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When people hear the word “therapy,” they probably imagine going to a therapist’s office, sitting on the couch, and sharing their feelings while the therapist helps them to process. While this is the most common form of therapy, there are alternative methods. One such method is sandtray therapy, which allows people to articulate their emotions through the use of objects, rather than using traditional talk therapy methods. What is Sandtray therapy?

Originally developed for use with children, Sandtray therapy is a creative-expressive modality that can be used with both children and adults. In using this approach, the client is asked to make a scene or create a world in a tray of sand, using three-dimensional figures. When this process is carried out in the presence of a trained therapist, creating scenes in the sand can have therapeutic benefits.

Sandtray therapy uses a rectangular tray, often with blue interior walls. The tray is filled with sand and miniature figures that a client has selected to create scenes or worlds. Since the client leads sandtray therapy sessions, they can create whatever scene they like. Some may choose not to create a scene and instead just experience movement in the sand by using their hands or other tools. Sandtray therapists often have rooms filled with large collections of play figures, which can include humans, animals, buildings, vehicles, spiritual symbols, and natural objects like trees or stones.