Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesTechniquesUsesBenefitsEffectivenessHow to Find a TherapistHow to Get Started

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Types

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Uses

Benefits

Effectiveness

How to Find a Therapist

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British child psychiatrist Margaret Lowenfeld developed and began using sand tray therapy (also known as sandplay therapy and World Technique therapy) in 1929 to help children with mental health problems. Later used to help teens and adults, as well, the therapy employs small toys and sand in a tray as tools for the client to develop solutions and coping strategies.

What Is Sand Tray Therapy?Psychotherapists use sand tray therapy, or sandplay therapy, to assess, diagnose, and treat a variety ofmental illnesses. particularly among people who’ve experiencedtrauma. Sand tray therapy is based on the notion that, if the therapist provides the client with a safe space, the client will use the sand tray to create solutions to their problems on their own.

What Is Sand Tray Therapy?

Psychotherapists use sand tray therapy, or sandplay therapy, to assess, diagnose, and treat a variety ofmental illnesses. particularly among people who’ve experiencedtrauma. Sand tray therapy is based on the notion that, if the therapist provides the client with a safe space, the client will use the sand tray to create solutions to their problems on their own.

Types of Play Therapy

Sand tray therapy is a type of play therapy. Other common types of play therapy include:

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In sand tray therapy, a combination of play therapy andart therapy, the client creates scenes with miniature toys in a tray filled with sand. The toys include anything from farm animals and dinosaurs to people and cars. Trees, fences, gates, doors, and buildings are common, too.

The client chooses the toys to incorporate into the tray and arranges them in any way they want as the therapist observes.

Those who offer this type of therapy believe clients create worlds that represent theirinternal struggles or conflicts. After sandplay, the therapist and client typically discuss what was observed—the toys that were chosen, how they were arranged, and any symbolic or metaphorical meanings.

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The client may then choose to rearrange the toys based on the discussion. Sand tray therapy may also includetalk therapy, other types of play or art therapy, or other types of treatment.

What Sand Tray Therapy Can Help With

Sandplay therapy has been shown to benefit the following issues:

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Benefits of Sand Tray Therapy

Research shows that sand tray therapy reduces the symptoms of many mental health issues and increasesresilience.In addition, sand tray therapy:

Studies show sand trays are an effective way to treat a variety of problems and can be used in many different populations.

Adults who lack creativity may be resistant to this form of therapy.

Things to Consider

Some people view sand tray therapy as confusing and time-consuming or too dependent on the therapist’s clinical expertise, noting that the interpretations of sand pictures may be subjective or ambiguous. In addition,

If you’re concerned about the effectiveness of the treatment, express your concerns to your therapist. Together, you can come up with a treatment plan that meets your needs.

If you think that you or a loved one might benefit from sand tray therapy, talk to your healthcare provider, who may be able to refer you to a therapist.

How to Find the Right Therapist

14 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Albuquerque M, Esteves-Sousa D, Moura N, Melo IH de.Sandplay therapy.EFPT Psychotherapy Guidebook. Published online February 19, 2021. doi:10.21428/fc0b32aa.e5562f00Kottman T.Play Therapy: Basics and Beyond. American Counseling Association; 2011.Sweeney DS.Sandtray therapy.Play therapy with children: Modalities for change. Published online 2021:9-24. doi:10.1037/0000217-002Rogers JL, Luke M, Darkis JT.Meet me in the sand: Stories and self-expression in sand tray work with older adults.Journal of Creativity in Mental Health. 2020;1(16):1-13. doi:10.1080/15401383.2020.1734513Wang D, Privitera AJ.Beyond self-report methods: Sand tray used in resilience evaluation.The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2019;63(1):60-67. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2019.03.001Tornero MDLA, Capella C.Change during psychotherapy through sand play tray in children that have been sexually abused.Front Psychol. 2017;8:617. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00617Roesler C.Sandplay therapy: An overview of theory, applications and evidence base.The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2019;64:84-94. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2019.04.001Kwak, Hyeon Jeong, et al.The clinical effects of school sandplay group therapy on general children with a focus on Korea child & youth personality test.BMC Psychology.2020;8(1):9.doi:10.1186/s40359-020-0378-9Han Y, Lee Y, Suh JH.Effects of a sandplay therapy program at a childcare center on children with externalizing behavioral problems.The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2017;52:24-31. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2016.09.008Kang H-J.Supportive music and imagery with sandplay for child witnesses of domestic violence: A pilot study report.The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2017;53:72-79. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2017.01.009Jang M, Kim Y-H.The effect of group sandplay therapy on the social anxiety, loneliness and self-expression of migrant women in international marriages in South Korea.The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2012;39(1):38-41. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2011.11.008Cao H, Shan W, Xu Y, Xu R.Eastern sandplay as a safe container for a combined intervention for a child with Asperger syndrome: A case study.The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2013;40(1):134-142. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2012.12.008Ferreira R, Eloff I, Kukard C, Kriegler S.Using sandplay therapy to bridge a language barrier in emotionally supporting a young vulnerable child.The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2014;41(1):107-114. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2013.11.009Fleet D, Reeves A, Burton A, DasGupta MP.Transformation hidden in the sand: A pluralistic theoretical framework using sand-tray with adult clients.Journal of Creativity in Mental Health. Published online June 14, 2021:1-19. doi:10.1080/15401383.2021.1936738

14 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Albuquerque M, Esteves-Sousa D, Moura N, Melo IH de.Sandplay therapy.EFPT Psychotherapy Guidebook. Published online February 19, 2021. doi:10.21428/fc0b32aa.e5562f00Kottman T.Play Therapy: Basics and Beyond. American Counseling Association; 2011.Sweeney DS.Sandtray therapy.Play therapy with children: Modalities for change. Published online 2021:9-24. doi:10.1037/0000217-002Rogers JL, Luke M, Darkis JT.Meet me in the sand: Stories and self-expression in sand tray work with older adults.Journal of Creativity in Mental Health. 2020;1(16):1-13. doi:10.1080/15401383.2020.1734513Wang D, Privitera AJ.Beyond self-report methods: Sand tray used in resilience evaluation.The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2019;63(1):60-67. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2019.03.001Tornero MDLA, Capella C.Change during psychotherapy through sand play tray in children that have been sexually abused.Front Psychol. 2017;8:617. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00617Roesler C.Sandplay therapy: An overview of theory, applications and evidence base.The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2019;64:84-94. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2019.04.001Kwak, Hyeon Jeong, et al.The clinical effects of school sandplay group therapy on general children with a focus on Korea child & youth personality test.BMC Psychology.2020;8(1):9.doi:10.1186/s40359-020-0378-9Han Y, Lee Y, Suh JH.Effects of a sandplay therapy program at a childcare center on children with externalizing behavioral problems.The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2017;52:24-31. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2016.09.008Kang H-J.Supportive music and imagery with sandplay for child witnesses of domestic violence: A pilot study report.The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2017;53:72-79. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2017.01.009Jang M, Kim Y-H.The effect of group sandplay therapy on the social anxiety, loneliness and self-expression of migrant women in international marriages in South Korea.The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2012;39(1):38-41. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2011.11.008Cao H, Shan W, Xu Y, Xu R.Eastern sandplay as a safe container for a combined intervention for a child with Asperger syndrome: A case study.The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2013;40(1):134-142. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2012.12.008Ferreira R, Eloff I, Kukard C, Kriegler S.Using sandplay therapy to bridge a language barrier in emotionally supporting a young vulnerable child.The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2014;41(1):107-114. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2013.11.009Fleet D, Reeves A, Burton A, DasGupta MP.Transformation hidden in the sand: A pluralistic theoretical framework using sand-tray with adult clients.Journal of Creativity in Mental Health. Published online June 14, 2021:1-19. doi:10.1080/15401383.2021.1936738

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Albuquerque M, Esteves-Sousa D, Moura N, Melo IH de.Sandplay therapy.EFPT Psychotherapy Guidebook. Published online February 19, 2021. doi:10.21428/fc0b32aa.e5562f00Kottman T.Play Therapy: Basics and Beyond. American Counseling Association; 2011.Sweeney DS.Sandtray therapy.Play therapy with children: Modalities for change. Published online 2021:9-24. doi:10.1037/0000217-002Rogers JL, Luke M, Darkis JT.Meet me in the sand: Stories and self-expression in sand tray work with older adults.Journal of Creativity in Mental Health. 2020;1(16):1-13. doi:10.1080/15401383.2020.1734513Wang D, Privitera AJ.Beyond self-report methods: Sand tray used in resilience evaluation.The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2019;63(1):60-67. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2019.03.001Tornero MDLA, Capella C.Change during psychotherapy through sand play tray in children that have been sexually abused.Front Psychol. 2017;8:617. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00617Roesler C.Sandplay therapy: An overview of theory, applications and evidence base.The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2019;64:84-94. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2019.04.001Kwak, Hyeon Jeong, et al.The clinical effects of school sandplay group therapy on general children with a focus on Korea child & youth personality test.BMC Psychology.2020;8(1):9.doi:10.1186/s40359-020-0378-9Han Y, Lee Y, Suh JH.Effects of a sandplay therapy program at a childcare center on children with externalizing behavioral problems.The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2017;52:24-31. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2016.09.008Kang H-J.Supportive music and imagery with sandplay for child witnesses of domestic violence: A pilot study report.The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2017;53:72-79. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2017.01.009Jang M, Kim Y-H.The effect of group sandplay therapy on the social anxiety, loneliness and self-expression of migrant women in international marriages in South Korea.The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2012;39(1):38-41. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2011.11.008Cao H, Shan W, Xu Y, Xu R.Eastern sandplay as a safe container for a combined intervention for a child with Asperger syndrome: A case study.The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2013;40(1):134-142. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2012.12.008Ferreira R, Eloff I, Kukard C, Kriegler S.Using sandplay therapy to bridge a language barrier in emotionally supporting a young vulnerable child.The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2014;41(1):107-114. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2013.11.009Fleet D, Reeves A, Burton A, DasGupta MP.Transformation hidden in the sand: A pluralistic theoretical framework using sand-tray with adult clients.Journal of Creativity in Mental Health. Published online June 14, 2021:1-19. doi:10.1080/15401383.2021.1936738

Albuquerque M, Esteves-Sousa D, Moura N, Melo IH de.Sandplay therapy.EFPT Psychotherapy Guidebook. Published online February 19, 2021. doi:10.21428/fc0b32aa.e5562f00

Kottman T.Play Therapy: Basics and Beyond. American Counseling Association; 2011.

Sweeney DS.Sandtray therapy.Play therapy with children: Modalities for change. Published online 2021:9-24. doi:10.1037/0000217-002

Rogers JL, Luke M, Darkis JT.Meet me in the sand: Stories and self-expression in sand tray work with older adults.Journal of Creativity in Mental Health. 2020;1(16):1-13. doi:10.1080/15401383.2020.1734513

Wang D, Privitera AJ.Beyond self-report methods: Sand tray used in resilience evaluation.The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2019;63(1):60-67. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2019.03.001

Tornero MDLA, Capella C.Change during psychotherapy through sand play tray in children that have been sexually abused.Front Psychol. 2017;8:617. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00617

Roesler C.Sandplay therapy: An overview of theory, applications and evidence base.The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2019;64:84-94. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2019.04.001

Kwak, Hyeon Jeong, et al.The clinical effects of school sandplay group therapy on general children with a focus on Korea child & youth personality test.BMC Psychology.2020;8(1):9.doi:10.1186/s40359-020-0378-9

Han Y, Lee Y, Suh JH.Effects of a sandplay therapy program at a childcare center on children with externalizing behavioral problems.The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2017;52:24-31. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2016.09.008

Kang H-J.Supportive music and imagery with sandplay for child witnesses of domestic violence: A pilot study report.The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2017;53:72-79. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2017.01.009

Jang M, Kim Y-H.The effect of group sandplay therapy on the social anxiety, loneliness and self-expression of migrant women in international marriages in South Korea.The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2012;39(1):38-41. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2011.11.008

Cao H, Shan W, Xu Y, Xu R.Eastern sandplay as a safe container for a combined intervention for a child with Asperger syndrome: A case study.The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2013;40(1):134-142. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2012.12.008

Ferreira R, Eloff I, Kukard C, Kriegler S.Using sandplay therapy to bridge a language barrier in emotionally supporting a young vulnerable child.The Arts in Psychotherapy. 2014;41(1):107-114. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2013.11.009

Fleet D, Reeves A, Burton A, DasGupta MP.Transformation hidden in the sand: A pluralistic theoretical framework using sand-tray with adult clients.Journal of Creativity in Mental Health. Published online June 14, 2021:1-19. doi:10.1080/15401383.2021.1936738

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