Sandplay Therapy

Sandplay therapy, is an experiential therapeutic approach where clients build their own world using miniature toys or figurines and colored sand. A sandplay-trained therapist will view the client’s scene as a reflection of their life, thoughts, feelings and concerns, and help him or her to interpret the sand tray as an opportunity to resolve conflicts, remove obstacles, and gain acceptance of self. Sandplay therapy is often used to address trauma or abuse and can be particularly useful for clients (both adults and children) who have trouble expressing themselves verbally. A sandplay therapist's office is equipped with a specially proportioned sand tray and allows clients to express themselves in a safe and supportive space. Think this approach might be right for you? Reach out to one of TherapyDen’s sandplay therapy experts today.

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Meet the specialists

 

I love using Sandtray when working with teenagers and adults. It is a great way to access other parts of our brains and integrating them. I am a Registered Integrative Sandtray Therapist through Southern Sandtray Institute.

— Jamie English, Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Grand Prairie, TX

I have been using this modality with children, adolescents, and adults for almost 20 years and find that it complements both play therapy and traditional talk therapy by providing a rich and powerful means of self-expression and exploration of significant issues.

— Robin Knoblach, Clinical Psychologist in Herndon, VA
 

I have completed numerous sandplay workshops where I have gained knowledge and experience regarding specific skills and techniques used in sandplay work. This is a unique experiential process where children (and parents) can freely express themselves through creating a tangible and visible narrative. Sandplay is a great form of therapy for any challenge a client may be facing, especially trauma and communication.

— Pamela Norris, Licensed Professional Counselor in Highland Village, TX

Sandplay Therapy facilitates opportunities to access the wisdom of psyche in the pursuit of healing. The client uses miniature figures and objects to create a story or image in a tray of sand. This image can be a powerful fool for accessing unconscious resources and revealing unknown layers of emotion and insight. Even as children experience this as play the psyches natural capacity for healing is activated as preverbal and unconscious elements of our inner lives are revealed.

— Shelly Stratton, Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Portland, OR
 

I am an associate member of the Sand Play Association. Sand Play is a powerful way to access non-verbal parts of ourselves. Do you ever feel something, and you don't know how to even begin to talk about it? The sand play process, in a fun and imaginative manner, using symbolic imagery, can bring out to our conscious mind parts of ourselves that were unknown to ourselves.

— Ginger Bahardar, Marriage & Family Therapist in Bonsall, CA

I am a Certified Sand Tray Therapist and enjoy utilizing sand tray for many topics my clients bring to therapy. "Is that just for kids?" No! It's great for children who cannot completely communicate their thoughts and feelings yet and because children learn and express through play. However, in my experience it is even more beneficial for adults because they are able to be more insightful about their tray. Sand tray is excellent for anyone who doesn't want to only do traditional talk therapy.

— Kimberly Fann, Mental Health Counselor in Oviedo, FL
 

I have sought out specialized training and supervision in sand tray therapy. This is a modality that is appropriate for both children and adults. It consists of utilizing a specially proportioned tray of sand and a variety of figures. Clients are able to create a "world" in the tray with the figures. This technique allows clients to access feelings, perceptions and experiences which may be outside of their everyday awareness. When these become illustrated in the tray, processing can begin.

— Sarah Stein-Wolf, in Greenville, NC

I have been using sand tray therapy successfully with clients on a regular basis since 2017 and have an extensive collection of miniatures for use in the sand tray. I receive supervision for my sand tray work from my supervisor, who also uses a sand tray in her work.

— Lauren Krzyzaniak, Licensed Professional Counselor in Saginaw, MI
 

Sandplay therapy is a non-verbal, expressive therapeutic method developed by Swiss Jungian analyst Dora Kalff drawing from the work of Carl Jung, Margaret Lowenfeld, and Tibetan & Zen Buddhism. Jung, whose work provides the foundation for sandplay therapy, understood almost a hundred years ago that the mind and body were inextricably linked. In sandplay, this link is seen again and again in both the symbolic activity of the psyche and the embodied experience of healing and change.

— Jill Corvelli, Licensed Professional Counselor in Portland, OR