Jungian Arts-based Research on Sandplay Therapists’ ‘Knowing’ of Parallel Transference/Counter-transference

This paper explores the concept of knowing in parallel transference/counter-transference between therapist and client in Sandplay therapy through the use of Jungian Arts-Based Research (JABR) methods. Like Arts-Based Research (ABR), JABR employs various artistic methods to pursue knowledge. However, unlike ABR, JABR also applies these methods to unconscious knowledge. Both JABR and ABR challenge traditional paradigms that emphasize the separation of subject and object and the scientific reliance on reproducible, quantitative experiments. Additionally, both methods seek to integrate daily life with research, contrasting with conventional academic systems. However, while ABR uses Jung’s functions-intuition, sensation, emotion, and thought-as tools for understanding humanity, it does not address knowledge arising from the unconscious. It also fails to explain the dynamics of the relationship when transference/counter-transference occurs. By contrast, JABR seeks the essence of knowledge not only through thought but also through emotion, sensation, intuition, and imagination—elements that have traditionally been seen as non-objective but are inherent to human nature. The artistic-based methods in JABR are a means of expressing these fundamental aspects. Furthermore, JABR uses artistic expressions of unconscious symbols as a research method, assuming the existence of the unconscious. While there are various theories about transference and counter-transference, Jungian psychology offers the perspective that parallel experiences can occur between therapist and client based on the concepts of Jungian synchronicity and archetypal transference/counter-transference. This study posits that JABR aligns with the knowledge-seeking process in Sandplay therapy and, through JABR, investigates the knowing process in the transference/counter-transference experiences of Sandplay therapists. Eight researcher-participants, all Sandplay therapists, selected one client each (with minimal information disclosed after obtaining consent from both the client and guardian) and engaged in creative activities such as Sandplay, computer imagery, and writing. These creative activities were also continued in between research meetings. Throughout the process, the therapists experienced parallel transference/counter-transference, improved their understanding of the client’s transference, and gained deeper insight into the therapeutic relationship and process. As a result, they experienced profound spiritual connections with the clients and recognized how their unresolved trauma as therapists connected with the selected client. This finding illustrates the synchronicity and non-dualistic nature of the subject-object relationship.