What Is Sandtray Therapy?

A sandtray is a flat box of sand with toy characters and everyday objects. Children, teens and even adults are attracted to the medium and may spontaneously create small worlds that mirror their own including traumatic events, problems and fears. Therapists trained in the technique use sandtherapy as a form of nonverbal communication. The client’s choice of characters, positions and interactions can be more revealing than words alone. The therapist’s observations during the session help to guide “talk therapy” targeting specific issues discovered with the sandtray.