The Sand

In Sandtray Therapy, the therapist uses a sand tray filled half with play sand.  The sand offers a solid ground on which to build a scene.  The sand can be used wet or dry.  Wet sand is moldable and can be manipulated to create mountains, valleys, streams, rivers and oceans.  When running your hands through the sand,  your body becomes relaxed, and your mind opens.  This process is very healing in itself. 

The Tray

The tray used in Sandtray Therapy is a specific size so that the eye can take in the scene created in one glance.  The bottom is painted blue so the builder of the scene can create bodies of water. The sandtray becomes the container and boundaries for a FREE and SPONTANEOUS space where the psyche can then play, create, express and heal itself.

The Process

It is the therapist role to be a mindful and present observer of the client's process as they take in and witness the building of the client's world in silence.  When the building process if complete together the therapist joins the client in their world with utmost respect and openness as the client talks them both on a deep and healing journey.

THE MINIATURES

The directive is simple, the client is asked to "BUILD A WORLD IN THE SAND." The client then chooses miniature items that have significance and meaning to them.  They place these miniatures in the sand to create scene. Once this process is complete, the client and the therapist sit together as the client tells the story about what is going on in their world.   I have been doing Sandtray Therapy in my practice with clients for more than a decade and have been teaching Sandtray Therapy at a Master's and Doctoral Level for the past 10 years and I am always amazing of the healing and transformative effects it has. 

• Exploration of the Sandtray process

• Sandtray room set up

• Basic principles of the Sandtray process

• We will explore historical Sandtray studies

• How the Sandtray awakens perceptions

• The role of being fully present during a Sandtray session

• The different types of worlds

• Demonstration of the Sandtray session

• Experience being both the witness and the builder in the Sandtray process

• How to use the client’s language is used when exploring their world

• How to avoid the trap of interpretation

• Direct experience of sand, elemental, nature, and image play

• Exploration, witnessing, enactment, deepening the process.

• Developmental Sandtray patterns in the work of children and adults;

• Keeping Record: Photograph the Sandtray worlds in sand; and the art of note-taking.

• Working with different populations