humanistic Sandtray Therapy With Preadolescents

Humanistic sandtray therapy is a dynamic form of psychotherapy in which clients express inner subjective experiencing symbolically and metaphorically using miniature figures in the sand. In this article, we describe humanistic sandtray therapy, discuss how specific interventions can be modified to meet preadolescent developmental needs, and recommend strategies for using sandtray therapy with preadolescents. Finally, we provide two case illustrations of humanistic sandtray therapy with preadolescents in a public school setting.

On the Intersection of Spiritual and Social-Emotional Development in Children and Adolescents

Counselors are expected to approach clinical work with children and adolescents through developmental lenses. In this article, we review two major developmental processes, spiritual and social-emotional, including major models, and explore integration of these models. We review the work of Fowler (1981) and Greenspan (1981, 1992, 1998) to provide a fuller understanding of the holistic developmental needs of children and adolescents. We provide implications for counselors focusing on the importance of including the child or adolescent’s spiritual and functional emotional development in case conceptualization and treatment planning.