Barbara Turner, PhD, RPT-S, CST-T
Author, teacher, and founder of Sandplay Training with Barbara Turner
Focused Area
Jungian Sandplay Therapy — the symbolic process, the role of the therapist, and the free and protected space.
Origins — Studying with Dora Kalff
Barbara Turner began her study of Jungian Sandplay therapy with the founder of the method, Dora M. Kalff, in Switzerland in 1988. This direct lineage from the originator anchors her work in the original principles of the free and protected space, the symbolic process, and the spirit of Eastern wisdom that distinguishes Kalffian Sandplay.
Scholarship & Research
Dr. Turner has done extensive research into the theory and healing process of Sandplay. She focused her doctoral studies on the Sandplay method, writing her dissertation on methods of understanding the Sandplay process — a foundational contribution to how clinicians read and hold the unfolding tray.
The Handbook of Sandplay Therapy
Dr. Turner was instrumental in returning the classic books in Sandplay to print, and is the author of what is considered by some to be the authoritative text on Jungian Sandplay, The Handbook of Sandplay Therapy — now translated into Korean, Chinese, Russian, and Italian. Now available in the Revised Edition, with full-color photos and a searchable index, The Handbook is the most read book on Sandplay around the world.
Teaching & Consultation
She teaches Sandplay therapy to mental health clinicians internationally, and serves as consultant to practicing Sandplay and play therapists — carrying the method forward with fidelity to its core principles while training the next generation of clinicians.
Co-Authored Works
Dr. Turner has co-authored with Dr. Kristín Unnsteinsdóttir, Sandplay and Storytelling: The Impact of Imaginative Thinking on Children's Learning and Development, as well as Sandtray Play in Education. She is also the chief editor of The Routledge International Handbook of Sandplay Therapy.
Association for Sandplay Therapy (AST)
Dr. Turner is the founder of the Association for Sandplay Therapy — AST, the international professional organization dedicated to maintaining the core principles of Sandplay in our work and teaching: clarity, loving kindness, and humility.
Clarity · Loving Kindness · Humility