Sand tray therapy

Sand tray therapy is where you use a big box filled with sand and lots of little toys and figures to help people, usually kids, talk about their feelings or problems. It's like making a special world with your hands where you can show things that might be hard to say with just words.

Imagine you're at the beach and you're building a sandcastle with your bucket, shovel and a bunch of different shells and rocks you found. You can make the sandcastle as big or as small as you want, decorate it just how you like it, and put all kinds of little details in it - like little flagpoles, turrets, or a moat filled with water.

Now, imagine there's a special big box filled with clean and smooth sand, and inside are all kinds of little figures like animals, people, houses, trees, cars, and even some weird or magical creatures. You can use these figures to create your own little world, just like when you were building your sandcastle. Only this time, instead of just making a pretty design, you're making a little story about what's been on your mind lately.

For example, if you're feeling sad or mad because maybe your parents got divorced and you don't understand why, you can use the sand tray therapy to make a little scene that shows the way you feel. You could put a little figure of yourself in the sand, maybe looking really small or crying, and then put some other figures around you, like a house with a crack in it, or two people far away from each other. By creating this little story in the sand, you can express your feelings in a way that feels safe and comforting, and your therapist or counselor can help you understand what it all means and maybe how to feel a little better.

All in all, sand tray therapy is like creating your own little world using sand and toys to tell stories about how you feel. It helps you get your feelings out in a safe and comfortable way, without having to use words or talk about things directly.