Sand tray therapy

Sand tray therapy is a method of psychological or psychoanalytic play therapy which is used to assess the mental health and well-being of children and adults by analyzing how they express themselves through the manipulation of objects in small, tabletop sandboxes (sand-trays). It is often used in tandem with other forms of Jungian psychology / therapy. Sand tray participants are asked to create a diorama (a story or miniature world) by arranging toy people, animals, cars, plants, etc. in the sandtray. The therapist evaluates the subject's choice and use of the objects to help the participant to recognize their deeper "symbolic" natures, and to draw various conclusions about their psychological health. Sand Tray is a non-invasive therapeutic method that works especially well with those individuals who are young or have trouble comprehending and talking about difficult issues, such as domestic abuse or child abuse, incest, or the death of a family member.

Sand tray therapy differs from "Sandplay Therapy." The latter is specifically Jungian in approach, aimed at using imaginative play for the purpose of resolution and healing. Neither therapist nor client is involved in strict interpretation or assessment of the symbolic contents which arise from the unconscious. In fact, in Sandplay Therapy "staying with the metaphor" is an important feature that allows healing to occur when the material revealed may be too intense or painful to talk about. Bringing the symbolic images to conscious awareness is the healing agent.