Who would study psychology if they didn't have some kind of problem?

Chapter 57 Interpretation of Sand Garden Works
Sandplay therapy is an analysis of a person's subconscious.

Subconsciously, different people may have different understandings of the same thing: for example, a spider model may be interpreted by some as a terrifying insect, by others as a mythical beast guarding a treasure, or even as an ugly but strong and gentle mother.

After research, domestic experts have revised a more standardized "Sandplay Therapy Operational Correspondence Table" to help learners understand the sandplay created by the client more efficiently, and also to facilitate the comparison of the cognitive gap between the client and the "standard psychologically healthy person".

The blue area that Chen Ting is digging in the sand and exposing is interpreted by Nan Zhuren as an "isolated island" and a "lake surrounding the isolated island".

Nan Zhuren analyzed the situation in his mind without showing any emotion, while observing Chen Ting and the sand table she was making.

After creating the isolated island and the surrounding lake, Chen Ting stared blankly at the island for a while, seemingly lost in thought.

He then turned around and went to the sand shelf to select a model.

She first walked around in front of each sand shelf to confirm what kinds of models there were, and then she started to stare blankly.

After standing there for a minute, I picked up a model tree.

Nan Zhuren held the writing board with his left hand, his forearm supporting it, and was about to take notes.

Chen Ting put the model tree down again.

Nan Zhuren also put down his pen.

After another minute, Chen Ting picked up a plastic flower.

Nan Zhuren picked up his pen again—

Chen Ting put it down again.

She placed her hands together in front of her lower abdomen, rubbing her ten fingers together repeatedly, and pursed her lips.

This time, after hesitating for a minute and a half, I finally picked up a Western-style toy house.

Nan Zhuren's eyes followed the toy house until it was placed on the deserted island before he put down his pen.

Unlike when I performed sandplay therapy on myself, I need to concentrate extra hard when performing sandplay therapy on others.

Nan Zhuren needs to observe the order in which Chen Ting selects each model, her state of mind while selecting each model, whether her thinking changes, and even which models she picks up and then puts down.

These are all particular.

After setting up the toy house, it seemed like she had gotten started, and Chen Ting's thoughts flowed much more smoothly.

She then selected, in turn, a spider, three dolls, a lamp, a ball of yarn, cigarettes, tableware, a ship, and Death.

The whole process took about ten minutes.

……

"It's done," Chen Ting said softly, glancing up at Nan Zhuren before taking a step back.

The sand garden artwork is now complete.

Nan Zhuren looked at this miniature garden artwork and her first impression was that it was spacious.

Chen Ting used only about one-third to one-quarter of the 50cm*70cm*7cm single-person sand table area; most of the area was just clean sand, showing a lifeless dark yellow color.

The small area in the upper right corner of the model appeared crowded because too many models were gathered there.

In the very center of the "isolated island" that Chen Ting had unearthed were three dolls, two large and one small, with the small one in the very center. Scattered around them were models of a table lamp, a ball of yarn, a cigarette, and tableware.

At the very edge of the island is the first toy house to be taken out, with a spider perched on its roof.

In the lake surrounding the island, there is a ship, and behind the ship is the Grim Reaper.

This is the miniature garden that Nanju Ren sees before him today.

"Could you give your work a name?" Nan Zhuren asked tentatively.

Chen Ting pursed her lips: "It doesn't have a name... let's call it 'Nameless'."

Nan Zhuren was very curious about the theme of the sandbox, but if she asked directly, she was worried that Chen Ting would continue with her current blank thinking and say something like "there is no theme in the sandbox".

So Nan Zhuren took a roundabout approach. "I saw you initially picked up a tree, but then put it back. What were you thinking at the time?"

Don't answer me with "I didn't think about anything, I just wanted to do it."

Fortunately, Chen Ting finally began to think: "At first, I felt very comfortable when I saw them, thinking that the island must have trees and flowers... But later, I felt that there probably weren't any on this island..."

Nan Zhuren's eyes lit up as he caught the key phrase: "So this is a small island."

"Correct."

Nan Zhuren then pointed to the blue ring surrounding the island: "And this one?"

"A lake... or maybe the sea, anyway, something surrounding the island."

"Alright," Nan Zhuren said, choosing this moment to steer the conversation back on track. "If you think there shouldn't be any trees on the island, then what are these trees on the island now?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Ting began to introduce the models above, naming them according to her own understanding.

At the same time, they naturally told their "stories".

She first pointed to the three dolls and said, "This is a family of three."

She then pointed to the small house: "This family of three lives in this house, but it's too small, so I have to put them outside. This area outside is part of the interior of the house."

“And these…” she gestured around to the cigarettes, tableware, yarn balls, and lamp, “these are all inside the house, these are all things that a home should have.”

Nan Zhuren looked at the cigarettes, tableware, yarn balls, and table lamps, which were scattered very messily, one here and one there.

There is no "interaction" between them, and no "story" can be built.

It's as if it really is just something "a household should have".

As for "what's the use?", that's completely unimportant.

……

Just then, Nan Zhuren noticed a model that had been deliberately overlooked.

"And what is this?"

"It's a spider."

The spider model was placed above the house. Because it was a toy model, it was the same size as the house and covered the entire building in a crouching, hunting posture.

Why is it here?

“The spider is in the house…” Chen Ting added an extra explanation, “Spiders are good.”

"Is it good?"

"...Yeah, it's good for the house. It catches mosquitoes and stuff."

Nan Zhuren nodded, thought for a moment, and said something somewhat risky.

"So, can I understand it this way: if all these things are inside the house, then from our perspective, when we look at the island, is there really only this house and this spider on the island? And nothing else?"

Nan Zhuren looked into Chen Ting's eyes and saw her lower her head, seemingly struggling, as if resisting.

Finally, she relaxed, as if accepting something, deciding to acknowledge something.

"Yes, on this island, besides this house and the spider on the house, there is nothing else."

　I haven't finished most of my homework, but I'll update it first.

　　While I was writing this chapter, there was a girl outside who seemed to have had her takeout stolen. She was crying loudly and kept shouting, "My takeout!" "Why did you steal my takeout?"

　　I feel like laughing, but I can't seem to manage it.

　　The mental defenses of contemporary college students crumble at the slightest touch.

　　Just like my rationality.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)