Judy Zappacosta

Judy Zappacosta is a Licensed Psychotherapist and Teacher of Sandplay and Jungian Psychology based in Monterey, California, with over twenty-five years in private practice. She offers therapy to individuals, couples, families, and play therapy to children as young as four years of age. Her clinical work is grounded in a Jungian orientation, helping clients explore deeper meanings and unconscious patterns that may be affecting their lives, relationships, and choices. She works with adults experiencing anxiety, insomnia, addictions, restlessness, or depression, as well as children navigating behavioral challenges, social difficulties, and the stresses of busy family life.

Judy learned Sandplay therapy directly from its founder, Dora Kalff, a student of C.G. Jung who lived and worked in Switzerland, giving Judy a direct lineage to the Jungian psychological tradition. Sandplay is a non-directive, non-judgmental process in which clients create scenes using miniatures in a sandtray, allowing silent healing and transformation of early wounding, trauma, and unconscious material. It is now widely accepted as an effective treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders, with neuroscience supporting its effectiveness across all ages. Judy also incorporates attention to dreams and body symptoms, encouraging clients to bring dream journals and engage with imagery and symbols as part of the therapeutic process.

In addition to her clinical practice, Judy teaches summer programs abroad through Caring for the Soul (caringforthesoul.org), offering two-week intensives in Sandplay training in Switzerland, as well as a program called Interior Rhythms, which integrates Sandplay, dreams, and body awareness. She offers consultation and supervision for practicing professionals, both online and in person. She has served as a board trustee for the International Society for Sandplay Therapy, is a past president of Sandplay Therapists of America, and is a past Treasurer and board member of the Marion Woodman Foundation. She holds the designation of Certified Teaching Member of Sandplay Therapists of America, and has a background in special education in addition to counseling.