The Healing Power of Sandtray Therapy

What is Sandtray Therapy?

by Natalie Dalton, t-LMHC

To me, Sandtray Therapy is an opportunity to explore our inner experiences in the form of objects, images, and storytelling that allows for deep processing and understanding of self. 

By definition, Sandtray Therapy is an expressive and projective therapy which incorporates sand and miniature objects to enhance communication and processing of experiences. 

Sandtray Therapy allows for our words to become physically represented!

Sandtray Therapy was first used in the 1920s by Margaret Lowenfeld and named the World Technique. As Sandtray Therapy techniques have continued to develop,

Sandtrays can use miniature toys, dolls, cars, and houses

Lowenfeld’s World Technique formed the basis for therapeutic use today and is commonly referred to as Sandtray Therapy.

An overarching goal of the use of Sandtray Therapy is for people to tell their story (process their concerns, experiences, etc) both non-verbally and verbally. Miniature objects (animals, food, people, plants, household items, etc) are used as expressive items that represent thoughts, feelings, experiences, and perceptions of your world. Miniatures are used in the sand to create images and stories representing internal and external experiences. 

My favorite parts of Sandtray Therapy are watching individuals try something new and develop insight and different perspectives of their experiences.

Who benefits from Sandtray Therapy?

Everyone!

Sandtray can use sticks, stones, and other natural materials

Sandtray Therapy gives expression to non-verbalized emotional experiences for both children and adults (yes, adults too!). 

For children, play is an emotional language which can be communicated through miniatures. For adults,  the creative nature of Sandtray provides new perspectives, reduced stress, and emotional processing. Older children (6-8), adolescents, teenagers, and adults can all experience benefits from use of Sandtray.

Sandtray provides benefits for those who are anxious, tense, hyperactive and those who tend to rationalize, intellectualize, or have difficulty verbalizing emotional experiences:

• Sensory interaction with sand and miniatures promotes self-regulation, reducing tension and anxiety. 
• The experience of creating in the tray increases focus and containment of emotional experiences.
• Miniatures allow for a projective expression of emotional experiences, reducing need for verbal expression and the tendency to rationalize or intellectualize. 
• Sandtray Therapy creates therapeutic distance from intense emotions, through projection and symbolization of emotional experience onto miniatures. 
• Sandtray provides a sense of control over lived experiences, emotions, and how they are expressed. These factors create a safe, controlled environment for people to process difficult experiences and emotions. 
• Sandtray Therapy activates both hemispheres of the brain, allowing for unique processing pathways to develop. This is because of the sensory experiences with sand and visual imagery, as well as the verbal processing of Sandtray. This uses both emotional and logical processing. 
• Over time, use of Sandtray Therapy to process difficult lived experiences can enhance emotional regulation. 

Another amazing part of Sandtray Therapy is that it is useful for individuals of all cultural backgrounds and has been utilized internationally!

Does Sandtray Therapy Use Theory?

Absolutely!

I approach Sandtray Therapy from a collaborative perspective, as each sandtray is unique to every individual. Sandtray Therapy is flexible and adaptive allowing for various approaches based on individuals needs. I utilize a variety of prompts and techniques, from Solution Focused, Motivational Interviewing, Mindfulness, and Cognitive approaches.

If you are interested in learning more about Sandtray Therapy, do not hesitate to reach out for additional information!

References:

Homeyer, L., & Sweeney, D. S. (2023). Sandtray therapy: A practical manual (4th ed.).

Routledge.Marie, S. (2022). The evidence and benefits of sand tray therapy. Healthline.https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/sand-tray-therapy

The benefits of Sandtray therapy for adults: Overcoming grief and trauma. Wind RoseCounseling. (2025, July). https://www.windrosecounseling.org/post/benefits-of-sandtray-therapy-for-adults