clay field therapy
work at the clay field®
Much of our earliest experience of the world around us is through the sense of touch. Clay field therapy is a form of art therapy that both children and adults can benefit from. Work at the Clay Field® is an intensely tactile experience, a touch therapy.
Safe, healthy touch is essential for the development of our physical abilities, language and cognitive skills and social and emotional competency.
Through appropriate touch we learn about our own boundaries, how to give and receive love, acceptance and safety - how to be in the world in relationship with others.
This learning is crucial to our development and wellbeing, not only in our childhood but throughout our entire lives.
how does clay field therapy work?
It invites us to engage with our sense of touch in the clay. With a trusted therapist in a safe setting we have an opportunity to revisit our sensorimotor experiences, including those in our earliest, preverbal memory. As we allow our hands to find what they need now we can address early attachment issues, developmental setbacks and traumatic events in a primarily nonverbal way.
The Clay Field is a rectangular, flat, wooden box of smooth clay. A bowl of warm water is also close to hand, along with a sponge.
Working with your eyes closed, (open for children), your hands interact with the clay – pushing, pulling, poking, scratching, squishing, kneading, patting, smoothing…..shapes and scenes begin to emerge only to be changed, recreated, and changed again until your hands are deeply satisfied. The focus is on your innate urges and impulses in the moment as your hands experience the clay.
Kate offers a calm, supportive and encouraging presence, witnessing the connection between your hands and the clay and ultimately helping you to make sense of the experience and integrate the learning.
At the end of a session there is no object or piece to take home, but rather a powerful and transformative inner experience.
‘Often the hands will solve a mystery that the intellect has struggled with in vain’
Carl Jung
Work at the Clay Field® can be beneficial for children, adolescents and adults of all abilities. It can be particularly helpful for people experiencing:
🪶 learning and behavioural difficulties
🪶 loss of joy and vitality
🪶 anxiety and nervousness
🪶 traumatic or adverse life experiences
Watch this short video for an example of Work at the Clay Field®.
clay field therapy resources & further reading
Follow these links to find out more about Work at the Clay Field® and the importance of touch.