A Safe Space in the Sand

While it may look like play on the outside, sand tray therapy is an important type of therapy that helps clients of all ages express themselves and find solutions to their problems.

JFCS’ behavioral health clinical managers Kayti Rollins, LPC, and Cher Diefenbacher, LCSW, share that six out of 14 therapists are trained in sand tray therapy at the West Valley Healthcare Center.

“Sand tray therapy allows people to find a safe space to release their thoughts and emotions.”

What Is Sand Tray Therapy?

“Sand tray therapy is a technique of utilizing sand in a tray with miniature items,” Diefenbacher explains. “The miniatures are organized on a shelf in the room into themes such as people, animals, cars, fantasy, trees and buildings, to name a few. Miniatures can be symbolic or represent specific aspects of a client’s life. The miniatures used help create a three-dimensional picture in the sand.”

“Prompts are often given in sand tray therapy with minimal explanation to allow the client to have freedom in expressing themselves,” Rollins adds. “The prompt could be something as simple as ‘create your own world’ or ‘create a scene in the sand that represents a problem that you are facing’ or ‘create a scene that represents your family.’”

“When asking a client that has difficulty verbally communicating, the sand tray allows for the client to share parts of their world or their problem that they may not even be aware of,” she continues. “The therapist is observing not only the finished sand tray but the process of building it. Once the client completes their sand tray, the therapist follows up with allowing the client to share about their sand tray and will ask clarifying questions or prompt the client to look at the tray from different perspectives. The process of collecting miniatures, building, sharing and responding to questions are all important components of sand tray therapy.”

How Sand Tray Therapy Promotes Healing

Both Diefenbacher and Rollins note that sand tray therapy is helpful for clients that struggle to express their emotions verbally because it provides a non-verbal means of communication, allowing them to express complex feelings and experiences through the creation of symbolic scenes.

Diefenbacher explains that sand tray therapy is beneficial for a wide range of clients and their needs, including adults and children. It can also benefit “people struggling with addictions, with complex trauma and even working through problems associated with ADHD,” she says. “It bypasses language and allows people to tap into their subconscious to solve problems. Sand tray therapy allows people to find a safe space to release their thoughts and emotions.”

Rollins adds that it’s an important therapy method that can also be used with couples and families. “Creating a shared sand tray with family members or a significant other again allows for subconscious elements to come to the surface, whether that is emotions or ideas.”

Because of its tactile nature, sand tray therapy can also be grounding and calming. “Sand tray is mindful in nature, utilizing the senses of sight and touch. I once created a tray of a scene where I wanted to go on vacation. I created the tray with features and characteristics I imagined I would see on this vacation, which included trees, flowers and buildings,” Diefenbacher says. “When I was finished, I ended up feeling like I had gone on vacation and felt relaxed and rejuvenated afterward.”

“I also think there are a lot of ‘a ha’ moments in sand tray when people choose miniatures and the location of items next to each other to reflect the relationships and even creating boundaries in the sand that feel unsafe,” she continues. “Sometimes, we don’t realize how we truly feel about a situation until it is presented to us after working in the sand.”

To learn more about JFCS’ behavioral health services, click here.