Sandplay therapy is a hands-on, expressive therapy where a person uses miniature figures to build a three dimensional scene in a a sandtray.   Sandplay therapy is a method that offers a “free and protected space” where the unconscious mind can externalize and heal itself.  It is believed that by using the sand and miniature pieces, a person can give physical, symbolic form to their inner world.  This method draws heavily from Carl Jung’s psychology.

Traditional talk therapy relies on the conscious mind to do the work.  Sandplay therapy works around the conscious mind and verbal limitations by using a non-verbal, three dimensional language.  Talk therapy works with the conscious cognitive processing, which often interferes with accessing and processing deeply rooted feelings and memories.  Sandplay therapy delves directly into the unconscious thus working with internal material that is pertinent to true healing and change.

Sandplay in the Dora Kalff tradition is for all ages.  It is particularly powerful with adults, who have had years to establish psychological defenses that interfere with feeling and embodiment.  Sandplay moves around these defenses, allowing the opening up of feelings and body sensations in ways that are manageable.

Sandplay is a highly effective modality for work with trauma, of all kinds.  Sandplay works in ways that allow the person to get around the verbal, logical brain in order to access traumatic memories that are deeply held in the non-verbal, emotional, and sensory parts of the brain.  Sandplay also opens access to memory that is somatically held in areas of the body and, thus, is not able to be accessed through language or intellect.    Jungian Sandplay is often seen as a well-suited modality because it allows healing to happen at a pace the psyche can tolerate, without any pressure for immediate verbal processing.

Sandplay therapy, specifically that developed by Dora Kalff, and steeped in Jungian theory) has a growing body of empirical evidence.  A recent meta-analyses showed clinical significance for Sandplay Therapy outcomes, including robust improvements in internalizing and externalizing behaviors, anxiety, and traumatic-based symptoms.

Rather than considering the differences, it is important to recognize that these therapies, Sandplay, EMDR and somatic, overlap and intersect one another, and share a powerful neurobiological synergy.   Sandplay utilizes sand, the tray, and the miniature pieces to active nonverbal, deeply held psychic content.  This process often activates body memory (somatic) and intense feelings and memory associated with traumatic memory.  While there is often a natural bilateral movement in the work in the tray, EMDR can be used to process content that emerges that is intense in a way that requires immediate action.  The differences include the mechanism each uses to move the work as well as the clinical focus.

While many clients do talk about their trauma while in a sandplay process, it is not required.  I have had many clients who worked in the sand, with very little talk or intellectual processing, and were able to resolve the trauma.  That is the power of Sandplay.

There is no distinct time frame, it is very individual, and depends on the overall work that someone wants to do.  For certification in sandplay, clinicians are required to work in the sand (personal process) for a minimum of 40 sessions.

The first session is typically an information gathering, getting to know you session.  It is also possible to work in the sand should someone want to.

Yes, sandplay therapy is utilized within the structure of an overall clinical therapy process and is covered by insurance under that heading.

I work with children, teens and adults.  At this point in my practice, I primarily work with adults and couple, but usually have a number of children and/or teens in my schedule.  In the past, I have worked almost exclusively with children and teens.

No, not at all!  While sandplay can activate and amplify creativity, that is not the focus.  Sandplay is a deep work of the psyche, and its goal is to heal and enlarge the inner life of the person.  As one works in a sandplay process, an inner creativity activates that has nothing to do with art, but rather an awakening of the soul.

Sandplay is particularly valuable and effective in working through trauma, particularly developmental trauma (trauma that occurs over our developmental years).  It is highly effective in resolving anxiety, low self esteem, low confidence, and identity development.  Most of my clients, no matter what their presenting problem, utilize sandplay as part of their overall clinical process.  Sandplay helps us to get deeper into the psyche, where everything we need is waiting to be realized.

Sandplay is valuable for most.  A way to know if it is right for you would be to come in for an assessment, try it out at least a few times, and see how that feels.  I do have clients who I work with who do not use sandplay, and that is a choice.  However, I do want to say that there is a difference in terms of the depth of work we can do when one utilizes a deep process like sandplay.