The Sand Play Therapy could help quake survivors, including children, recover from Post Traumatic Disorder Stress

Kathmandu, January 26

A team of 14 students and two professors from Namseoul University of South Korea is preparing to provide Sand Play Therapy to the quake survivors of Bhaktapur from tomorrow.

The therapy aims to alleviate the trauma that the quake survivors experienced during the April 25 earthquake.

The therapy will be given to school children and other quake survivors at Bhaktapur-based Bidhya Arjan Boarding School.

Professors from Namseoul University accompanied by Srijana Thapa, who is an assistant professor at the Department of Child Welfare in the varsity, said the therapy was being provided to the quake survivors for the second time in Bhaktapur and Lalitpur.

She said, “We are going to provide therapy to quake survivors at Bidhya school and Lalitpur-based Duck Foundation for three days,” adding, “Many children who have been traumatised by the quake need Sand Play Therapy to release their stress and overcome the trauma.”

“We are also planning to organise a workshop and provide a 50-hour training of Sand Play Therapy here in Nepal for those interested. We will later take the trained people to Korea to provide them further training,” she added.

Professor Jang Mikyung, who is also the president of Korean Society of Sand Play Therapy, and Thapa, along with their 14 students from Namseoul University, were welcomed and felicitated by the Forum of Nepalese Journalists.

Speaking at the programme, Prof Jang said she was happy to be able to help the Nepali earthquake survivors. “After the April quake, we felt that Sand Play Therapy could help children and others recover from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. So we arrived last summer and provided the therapy to the quake-affected children and their parents. The therapy helped them significantly,” she said. She added that the therapy was beneficial for the treatment of children with PTDS.

Principal of Bidhya school Purushottam Gwyachha said, “The therapy helped many children overcome post-quake psychological trauma,” he said, adding, “The Korean team is going to provide therapy to 29 kids from the school in addition to other children and adults for the second time.”