Sand Play Therapy

Often, when people have a history of trauma, the coping skills that function to help them survive, become a barrier to healing. Some of the common defenses that hinder the process of healing in adults are intellectualization, rationalization, projection and even dissociation. With children, trauma or stress may present as impulsivity, hyperactivity, poor social skills and poor school performance.

Sand Play therapy allows the person to tap into the psyche. Through the use of symbolic figures, a person is able to create in the sand tray stories which examine their wounds, the effects from those wounds, and the possibilities for resolution. The practitioner is then able to help a person to connect insights to feelings and begin the journey toward healing. Through Sand Play, the adult client is able to build the skills necessary to avoid the problematic patterns of the past. Children’s thoughts and feelings are given a voice through symbolic play, enabling them to resolve their issues in a language they understand.