Sandtray therapy is an incredible resource for clients of all ages and can be combined easily and meaningfully with all other forms of therapy. In the most simplest explanation, it involves placing miniature objects from my large collection into a sandtray.
It can be used to help with a deeper, more sincere expression of emotions due to relying on symbols, not words, which are stored in the same part of our brain as emotions and memories. Our brains process information first with images, and then with words to we attach to them.
Traumatic memories can get stuck in the emotional right brain, and will not adequately be reached and processed and healed if merely accessed through words and left-brained strategies. Sandtray is a highly effective avenue into the right brain and allows us to process situations that are hard to articulate.
However, it can also be used to enhance relaxation and grounding in a variety of ways from merely feeling the soft sand in your hands to building healing or energizing mandalas.