Sand Tray Therapy

Sand Tray Therapy is a form of expressive therapy. This method of therapy is often used with children, but can be applied to adults, teens, couples, families, and groups as well. Sand tray therapy allows a client to process through traumatic events using miniature toys and colored sand. These created expressions then act as a reflection of the client’s own life and allows them the opportunity to resolve conflicts, remove obstacles, and make meaning of what happened.

Many children are unable to vocalize their emotional state as a result of trauma or extreme neglect or abuse. Incorporating the element of a familiar medium, the sand, allows a child to instantly achieve a sense of comfort and security. With little instruction from the therapist, the child is free to play and develop his or her own expression of situations. Often children will experience a sense of independent play and will begin making assumptions and behavior changes without cues from the therapist. This method of therapy serves as a valuable and powerful outlet for children and an incredibly insightful method of gaining access to their traumatic experiences.

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