A community rooted in depth
The Northeast Sandplay Association
A growing community of sandplay practitioners, students, and those who are simply curious — based in New Jersey and the surrounding areas, open to all who are drawn to the work.
About the association
Built from the ground up.
The Northeast Sandplay Association was founded by Ruth Castellano in 2015, when she became the STA regional representative for the New Jersey and New York region. At the time, there was no organized sandplay community in this part of the country. Ruth set out to change that.
The Association brings together therapists working toward certification, clinicians already practicing sandplay, and anyone with genuine curiosity about Jungian depth work and the symbolic life.
All Association activities meet the standards of the Sandplay Therapists of America (STA) and the International Society for Sandplay Therapy (ISST).
What we offer
Community
People who speak the same language
Sandplay is a truly distinct modality. Finding others who understand the work — who know Dora Kalff, who have sat with the silence of a completed tray — matters. The Association creates space for those connections to develop, over time, into genuine collegial relationships.
Learning
Continued growth in the tradition
Members have access to case consultation, study groups, and guest presentations from practitioners in the wider STA and ISST community. The Association is a living extension of the training — the place where the learning continues after the formal programme ends.
Events
Gatherings worth showing up for
The Association hosts live events — including the Into the Sand training days at Lord Stirling Park — as well as smaller gatherings for consultation, discussion, and practice. Events are in-person where possible, because sandplay asks for presence.
Credentials
Hours that count toward certification
For therapists working toward CST designation through the STA or ISST, Association activities contribute toward the supervised hours and continuing education requirements of certification. Ruth can advise on what qualifies and how to document it.
Open to all
Your curiosity is enough.
You do not need to be a licensed therapist or a trained sandplay practitioner to be part of the Association. Educators, social workers, artists, yoga teachers, and people with no clinical background at all are welcome here. All that matters is a genuine interest in the symbolic life and the kind of depth this work points toward.
How we gather
Join
Us!
The Association meets in several ways throughout the year — through the live Into the Sand training days at Lord Stirling Park, through monthly online sessions for case consultation and study, and through informal gatherings as the community grows. Ruth also makes herself available for individual and group consultation with anyone interested in deepening their knowledge and understanding as well as those working toward certification in STA.
Examples of past Events
Into the Sand — live one-day intensives at Lord Stirling Park, Basking Ridge, NJ
Monthly online consultation and study group via Zoom
Guest presentations from STA and ISST practitioners
Case consultation — individual and small group, by arrangement
Ready to go deeper?
The Association and the training programs are closely connected — many members first encounter the community through an Into the Sand training day and find their way into ongoing membership from there. If you’re curious about sandplay and want to experience it directly, the training is the most natural place to start. No prior experience required. All levels welcome.