What is Sandplay Therapy?

Sandplay therapy is a nonverbal, therapeutic intervention that uses a sandbox, toy figures, and sometimes water to create scenes of miniature worlds that reflect a person’s inner thoughts, struggles, and concerns. This form of play therapy is practiced along with talk therapy, using the sandbox and figures as communication tools.

When is Sandplay Therapy Used?

Sandplay therapy is often used with those who have suffered some form of trauma, neglect, or abuse. Although sandplay is especially well suited for working with young children, who often cannot express their inner feelings in words, it is also a technique that is helpful for some teens and adults who are having trouble expressing themselves and who may have suffered some form of severe trauma.

What to Expect from Sandplay Therapy?

Sandplay therapy takes place in box-like containers referred to as sand trays. The trays are filled with sand that clients use, along with miniature toys, to create a play world that reflects some aspect of real people and real experiences in their own lives. The client chooses from a large collection of toys and builds a small “world” in the tray that reflects what is going on in their lives. The therapist observes the choice and arrangement of toys without interruption, allowing the person to find answers within themselves. After sandplay is completed, the client and therapist analyze and discuss the client’s toy choices, their arrangement pattern in the sand, and their symbolic or metaphoric meanings. Upon discussion, the client often chooses to make changes to the world they have created in sand. Sandplay therapy may consist of a single session or last as long as several years.

How Sand Play Therapy Works

Sandplay therapy was developed in the late 1950s by psychologist Dora Kalff, who combined several techniques and philosophies to come up with her own therapeutic approach. Kalff learned what became known as the World Technique from pediatrician and child psychologist Margaret Lowenfeld, who developed the original sand-tray intervention. Kalff incorporated the use of sand trays into her own form of therapy, which was based on her Jungian training and Eastern philosophical beliefs. With the help of sand trays, clients, guided by the therapist, begins to understand the connection between the world they created in sand and their own inner world. By making changes in their make-believe world, clients are often empowered to make similar changes in their real world. Today, some therapists and counselors choose to modify Kalff’s parameters for sandplay and incorporate a similar technique into their own therapeutic process.

What to Look for in a Sandplay Therapist

No certification for sandplay therapy is required in the U.S., though certification programs do exist. Look for a licensed, experienced mental health professional, therapist, or counselor with advanced training in sandplay therapy. In addition to finding someone with the appropriate educational background, experience and sandplay setup, look for a therapist or counselor with whom you or your child feel comfortable working.

Reference: https://www.psychologytoday.com

Get in touch

If you or someone you know would benefit from sandplay therapy, reach out to me and my team via email at info@thebeachpsychotherapy.com or 647-296-9235, and we will work to help you find a therapist who can offer you this therapeutic approach. We offer a free 30-minute consultation via phone or video chat, and we’re available for online sessions using our secure online video platform across Ontario and in-person sessions in Toronto and select Ontario cities.