Sandplay Therapy

Sandplay therapy is a non-verbal, expressive therapeutic approach where individuals use miniature figures and a sandbox to create scenes that reflect their inner experiences. It taps into the unconscious, allowing healing and self-discovery by fostering a safe, symbolic space for emotional exploration and integration without needing verbal articulation.

I am a certified Systemic Sand Play Therapist, and I use this technique to help clients work through trauma and family discontent that they may have experienced.

Sandplay therapy is a non-verbal, expressive therapeutic method developed by Swiss Jungian analyst Dora Kalff drawing from the work of Carl Jung, Margaret Lowenfeld, and Tibetan & Zen Buddhism. Jung, whose work provides the foundation for sandplay therapy, understood almost a hundred years ago that the mind and body were inextricably linked. In sandplay, this link is seen again and again in both the symbolic activity of the psyche and the embodied experience of healing and change.

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

I have been using this modality with children, adolescents, and adults for almost 20 years and find that it complements both play therapy and traditional talk therapy by providing a rich and powerful means of self-expression and exploration of significant issues.

I have attended workshops on Sand Tray and have used it extensively in my work with children (4-13) and high school students. I have noticed that it unlocks many ideas, thoughts, and behaviors so we can work more deeply.

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 am an associate member of the Sand Play Association. Sand Play is a powerful way to access non-verbal parts of ourselves. Do you ever feel something, and you don't know how to even begin to talk about it? The sand play process, in a fun and imaginative manner, using symbolic imagery, can bring out to our conscious mind parts of ourselves that were unknown to ourselves.

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 allows clients to explore, in a safe and supportive environment, their thoughts, feelings and behaviours, in an indirect, non-threatening way.

I love using Sandtray when working with teenagers and adults. It is a great way to access other parts of our brains and integrating them. I am a Registered Integrative Sandtray Therapist through Southern Sandtray Institute.