Sand Tray
Sand tray therapy is a type of play therapy that uses a sand tray to help people, both children and adults, to communicate and express themselves. A therapist who specializes in sand tray therapy will be equipped with a tray filled with sand and, often, a large collection of small things (like toys or figurines) that can be arranged in the sand. The client is encouraged to organize the sand tray however they want, positioning objects or simply creating patterns in the sand. Sand tray therapy provides a safe space for individuals to act out their fantasies and express their feelings and thoughts, without having to rely on words.
Local experts in Sand Tray
April Slabosheski (she/her)
Professional Counselor Associate
MS, NCC
Sand tray therapy is a technique in which people create scenes in a tray of sand using miniature objects, providing a sensory medium for emotional exploration and expression. I’ve completed training in sand tray therapy with Dr. Kimberley Jayne at Portland State University and Core Workshops Levels I and II with Dr. Theresa A. Kestly at the Sand Tray Training Institute of New Mexico, which focused on sand tray therapy through the lens of trauma treatment and interpersonal neurobiology.
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Margaret King (She/her)
Licensed Professional Counselor
LPC, NCC
Sand Tray is offered in-person only (Mondays and Wednesdays) and can be very helpful for processing dreams, feelings, family issues, pre-verbal memories, and more.
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Emily Padilla
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Emily has received training and is certified in Sand Tray therapy. Sand Tray therapy is a creative counseling technique where a person expresses their understanding of themselves, their world, and aspects of their reality through figurines or miniatures.
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MereAnn Reid (She/her)
Licensed Professional Counselor
Registered Play Therapist, Certified AutPlay Therapist
Sandtray therapy offers a sensory experience, along with miniature figures from every category—wild animals to wizards, fairies to family members—inviting expression beyond words. Using play and the same parts of the brain that help us dream, we can use the tray to explore wishes, share worries, and try out new strategies for problem-solving. Sand tray is an accessible medium for all ages, offering an interactive, creative, open-ended approach beyond talk therapy.
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Vedalia Zellers (she/they)
Clinical Social Work Associate
MSW, CSWA
Sand Tray is a creative, playful, tactile activity that allows you to depict something (like a memory or a worry, for instance) by selecting miniature objects and arranging them in a tray of sand. Some people find sand tray helpful for exploring aspects of their internal experience that feel hard to describe using language alone.
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Jamie Krahulec (she/they)
Licensed Professional Counselor
LPC #C8857
Incorporating sensory experiences into therapy is a great way to access and integrate languages that are not available with words.
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Alicia Pasik (She/They)
Licensed Professional Counselor
LPC
I am trained in the Sand Play method from the Sandplay Training Worldwide institute.
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