2026 Study Group
HKSTA holds monthly study groups for our members. Members get together to share their insights and experience surrounding Jungian Sandplay in form of book sharing, study of symbols and other topics relevant to becoming a Sandplay therapist.
If you would like to register for our study group, please join our membership. Attendance for our study group is free.
August 2026
Date: 11 August 2026, Tuesday
Time: 7:30pm–9:00pm (Hong Kong Time)
Mode: Zoom Webinar
Language: Cantonese
Presenter: Sally Chan, ISST CST and TM
Fee: free for members; $100 for non-members
Registration: https://forms.gle/gFUU4rMZfdCspbkn9
Registration deadline: 4 August 2026
The Images Speak: The Sandplay Journey of a 9-year-old Boy with Selective Mutism
Selective mutism is often understood as a behavioural anxiety disorder, yet Jungian sandplay therapy offers a deeper symbolic lens: silence may function as a protective defence for a vulnerable psyche and as an expression of developmental arrest or disconnection between the conscious ego and the unconscious.
Sandplay provides a non-verbal medium through which the muted voice can emerge through images, symbols, and archetypal patterns rather than direct speech. In the sand tray, figures may embody archetypal imagery that gives form to what cannot yet be articulated, while the tray itself becomes a symbolic stage where inner conflicts can be safely dramatized.
In this study group, the presenter will use case material from a 9-year-old boy with selective mutism to explore how sand tray images “speak,” how symbolic representations unfold across the sandplay journey, and what clinicians can observe when verbal expression is limited.
July 2026
The Mother Complex and the Birdcage Archetype
This July, we will be exploring a fascinating clinical topic: "The Mother Complex and the Birdcage Archetype: The Early Stages of Masculine Awakening in Sandplay Therapy."
Presented by May Liu, this session will focus on the crucial early phases of a client's clinical journey. We will dive deep into the archetypal dynamics of the maternal matrix and examine its profound impact on masculine development.
During our one-and-a-half hours together, we will explore:
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The Dual Mother: Jungian perspectives on the tension between the life-giving matrix and the devouring mother.
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The Uroboric Fusion: Erich Neumann’s concepts of primordial unity and the heroic task of psychological separation.
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The Evolution of the Birdcage: A close look at the beginning of a clinical sandplay process, tracing how the birdcage symbol shifts from a restrictive prison requiring regression into a protective vessel for initial growth.
This will be a rich opportunity to discuss how we, as therapists, hold the free and protected space for clients navigating arrested development and the very beginnings of matriarchal separation.
Date: July 7, 2026 (Tuesday)
Time: 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Mode: Online via Zoom
Presenter: May Liu, Certified Play Therapist, School Social Worker
Fee: free for members; $100 for non-members
Registration: https://forms.gle/DkK9mWRAi8D2BkBM7
Registration deadline: 4 July 2026
April 2026
SAKURA
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Sakuraさくら (Cherry Blossom) is considered to be the national flower of Japanese. Every year lots of people “chase” to view the flowers from the south to the north of Japan to enjoy its beauty（花見はなみ）. Why is it so intriguing and attracting everybody’s attention? Has it anything to do with the spirit of the Japanese soul or their belief? And collectively on a universal level irrespective of cultures, it seems clicking with every of us in our inner psyche.
In this symbol study, Kitty Liu will present to you her understanding of this symbol given her years of study of the Japanese language and the culture. We sincerely invite you to have a night of encountering the spirit of this symbol together.
Date: 28 April 2026, Tuesday
Time: 7:30pm–9:00pm (Hong Kong Time)
Mode: Zoom Webinar
Language: Cantonese
Presenter: Kitty Liu, Registered Clinical Counsellor and Certified Supervisor based in Sydney, Australia
Fee: free for members; $100 for non-members
Registration: https://forms.gle/2NZDAqUGzjLMJLLb9
Registration deadline: 21 April 2026
March 2026
Shadow-Gate to the Unconscious
Our March Study Group will be on the "Shadow-Gate to the Unconscious", presented by Mr. George Kwok, ISST-certified Sandplay Therapy Teaching Member, following the HKSTA AGM.
This session draws on a well-known Jungian idea, often summarized as “The brighter the light, the darker the shadow.” It illustrates how a strong conscious “light” (ego, virtues, ideals) inevitably casts an equally potent unconscious “shadow.”
The shadow is ever-present. Though it can feel uncomfortable or frustrating, it holds profound potential and hidden value. Integrating it is central to Jungian individuation. We’ll explore it through movies, fairy tales, dreams, sandplay images, and clinical materials.
Date: 23 March 2026 (Monday)
Time: 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm (Hong Kong Time)
Mode: Zoom Webinar
Presenter: George Kwok (ISST Certified Sandplay Teaching Member)
Language: Cantonese
Registration: https://forms.gle/rbCdvwQN7ddfffro7
Deadline of registration: 14 March 2026
This event is open exclusively to HKSTA members
Source: From Mr. George Kwok
February 2026
No Study Group
We shall be celebrating Chinese New Year at the end of February.
So our monthly study group for February will be cancelled.
January 2026
Exploring the Child Archetype
In this workshop, Chris will guide you through an exploration of the child archetype using imagery. Following this meditative experience, you will have the opportunity to create your own representation of the child archetype using paper clay. Embrace your inner child and indulge in the joy of creativity. You will have fun and bring home a hand-made figurine.
Jung wrote in "The Psychology of the Child Archetype" (1940) that "The child motif represents the preconscious, childhood aspect of the collective psyche... It is a symbol which unites the opposites; a mediator, bringer of healing, that is, one who makes whole." Its nature is paradoxical -- the child is abandoned yet powerful; a dubious beginning and a triumphal end.
This workshop is open to all. Feel free to bring your friends.
Date: 1 Feb 2026 (Sunday)
Time: 3pm - 5pm
Mode: In-person
Address: YL Workspace, Rooms 903 & 905, Harvest Building, 29-35, Wing Kut Street, Central, Hong Kong (Sheung Wan MTR Exit E1)
Facilitator: Chris Cheung (sandplay therapist, Jungian analyst, educational psychologist)
Workshop Fee: $30 for art materials (collect on the spot)
Registration: https://forms.gle/HwDdAk88Bbiru8Mn7
Deadline of registration: 24 January 2026
Source: From HKSTA
