Sandtray therapy

What is sandtray therapy?

It is a creative approach to resolving emotional difficulties. The person chooses from a wide range of objects and puts them in the sand, using intuition as he or she goes along. It is known as the ‘silent therapy’ because few or no words are needed.

Who is it for?

Many individual adults have used sandtray therapy to deal with depression, stress and anxiety. It has been widely recommended for handling trauma, including issues in childhood, without having to talk at length about what happened. It gives professionals an additional noncognitive approach to major decision-making in life.

For couples sandtray therapy helps cut through the repetitive arguments to get the roots of the relationship difficulties.

In sandtray therapy families learn to work together towards finding ways of functioning well as a team. Children as young as three can take part in this kind of family therapy.

How does it work?

At first the effect of sandtray therapy seems a mystery. One way to understand it is to think of it as dreaming while you are awake. Night-time dreams enable us to sort out day-to-day difficulties and decisions. In a similar way, sandtray therapy – facilitated by a qualified therapist – can enable people to bypass stuck thinking and to resolve some of the deeper emotional issues.

How much does it cost?

Each sandtray session of one hour costs £50 for an individual, or £60 for a couple or family. Several sessions are usually recommended to gain maximum benefit.

To book an initial session, which includes an assessment, contact:

Roger Day PTSTA (Psychotherapy), UKCP Registered Psychotherapist, Certified Play Therapist

Telephone: 01788 541 937 or 07870 737 652