Sand tray therapy is an expressive therapeutic approach that uses figurines or miniatures for the client to express themselves, their world, or aspects of life situations. British child psychiatrist Dr Margaret Lowenfeld is credited to have formulated the sand tray technique and is widely used today for all age groups -- children, adolescents, and adults. 

The scenes created by the client in a sand tray is a non-verbal interpretation of the conscious and subconscious aspects of the client’s world and thoughts. This can be rooted in the past, present, or future.

Benefits:

• Provides non-verbal expression when verbalizing becomes difficult or uncomfortable. 
• The sand tray scene is a pathway for the client to distance oneself and focus on the issue or concern.
• The smooth texture of the sand and the complete freedom to play around can be a calming activity for the clientThe client has the freedom to work in a safe and non-judgemental setting and in a self-paced manner. After the tray creation, the therapist encourages the client to delve into the specifics and explore various possibilities. 

 

Counsellors in multiple training sessions (during 2022-2023 academic year) with Ms Erin Kinsey Kennedy- faculty member, Dept of Psychology