Who would study psychology if they didn't have some kind of problem?

Chapter 3 Diagnosis: I am very healthy!
Besides the sand table in front of Nan Zhuren, there are several shelves along the wall in the sandbox room, which are filled with plastic models of various themes, which at first glance look like toys.

It really is just a toy:
Plastic soldiers, toy flowers and plants, various buildings, miniature figures, toy cars, and Transformers.

These are things that can only be found in families with children.

Sandplay therapy is a psychological counseling technique that combines psychometrics and psychotherapy.

During sandplay therapy, clients use these toy models to construct their own sandplay works; while the therapist refers to the types, order, and positions of the models placed in the sandbox by the client, and then forms a basic judgment about the client's inner world based on the client's interpretation of these models.

In the process of setting up and interpreting the models, visitors are also given the opportunity to confront their inner selves more directly. Combined with the therapist's professional techniques, this leads to the therapeutic effect.

Because sandplay therapy utilizes many toy-like models, many people mistakenly believe it's only for minors. However, this is not the case. Sandplay therapy can play a significant role in the treatment of adults as well, and the imagery associated with the various toy models can be even richer.

Some adults may even experience a regression during treatment, exhibiting childish behaviors that can actually help the treatment be completed more quickly and improve its quality.

For Nan Zhuren at this time, sandplay therapy is one of the few techniques that can help him self-test his psychology.

Nan Zhuren stroked the fine sand in the miniature garden and turned on the recording function on her phone.

At this moment, Nan Zhuren entered a strange state. The phone recording ticked by, and Nan Zhuren's fingers caressed the sand as her breathing slowed.

"Date: Wednesday, January 13, 2016."

Visitor: Nan Zhuren.

Consultant: Nan Zhuren.

"For some unspeakable reason, I have been in a state of extreme tension and anxiety for nearly a month. My muscles are constantly sore and I have difficulty falling asleep."

"Touching this sand makes me feel relaxed."

“Before setting up the model, I wanted to first create the ‘terrain background’ of the artwork by piling up sand; now I’m clearing away the sand to reveal the blue coating at the bottom of the sandbox, which I think represents the ‘lake’…”

Nan Zhuren continuously selected models from the display shelves to create his own sandbox; at the same time, he constantly spoke as a visitor about his interpretation of these model toys and reported his real-time inner thoughts.

The phone's voice recorder ran silently.

About half an hour later, Nan Zhuren snapped out of his daze. The miniature garden in front of him was complete.

Patting her cheeks to bring herself back to consciousness, Nan Zhuren began to examine her sandplay artwork.

The visitor, Nan Zhuren, has gone offline.

[Consultant: Nan Zhuren] Nan Zhuren is back.

"It didn't use too many negative images like skulls, and the work as a whole is quite vibrant. The first impression it gives is positive and uplifting, which is good."

Nan Zhuren breathed a sigh of relief.

"Many of the models are placed close to the edge of the sandbox. Is it because I disregard the rules? However, the overall damage is not significant, so this kind of subject matter is not a major problem..."

“In the very center of the miniature garden is a model of a tiger, which directly symbolizes my inner self and is a rather ‘powerful’ image; the tiger is enclosed by plants, with only a small opening separating it from the outside world—this indicates a certain social issue, but it’s not a big deal…”

"There are some other things, but they're not very important..."

Nan Zhuren examined his sandplay creations and ultimately concluded: "I am very healthy!"

He breathed a sigh of relief.

Sandplay therapy is both a test and a treatment. At this moment, Nan Zhuren unexpectedly found that her tired spirit seemed to have been somewhat relieved.

Since he was in a great mood, he took out the DSM-V manual he had just gotten from the front desk and tested himself one by one according to the psychological questions in the front, and then calculated his score by referring to the item analysis table.

The results are very gratifying.

As if encouraged, and also out of a sense of rigor, Nan Zhuren pulled out a stack of other pre-printed psychological scales from his backpack. Like a student who had just unlocked their full potential before the college entrance exam, he frantically devoured the tests in his hands, like someone doing endless practice questions. The scales included: *Self-Assessment Health Rating Scale (SRHMS)*, *SCAN*, *Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS)*, *Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS)*, and more.

Solve problems, calculate scores, and compare against norms.

The hands of the clock went round and round.

"I am very healthy! I am very healthy!" Nan Zhuren concluded for himself again.

At this moment, Nan Zhuren felt completely relieved. He let out a long breath, and the exhaustion from staying up for two days and one night suddenly surged into his heart, overwhelming his spirit like a tidal wave.

Nan Zhuren was extremely tired. Although it seemed more comfortable to lie down and sleep at his workstation, the exhaustion of two days and one night and the sudden relaxation were already whipping Nan Zhuren's brain.

He simply put the chair in the corner, shoved himself inside, and almost fell asleep with his eyes rolled back.

Then, my consciousness sank, and I quickly drifted off to sleep.

……

Nan Zhuren fell asleep in the consultation center and then woke up in a place that looked like an office.

Nan Zhuren knew that what was before him was his dream.

A dream that has occurred every night since he transmigrated here.

Every time he dreams, he appears in an office he has never seen before.

His intuition told him that this should be a therapist's office, and also a therapy room.

Nan Zhuren was still wearing the clothes she had worn before going to sleep, and a name tag was hanging on her chest at some point.

He sat at a desk with a stylish computer on it. Behind the desk was a bookshelf and a large shelving unit, densely packed with files, as well as a sofa. Nan Zhuren had never explored this office before.

The moment Nan Zhuren appeared, the card reader in front of the computer began to emit short beeps. Correspondingly, Nan Zhuren's employee badge was also constantly flashing.

“I have undergone a complete psychological test, and I am not sick; I am very healthy. Therefore, this dream is not a mental illness, or even a complication of a mental illness,” Nan Zhuren told himself.

From the perspective of general psychology, there are three causes of human dreams:

I. The psychoanalytic school believes that dreams are the product of repressed unconscious thoughts entering consciousness;

Second, the cognitive school believes that dreams are the process by which the human brain processes information received during the day during sleep;
Third, physiological researchers believe that dreams are a physiological phenomenon caused by the activity of brain nerves during sleep.

"But no matter which perspective you take, it can't explain my current dream."

—A dream that recurs repeatedly over a long period of time, appears exactly the same every time, and remains vividly remembered even after waking up.

So……

Nan Zhuren took a deep breath

"Let me see what you really are!"

Nan Zhuren grabbed his employee badge from his chest and swiped it on the card reader!
The computer screen suddenly lit up, skipping the boot-up and operation processes, and directly sent an email.

[Mr. Nan Zhuren: Welcome to the "Ferry Psychotherapy Center".]

Your profile has been created. Please check it promptly.

You have a [psychological training] document that is pending collection.

Please collect it promptly.

(End of this chapter)