Mandalas have been used for centuries in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jewish mystical traditions as tools for meditation, reflection, and connection to the sacred.
Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist and one of the founding fathers of the field of psychology, introduced mandalas into Western psychology. He studied comparative anthropology and noticed that certain symbols & figures appear across cultures and time — particularly in Buddhist traditions, Hinduism, and even in Jewish Kabbalah imagery (the Tree of Life contains circular or radial diagrams representing ‘divine energy,’ though they aren’t explicitly called mandalas).
He hypothesized that are mandalas one of the main archetypes in the human psyche (archetypes are these universal patterns represented in the shared human experience, and Jung considered the mandala as one of the most important ones that symbolize the “Self” and a sort of window into the soul. He even had his patients draw mandalas and then he’d psychoanalyze them.
In therapy, creating a mandala is a projective process. Like a Rorschach Inkblot Test or Thematic Apperception Test, we naturally project emotions, inner narratives, and desires onto shapes, colors, and objects. Using natural materials such as leaves, moss, stones, or branches turns mandala-making into expressive art and symbolic storytelling. It can also act like a visual genogram, where elements reflect family, self-image, or internal experiences.
Mandalas help unplug the left-brain and engage the right-brain, intuitive, imaginative side. Unlike traditional talk therapy, this approach allows access to emotions, memories, grief, anxiety, and inner narratives that may be hard to reach with words alone. Prompts such as “What drew you to this item?” or “Where would you most want to be in your mandala?” help contain and guide the process, supporting reflection and inner-child exploration.
I was hesitant the first time I created a mandala as part of my Nature-Informed Therapy certification, but unpacking it revealed insights about boundaries, beauty, and self-perception I had not anticipated. Clients often experience similar breakthroughs, showing that symbols and embodied practice can reveal aspects of ourselves that words sometimes cannot, especially when we’re being witnessed in a safe container with a therapist or group. Mandala-making, especially in a nature setting, is a gentle, non-verbal way to explore the psyche, reconnect with the inner child, and process deep emotional material.