Sandplay or Sand Tray Therapy in Franklin, TN
Working with sand and tiny little miniatures has proven to be a powerful nonverbal form of therapy that allows you to create scenes or worlds within a tray of sand. The scenes or worlds created help reflect your own life as you see it. This treatment model, most often used with children, is especially helpful with people dealing with trauma or resistance to treatment as it gives expression to non-verbalized emotions or struggles.
What is the difference between Sandplay and Sand Tray Therapy
Though sand tray therapy and sandplay therapy both involve the use of sand for therapeutic purposes in a threat-free environment, the approaches have subtle but significant differences. For example, sand tray therapy may incorporate various theoretical orientations, whereas sandplay therapy is grounded in Jungian psychology.
Sand tray therapy emphasizes what the person in therapy is experiencing at that moment, and therapists are actively involved in working with current experiences of awareness and growth. As individuals in treatment are encouraged to open up emotionally sand tray therapy will help this process. In contrast, sandplay therapists focus on the unconscious and seek to provide people in therapy with a protected space and the opportunity to communicate nonverbally. Therapists who do sandplay therapy do not interpret, interfere with, or direct the person in any way. The analysis takes place after the therapy session.
TalkDr Christian Counseling does Sand Tray therapy in its offices in Franklin, Tennessee. Learn more about other areas of therapy we provide.
How does Sand Tray Therapy work
During Sand Tray sessions, trays of sand and shelves of miniatures that represent myriad aspects of the world are provided: people, animals, nature, houses, religious symbols, and so on. The therapist will then invite the client to create a scene or world, using whatever miniatures the client chooses. The client can choose however many they want. If the client seems overwhelmed by the lack of structure, the therapist can make a suggestion as to what the client might make a scene of, such as “Make a scene of how you feel about your family.” The therapist simply observes while the client builds their scene, noticing details like the order and placement of the miniatures.
Break free from trauma
If you’re ready to explore if Sand Tray therapy is right for you, contact TalkDr Christian Counseling for a free 15-minute phone consultation. Email us or call 615-985-TALK