Sandplay Therapy: It's Not Just Kidstuff

Welcome to Sandplay Therapy at CounselingWorks!

Modern Sandplay Therapy was developed in the late 1950’s by Dora Kalff, a Swiss psychoanalyst who was a follower of Carl Jung. In this hands-on, expressive technique, individuals mold and sculpt wet or dry sand within large trays, and position miniature figurines and objects in them to create three-dimensional scenes, stories or designs. Some sandplayers create pictures from their past experiences, or recreate remembered dreams or nightmares in the sandtray. Some sandplayers create fantasy scenes. Others may use the miniatures to visually describe their view of past or current family relationships.

Sandplay can provide an avenue of expression for innermost thoughts and feelings when other types of therapies have failed or are perceived as too threatening. Because it encourages the unconscious to tell its story while grounding the body in the here and now, sandplay is especially well-suited for child and adult survivors of trauma. It can also be helpful for those who feel “stuck’ in their traditional talk therapy. Like many other forms of symbolic play, sandplay creates a bridge from the unconscious to the conscious, and from the inner world to the outer world. It allows for psychological healing and working-through, and the integration of past experiences and past traumatic events.

Sandplay is a failure-proof and rule-free experience: individuals take their time to explore the sand and the hundreds of miniature figures available on open shelves near the trays. Typically, the miniatures are arranged in categories which may include: human figures of different cultures, races, ages, genders, and occupations; representations of all types of wild and domesticated animals; man-made items and structures such as buildings, vehicles, weapons, tools, bridges, fences and signs; fantasy figures such as witches and wizards; vegetation including plants and trees; and many other elements. These symbolic objects help the sandplayer create a world in the sand.

The sandplayer may position and re-position the miniatures or remove those no longer needed. She may work with dry sand, or add water to create damp sand, or may flood the tray to work with very wet sand. She may rake, shovel, brush or sift the sand to create desired textures or landscape features. Sand may be cleared away from the blue bottom and sides of the tray to represent bodies of water or sky.

Although sandplay is essentially a non-verbal technique, the sandplayer may tell the story of her picture, once it is completed, or discuss any associations between the scene in the sandtray and any thoughts or feelings which come up as a result. The therapist will usually avoid interpreting the sandtray, since it is the sandplayer’s interpretation of her own work which is most relevant and important. However, the therapist remains present and available throughout the session to provide a protected space and emotional support, and to foster the sandplayer’s sense of psychological safety during the creation of her sandtray world. The sandplayer works at her own pace and comfort level, confident in the knowledge that it is impossible to make mistakes during sandplay.

As in all work between therapist and client, what is said and done by the client during a sandplay session is private and confidential. With the sandplayer’s permission, the therapist will photograph the completed sandtray scene for the purpose of preserving a record of the client’s process.

Sandplay is an enormously powerful activity because it can connect us to the healing power within ourselves. It is an immensely creative activity which can also be fun, revealing, and enlightening.

If you’d like to experience sandplay for yourself, just ask your therapist to reserve some time for you in our beautiful sandplay room. Self discovery awaits!