Sandplay Therapy

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.

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

My office is filled with figurines and toys with which you child can use to create a sandtray or "mini-world" in order to express their unconscious material. As a sandplay therapist, I hold the safety in the space and the relationship so that your child is free to create in the sand that which is beyond words to express. Some clients say that doing sandplay is like "dreaming, while awake." And like dreams, oftentimes, important material comes up as an offering to work through and overcome.

The Sandtray provides a safe, contained space to express and explore your inner world in a tangible way. The tray can be used with or without a prompt. Sometimes, the tray can help communicate or illustrate something words cannot. The scenes created with a tray can help clients experience emotional release, gain new realizations, and practice out fictitious change leading to real change in their life. I utilize sandtray therapy on its own as well as in conjunction with parts work and EMDR.

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 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.

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 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.