Sandtray Therapy

What is Sandtray therapy?

“Sandtray therapy is an expressive and projective mode of psychotherapy involving the unfolding and processing of intra- and inter-personal issues through the use of specific sandtray materials as a nonverbal medium of communication, led by the client(s) and facilitated by a trained therapist.” –Homeyer & Sweeny 1998

So what does this mean for the average person?

Well, Sandtray is a technique used when you become stuck during therapy. If you are working through the difficult feelings related to a trauma or loss (grief), sandtray can be a way to access those difficult emotions without having to re-live them over and over. Sandtray can also be a great way to access the unconscious when dealing with difficult situations, emotions, or decisions.

How is Sandtray therapy done?

Clients are given a tray of sand and access to many figurines. They are then asked to create a picture in the sand with the figurines. The therapist and client then therapeutically discuss the tray together. Sounds simple right? Well many clients report feeling silly at first. They have expressed that they felt they were “being asked to play with toys” . So while the process seems simple it can take a little getting used to. However, many clients find this method so helpful that they begin to request to do sandtray during every session!

Who is sand tray used with?

Sandtray can be used with all ages . And this technique can be used with individuals, families, couples, and groups.