Sandplay Therapy

Sandplay therapy is a non-verbal, expressive therapeutic approach where individuals use miniature figures and a sandbox to create scenes that reflect their inner experiences. It taps into the unconscious, allowing healing and self-discovery by fostering a safe, symbolic space for emotional exploration and integration without needing verbal articulation.

I have experienced and training in Sandplay, Sandtray and SandStory(r) Therapy. I use my sandtray and sandstory symbols with both children and adults.

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.

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.

I am a certified Systemic Sand Play Therapist, and I use this technique to help clients work through trauma and family discontent that they may have experienced.

Sand tray therapy provides the client with a method of exploring their world along with their fears and states of regulation without having to talk about themselves with the therapist. The therapist explores the sand tray creation with the client and looks at potential correlations to life experiences. Sand tray therapist is a non-evasive method of exploring past trauma and current life struggles. The client is welcome to share as much or as little as they are comfortable with the therapist.

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.

Sandplay therapy is not only for children; adults can benefit from it too. When we use too much intellectual function to survive, a safe and protected space for an individual to freely be themselves, to be relaxed and playful, and to meet their inner world symbolically can be so helpful!

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.

I have attended workshops on Sand Tray and have used it extensively in my work with children (4-13) and high school students. I have noticed that it unlocks many ideas, thoughts, and behaviors so we can work more deeply.