Editor's Commentary

Celebrating the Inaugural Year!

Linda E. Homeyer
U.S.A.

https://doi.org/10.58997/wjstp.v1i12.68

Three figurines sit in sand, a frosted glass globe, a grandfather clock, and a genie's lamp

It seems only fitting that the lead article in the final issue of the inaugural volume of the World Journal for Sand Therapy Practice® (WJSTP), like the first issue, would be a position paper based on a research project. One goal of WJSTP is to encourage and disseminate sand therapy research. We look forward to more such articles. Grounding our work in research is very important. A big thank you to all our research-based articles:

Linda Homeyer & Jessica Stone, Sand Therapy Standards: Views from the Field.
Elizabeth Kjellstrand Hartwig, Linda Homeyer, & Jessica Stone, Sand Therapy Competencies: A Qualitative Investigation of Competencies for Sand Therapy Practitioners.
Mindy Parsons, Using Sand Tray Therapy with Individuals Diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease
Fawn Colburn, Claudia Guerrazzi-Young, & Danielle Durant, Perceptions of Sandtray as a Component of a Mindful Self-Compassion Workshop to Reduce Burnout in Nursing Students

An additional long-range goal is to have articles in various languages. (We are the WORLD ASSOCIATION, after all!) This issue has a reprint of Eliana Gil's practice article initially published in Issue 2 but in ITALIAN! The Association for Play Therapy Italia (APT-I) requested and received permission to translate it into Italian for their magazine. Once published there, we asked and received permission to publish the Italian translation here. So, Dr. Gil's article has been on a trip around the world and returns here in Italian. We thank the translator, Isabella Cassina, of APT-I, and their permission to reprint here. Look for more dual-language articles in 2024.

José Luis Gonzalo Marrodán,VISIÓN BIBLIOGRÁFICA: Terapia Avanzada de la Caja de Arena.
Eliana Gil (Author) & Isabella Cassina (Translator), Il lavoro clinico con i sandtray: Suggerimenti per approfondire la comprensione da parte del terapeuta delle metafore sviluppate dal cliente nella sabbia.

As we close out this first year, I am so appreciative of all those who made this possible:

To the authors

All my interactions with authors have been encouraging and delightful! We have been able to publish well-known, internationally known authors. Thank you for adding your insight to our first year! Introducing new sand therapy authors is a joy! Thank you for your work and stamina in completing the entire process!Thank you to all the authors; we could not do this without you!

To the readers

We do this for YOU! It is rewarding as I check the 'reader count' from time to time. The count continues to increase. I know some of you are also authors, as I see our journal cited in your work! Thank you!

Other key people

Theresa Fraser, Associate Editor, and author of Focus on Miniatures. She has my back! Kristin Van Diest, Digital Publishing Librarian, University Libraries, Texas State University. She manages our online platform and helps me with all kinds of glitches! (A special thank you!!) And, finally, the WASTP social media guru, Joseph Folsom, for sharing the journal with the world! Finally, the WASTP Board of Directors for ongoing encouragement and support.

Upcoming plans,

In 2024, we will move to quarterly issues (March, June, September, December). We intend to have 2-4 lead articles and continue with the Focus on Miniatures, book reviews, and the Editor's Commentary. Please keep those manuscripts coming in! Read a sand therapy book? Please consider submitting a review!

On a personal note,

It's my honor to serve as the Editor of this new, unique, exciting journal for sand therapy. Finishing this first full year of monthly issues seems like a substantial event. I'm so grateful to have this opportunity!

Thank you everyone! Linda

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