Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy Excellence

How to Use Sand Tray in Play Therapy

• Cathi Spooner, LCSW, RPT-S • Episode 96

Share episode

Send us a text

Sand Tray Therapy vs. Sandplay Therapy: What’s the Difference—And Why It Matters for Play Therapists


Ever find yourself wondering, “Wait… am I doing sandplay therapy or sand tray therapy?” 👀


You’re not alone — and it’s way more than a semantics thing.


In this podcast episode, we’re unpacking the fascinating roots and modern applications of both approaches — from Dora Kalff’s Jungian foundations to the integrative, attachment-focused sand tray therapy so many of us use today.


You’ll discover:
 ✨ How your play therapy model shapes what happens in the tray (and why that’s everything).
✨ How to choose when to lead vs. when to follow your client’s symbolic process.
✨ Why holding themes lightly — instead of decoding them like dream symbols — actually deepens healing.


We’ll bridge the theory with the practical, exploring how your lens—whether child-centered, Adlerian, or integrative—guides the way you use this powerful tool for connection and transformation.


Because the real magic isn’t in the sand alone… it’s in how you conceptualize the process through your theoretical heart and nervous system. 💫


🎥 Join me and let’s dig into the art of using the sand tray making process in play therapy with purpose and presence.

Join my free Facebook Community Play and Expressive Arts Therapy Playground.

Check out my free resources for mental health professionals working with children, adolescents, and families who want to integrate play therapy and expressive arts into their clinical work.

I work with individuals and agencies to develop successful strategies and meet the treatment needs of your child and adolescent clients and their families using play therapy & expressive arts.

Contact me to schedule a free 30-minute video call if you're ready to level up your skills

Welcome to Next Level Play Therapy. A weekly podcast dedicated to supporting the next generation of child and adolescent therapists to provide exceptional play therapy services. We'll explore all things play therapy. To elevate your work with children and adolescents using the therapeutic powers of play. I'll discuss practical tips and ideas so you can provide a transformative experience for your young clients and make a real difference in their lives. So get ready to take your play therapy skills to the next level and make a lasting impact in the lives of children, adolescents, and families. Hey there. Welcome to this week's episode of Next Level Play Therapy, where we talk about all thanks play therapy. And today I wanna talk about sand tray therapy. Are you using sand play therapy or are you using sand tray therapy? And why does it really matter? Is it tomatoes or tomatoes? And it actually does matter. So I wanna talk a little bit about that and then I'll share some tips about. Using play therapy, uh, sorry. Using stand tray in play therapy to help children and adolescents heal. So that's our topic today, how to use stand, how to use the stand tray in play therapy. So if you're joining me, I would love to know who's here. Pop your name in the comments. What population do you work with? Are you using the San Tray in your office or in your work? If you're not in the office, um, what do you know? What. Sant tray model you're using or San play also. Um, where are you? Where are you working? What are your thoughts about San using Sant tray? So let's go ahead and get started talking about that today. Also, if you find the information helpful, please feel free to share it across your social media platforms. I stream live every Wednesday at 7:00 AM Pacific Time, which is

10:

00 AM on the East Coast, on LinkedIn and YouTube, and also simultaneously kinda using my phone to stream on Instagram. So you'll see me going back and forth with my facial, um, my eyes looking back and forth at the different cameras. All righty. So what is the difference between sand trade therapy and sand play therapy, and does it even really matter? And I would say the answer is yes, it does matter, because it gives you an idea of what are the theoretical roots of the approach using Sand T tray. And so sand play therapy has its roots way, way, way. Several decades ago, back in the, I think it was the fifties. Maybe getting started in the forties, um, with Margaret Feld using Jungian psychoanalytic theory theory with a small tray filled with sand, using little figurines. Her work with children, inviting them in to make a sand world. So she developed. The sand world technique. And then, so it has its roots in psychoanalytic theory, specifically Freudian psychoanalytic theory working with children. And then at some point Dora Cough went to study with Margaret Levenfeld and do, Kauf is the one who is um, actually took that sand world technique. And applied it using a Jungian psychoanalytic lens. And so we actually kind of consider Dora Cough to be the mother of sand tray, I'm sorry, sand play. Kind of like we consider Virginia Ax line to be the mother of child-centered play therapy. That's how I look at it. And so Sand Play therapy has its roots. In a specific model and way of being with clients using the sand tray, sand and symbols. And, um, their work also includes adults, adolescents, and children. And so its roots are really in that Jungian psychological, uh, psychoanalytic lens. And I think over the years, like most, most entities, as we've learned more from research, they've integrated in more of what we know from neurobiology and SA and attachment the theory, like interpersonal neurobiology. And so they've integrated a lot of that in there from what I've observed over the last couple decades. So, um, sand tray therapy, which is different than sand play because when you're a sand play therapist, you, you go through and get specific certification. It's a lot like saying you're, um, an art therapist 'cause you pull out art supplies, ra or that as a play therapist, you're doing art therapy. In the playroom when you're pulling out and allowing children to use art. And that's not actually correct because our therapists spend a lot of time studying specific types of theoretical models and applying those theoretical models with art. And so I would say as a play therapist who is not a trained art therapist. Who did su uh, my plea therapy supervision with a certified art therapist. I would say I use art in play therapy, so I use art to access the therapeutic powers play within a therapeutic, uh, plea therapy model. And so I don't refer to myself as an art therapist. I don't refer to myself as a sand play therapist, even though I've done. A lot of training with people who were trained in the San Play model. So, um, kind of some of my roots come there as well, but I didn't go through all of those certification processes, which are gonna teach me a specific way of doing it. Kind of like as a play therapist, I have gone through the certification process for that, and I do maintain my certification. As a play therapist. So it's kind of like saying you're a play therapist when you're actually using play therapeutically. Maybe you're using play in your process, but you haven't specifically been trained in any play therapy models. It's kind of that way. That's how I think of it. And so in that way it does matter how you say it is. Are you using sand tray in play therapy? Or are you using sand play? And so sand tray therapy is pretty much everything else. So if you're not a sand play trained therapist, then you're probably using sand tray therapy, meaning you have a variety of different models in which you are using the sand tray, the miniatures and the sand in your play therapy sessions, for example. As a child-centered play therapist, I would, I would have a sandbox, miniatures, and sand in my office. And when I'm using child-centered play therapy, I am using that theoretical model with the sandre. So there's a specific way in which I show up in the session, how I'm tracking what's going on, how I'm holding that space. Using a child-centered plea therapy model versus when I'm using more of an integrative approach using some of the concepts of Jungian psychoanalytic theory that I've learned with the San Tray process, along with a lot of attachment and neuroscience that I've integrated in using my prescriptive. Approach to using the sand tray is more of an integrative or prescriptive model. Um, and then there's a different way in which sometimes I might lead, sometimes I might provide, provide a directive if I'm using sand tray therapy while providing a child-centered approach that I'm not leading. So you can see how your play therapy model. Will make a huge difference in how you're using the sand, the sandbox, and the miniatures. And so the other thing that I think is I important is really conceptualizing the purpose of the sand tray. So, and this is gonna be heavily influenced by your theoretical model. What is the purpose of having that in there? Um, so Ry has it roots as well as play therapy has its roots in accessing the symbolic, or if I'm using a neuroscience and attachment lens, or that interpersonal neurobiology lens that I, I'll say that we're accessing implicit experiences. And, um, and then we're using that from a play therapy standpoint to access the therapeutic powers of play. So how is the sand tray making process allowing you to, um, apply a theoretical model to help your clients access those therapeutic powers of play? Because that's what sets play therapy apart. From other play therapy modality, I mean, sorry, from other expressive arts. Modalities. Accessing the therapeutic powers of play is what sets play therapy apart from other expressive mo um, modalities. For example, San play therapy or music therapy or art therapy. If we're using play therapy, then we are helping our clients to access those therapeutic powers of play. Through a theoretical model. And so when we are, what is the purpose of the sand tray? Well, it's a way that we are helping our clients access those therapeutic powers of play to work through and resolve whatever it is that's going on in their lives that's creating problems. So when I'm using my neuroscience and attachment lens, then I'm conceptualizing the ability to use the sand tray to access those implicit experiences that might be creating distress and getting in the way of. Healthy integration, creating those strong, integrated neural systems that allow for regulation and what we would say homeostasis right within my internal system. Between that brain, body, bilateral integration, all of those, all of those ways that we know are important for optimal functioning. And the only way we can access optimal functioning for emotion regulation or self-regulation is by staying within our window of tolerance. Well, maybe we're using the sand tray. To access and process through some of those implicit experience stored away that are interfering with optimal functioning because that integration has not, um, fully developed. I call it big pockets of ness stored away in my neural system, right? We integrate, this is where I, I love that idea of, um, thinking about parts and memory, like those implicit memory experiences, and now we've got these parts that are kind of split off. And if you're using more of a internal family systems. Lens, theoretical lens, and you're looking at what are these parts? And these parts have gotten, um, split off in my neural, my neural integration because some implicit experience is stored away creating barriers for healthy integration. So from an IFS internal Family systems model, then you're gonna look at. You're gonna look at your protectors, like the managers and the firefighters. You're gonna look at the, um, those, what do we, oh, I just had the word in my head, the exile parts and the idea being, um, that healthy integration to, to create and facilitate that strong, healthy sense of self. With, with all those eight C's. I never remember all the eight C's, but it's compassion. Think it's courage. I don't know. There's a bunch of eight C's I always have to pull up my list. So it's, it's just another way IFS is another way of conceptualizing the way that I look at it. That, um, that those implicit experiences and how they have. Create a havoc, so to speak on our neuro system integration. Daniel Siegel talks a lot about the flow of energy and information and the consciousness, which is mind and the meaning that we've made of things. I've actually been listening to his book on tape. Well, audible. Um, and then I also have the hard copy. I like to read the hard copy. I mean, listen to the, uh, audible book and then if there's some real juicy parts, I like to go and pull out the book and really read through the book. But I, I was listening to the audible version of Brainstorm. That's the one that's really focused on adolescence and listening to his discussion from an interpersonal neurobiology standpoint of how these, these meanings that we make of these autobiographical memories are processed through the right brain and how we actually need the left brain to anchor. And some accuracy. Um, and that would be that bilateral, bilateral stimulation if we're also integrating in a little EMDR, right? This would be more of, I'm using this integrative approach to santra using these theoretical models. That's the purpose. For the San Tray, because I want to use the San Tray to access those implicit experiences and allow a reworking of them, so to speak, to facilitate that healing. And so for that, that would be the purpose. How am I conceptualizing the purpose? And it's gonna be heavily influenced. By my theoretical model. So if I'm using Adlerian play therapy that then I can use the sand tray and I'm go. The purpose of the San tray is to facilitate healing. In the way that an Adlerian play therapist would make sense of what's going on, how they would use the San Tray in the session. And so your theoretical model when you're using the San Tray is really, really, I important because it influences everything so to speak. It influences how you make sense of what's going on. It influences the purpose of using the sand tray process. It influences how you make sense of what's going on and what you're going to do in sessions and how you tell which, where you are in the healing process based on what stage of play therapy that you're in. And so the, your play therapy model is also gonna influence your use of the San Tray in terms of are you gonna lead or are you following? So leading would mean that you would be giving some directive prompts. You would be, um, directing what you're doing in the session and how you're using that sand tray. Following means that you are allowing your client to lead. So Child-Centered Play Therapy would be following, only following. If you're using sand play, you're only following because the theory is for both of those models. Given the free and protected space, your client will inherently, will naturally will instinctually. Move towards healing and wholeness. And so you're, you are, you're gonna be so grounded in that firm belief that you are going to follow because your belief is that your client will show you what they need to do. Um, and really it doesn't even matter if you get it from these models, it's more about how are they using. The process for their healing because they know how to get there. They would naturally know what symbols to use, what, how to use the sand tray. So that would be following. And so part of what you're doing is, is you are using your theoretical model. To, um, guide your decision making in terms of what are you doing with the sandt tray in that play therapy process? And what I mean by that is your theoretical model is going to influence, are leading, and are you only leading? Are you following? Are you only following or somewhere in between? Are you sometimes following and sometimes leading? That's all gonna be influenced by your theoretical model and, and how you hold that sway making process. How you hold each play therapy session, how you hold that sand tray making process is all gonna be influenced by your theoretical model that you're using and if you're interested. So, um, I am actually gonna be doing a play therapy training in December, December 6th and seventh. I love using a neuroscience and attachment lens in play therapy. So, um, that's gonna influence how I hold that process, how I make sense of what's going on in the San Tray making process. How do I, how do I, um, make sense of themes? So play therapy themes is gonna be influenced by my theoretical model, and so I created a sand tray training to help people learn how to use a neuroscience and attachment lens using the sand tray in play therapy. So if you're interested in that, stick around. Towards the end. We do a lot of experiential. I keep that training very small, like 10 to 12 people maximum. I only do these in person because I, especially if we're using a neuroscience and attachment lens, I really think it's important for play therapists to get your hands. In that sand to allow your AB ability to choose the miniatures and set them up in the sand tray to have that experience of creating the sand trays to recognize just how powerful this is. And then we go through and we practice. Identifying themes and how do you hold that and what do you say? What do you not say? So if you're interested, um, I will talk a little bit more about that at the end of the police, um, at the, at the end of this episode, because registration is gonna be closing soon. So, um, you'll want, and it's, it's. It's filling up. So if you want a spot, um, then you'll wanna register soon. So that also brings us to the next thing that I was gonna talk about today. That comes up all the time, and it is really important and the play therapy process, um, to really understand what, what to do with this topic that I'm gonna talk about next, which is identifying themes. How do you identify themes in play therapy sessions? How do you identify the play therapy themes in the sand tray and what do you do with that information? So play therapy themes is another way of it's, it's another way of saying like the psychological energy. Psychologically, what is it that is showing up in your client's play therapy session that is influencing? I just realized I didn't have my microphone close enough, so I'm hoping the audio is pretty good. I'll move it closer now anyways, um, so the plate therapy themes are really, how do you make sense of what is showing up? In the playroom, and that's why identifying themes can be an important skill to learn as a play therapist. I wouldn't say get hung up on it. Um, like so much so that you can't show up therapeutically if you're just trying to focus so much on. The theme that you are not even therapeutically present and you miss all kinds of things. I think it's something that you learn, especially something you learn with one, by going to trainings and finding out how to do that. Also, consultation, um, also reading books. There's some really good books out there that talk about different themes. Um. Like we talk about themes in my Play Therapy Academy, which is my online consultation program. So if you're interested in that, I'll talk a little bit more. I do have some openings for Play Therapy Academy, but themes are in, themes are are the way in which clients are using the play therapy process and the sand tray and that it's like the psychological energy that shows up. In their play, and we learn to identify themes to help us make sense of what clients are working through in the sand tray making process or play therapy in particular. Here's the reality of it, though. The client doesn't need you necessarily. I think you could make the case pro or con for what I'm about to say. A client doesn't necessarily need you to know every little thing because the theory is given the free and protected space, they will naturally move towards healing and wholeness and your, the play therapy model, most of them, um, most of them would integrate that. What would I call that would integrate that? Premise that, that we give that free and protected space and play therapy for clients to move towards healing and wholeness. So, I, I say that, don't get too hung up. On the themes, they're important. I definitely think they're important. Just don't get hung up on them. Um, from a sand tray making process, um, you're, you're still, your, the how you make sense of the themes is gonna be influenced by your play therapy model again. That's an important, um, thing is how are you grounding the San Tray work and what is the theoretical model that you're using, because that's what is gonna help you make sense of the themes and what to do with that information once you've figured it out. That being said, oops, before I do that, I have to give you a warning. My dog, Luna has just come into my office. If you've listened to any of my episodes previously, you'll, you'll know Luna. Once my husband goes off to work, then Luna shows up in my office and she's now laying on the floor, on the carpet, kind of rolling around and moaning. So if you hear any weird sounds in the background, it's my dog, Luna. There's nothing weird going on and you're not hearing things. That's, that's my dog, Luna. Um, the thing about themes in play therapy is there are some, there are some themes that are pretty typical to most play therapy models. So themes of control, themes of, um. What are some of the other themes? Um, nurturing, safety, danger, protection, mastery. All of these themes are pretty hmm, similar across all play therapy models. And then how you make sense of those themes and what, why those are happening is gonna be influenced by your theory model. So for, uh, for an Adlerian play therapy play therapist, they might look at power and control issues or themes in the play in terms of lifestyle priorities and what needs are they trying to get met. Do I count? Um, maybe I need some courage to do something differently. So, uh, versus, um, maybe if I'm looking at things from a neuroscience and attachment lens, and I am. I am conceptualizing implicit memories than I an attachment. Then I'm conceptualizing power and control themes in terms of what is going on and what is, what is my client needing to work through regarding these early implicit experiences and their attachment experiences. So your themes are really going to be influenced by your play therapy theoretical model, and also it's your model is gonna influence how you hold that. How do you hold that information? Um, what do you say? What don't you say? How do you say it? When do you say it? When do you not say it? All of these things are. Um, I'm gonna be influenced by your play therapy model about how to hold that, how sand tray making process in play therapy in a way that feels safe and goes at the pace that is important for your client. Important meaning feel safe for them. So we're, we're looking at our play therapy model to kind of even. Demonstrate how are we holding it? Because from a sand play theoretical model, I'm silent witness. I'm not saying anything. I'm not engaging from a child-centered play therapy model. I'm tracking. I am reflecting and tracking what goes on in the session, but I'm not leading. From, um, if I'm using, uh, an integrative model and maybe I'm integrating in. Some, um, neuroscience and maybe some IFS, maybe some narrative therapy, uh, narrative theory. I might integrate in having the sand tray miniatures talk. I might direct a few things I might reflect on and maybe stay in the metaphor to get those characters to talk. Um. All. So all of those and are gonna be influenced, how do we hold that is gonna be influenced by your theoretical model. So that is it for today. Today we are talking about how do use the sand tray making process in play therapy. Um, and so just to do a quick recap, understanding the, the words that you use. To describe what you're doing has its roots in explaining what your theoretical model is. So words really do matter in terms of, are you saying you're a San, are you using sand play or are you using San Tray? And if you're using San Tray, what are the, what theoretical models are you using? To for that sand tray making process, because that's also how we're conceptualizing the purpose for using that sand tray in the play therapy process. It's gonna be influenced by my theoretical model. Um. And what we're working to accomplish in that play therapy session. And then that's also gonna, my play therapy model is also gonna influence, do I follow, do I lead? And then how am I making sense of these themes? How am I holding these themes? What am I doing with these themes? That's my clinical decision making, like in child-centered play therapy. I'm, I'm not leading at all. Even when I'm reflecting, my reflecting is not leading. If I'm asking questions, I'm leading, so I'm not asking questions. Um, and so, but what I may do is from a child-centered play therapy standpoint, I may be conceptualizing. The purpose of the San Tray is to provide another way for children to access those therapeutic powers of play and use me to anchor that process for them for healing. And then my reflecting is I may use my decision making as a maybe identified a theme, and then I might. I might reflect what I'm seeing and what the client is doing, um, and maybe rooted in a little bit of the language of that theme. And then the client, the client will do with it as they wish. Again, it's a fine line between following and leading, but it's, I'm depending on my play therapy model will influence what am I gonna do with the themes. To be honest, I don't really try to identify themes, um, in the play therapy session too much. The older the. The older, the client, like when we're getting into little older, like, um, maybe early middle school, high school adults, I, I may do a little bit more reflecting of the themes in there, um, if we're working through some implicit memory experiences or, or trauma. Um, but I. I don't typically get too hung up in the themes because really what I wanna do is be present and I wanna be attuned to my client. Um, a lot of times when I figure out the themes is when I'm writing my progress notes because I'll go back and reflect on what happened in the session, and then from there, all. I'll think about what the themes were that re reflected through those behaviors and the statements and what went on in the session, and that'll help guide my thinking for the next session with that client. So, so that is it for today. If you're interested in my, um, upcoming training or even play therapy Academy, so I do have. Training coming up. It's an in-person play therapy training in St. George, Utah. Very small number of people, very limited. I really try to keep it kind of retreat like where we do a lot of experiential, we do a lot of holding of sand trays and identifying themes and learning what to look for. Um, what to say, when to say it, what not to say. How to hold that process of for the client in a way that feels safe and recognizing those themes in the San Tray. All of that using a neuroscience and attachment lens. So my training coming up is called Using a Neuroscience and Attachment Lens with Sandtray in Play Therapy. If you're interested in the training or even any other trainings I have coming up. Pop over to my website at rh play therapy training.com. That's rh play therapy training.com. You're gonna wanna register soon for the, um, using it, using a neuroscience and attachment lens with santra and play therapy training.'cause that one's starting to get full. Um, also if you're interested in consultation and you. Uh, maybe you're pursuing your RPT credential, registered play therapy credential, or maybe you just really are not sure if you wanna pursue your RPT credential, but you really want. Some, um, strong hands-on support for learning how to use play therapy in a theoretical model. Play Therapy Academy is, is my online, I call it like my VIP consultation program. We meet twice a month. We do, um, case presentations with, there's a kind of like a roster of who's presenting when dedicated time. S focused on your clients with not only my almost 35 years of experience, but you get all of the wisdom and the insights of the other members of the group, and for those of you who think you probably don't know anything, and so you'd be intimidated becoming part of Play Therapy Academy. I would say do not let that stop you, because I have heard pure gold, uh, coming out of people who are brand new to the to play therapy, play therapy academy and had so much value to add. So don't let your imposter syndrome keep you from taking the next step for. Your play therapy skills. If you're interested in Play Therapy Academy schedule, uh, pop over to my website at rh play therapy train.com. Um, hop over to the consultation page where you can see Play Therapy Academy. You can find out more information. Schedule a 30 minute video call with me to talk about how Play Therapy Academy can help, or if it'll help, because if, if it doesn't seem like it's a good fit, that's why we are having the video call to make sure that it is, if you want to move forward. So. Um, schedule your video call if you are interested in play Therapy Academy. And I, Luna and I, uh, I should show a picture. I should post some pictures in Instagram and LinkedIn and in my Facebook group. I think my Facebook group, you've seen some pictures of Luna. Anyway, Luna and I will be back next week. Um, so I will see you then. Thank you for joining me on this episode of Next Level Play Therapy. I hope you found the discussion valuable and gained new insights and ideas to support your work helping children, adolescents, and families heal. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps to improve and reach more people who can benefit from this information. Remember. Play therapy is a powerful tool for healing and growth. Whether you're a new play therapist or experienced, I encourage you to continue your learning journey to unlock the potential of play and your own work in relationships. If you have any questions or topics, suggestions for future. I'd love to hear from you. Connect with me on social media and visit my website at Renewing Hearts Play Therapy Training to stay updated on upcoming episodes, trainings, and resources. Thank you once again for listening to Next Level Play Therapy. Until next time, keep playing, learning and growing.