Sandtray Therapy

I offer sandtray therapy for children, adolescents, adults and families. Clients are invited to create a world in the sand tray by placing objects and figurines in the sand, in any pattern that feels right. There is no right or wrong way to play in the sand, and everyone is encouraged to play exactly as they want. Some people prefer to draw patterns, while others dig deep into the sand or create mountains and rivers. Some prefer dry sand and others wet.

(Sandtray created by 4 1/2 year old boy)

Creating the sand worlds can provide a deeply personal way of expressing emotions, conflicts, hopes and dreams. Since it is not dependent on words, sandtray therapy helps people of all ages convey inner experiences that previously had no verbal expression. The sand play can seem like a waking dream, in that it allows conscious and unconscious parts of the psyche to interact. My role is not to interpret the sand world, but to witness its creation. Some prefer to work in silence and others talk as they work. When appropriate, I ask them to create a story about the sand world they have created. The meaning of the play becomes apparent as they share their experience with me. Clients report feeling that they have experienced something that it is right or true for them.

As aspects of the self are experienced in concrete form in the sand tray, it becomes possible to work creatively with whatever emerges. Children and adults alike face their deepest issues through their sandtray themes. They are able to release stuck patterns that have been holding them back in their growth and development. Clients increase their capacity for self-awareness and self-expression through this process. Deep and long-lasting personal healing can occur. The sandtray process can be interpersonal as well. Depending on clinical issues, family members can work individually or together in creating sandtray worlds.

Sandtray therapy, like other forms of spontaneous play therapy, is a right brain experience. Current neurological research supports this experiential modality for healing trauma.