Some experiences are too big, too early or too painful to put into words. In sand tray therapy, you use a tray of sand and a collection of small figures (people, animals, buildings, natural objects) to build a scene of your inner world. The tray gives shape to feelings and memories that are hard to say out loud, at a safe distance, and lets you see them from a new angle.

Is sand tray therapy right for you?

Sand tray isn’t only for children. It can help:

• Children who communicate more naturally through play than conversation
• Teens who feel awkward or shut down in talk therapy
• Adults who feel stuck, intellectualize their pain, or can’t find words for what happened
• People with early or preverbal trauma, whose memories may be held as images and sensations
• Couples, Families and groups, as a shared, nonverbal way to tell a story together

No artistic skill is needed, and there’s no right or wrong way to build a tray.

What to expect

A sand tray session usually moves through five phases:

1. Orientation and safety. You’re introduced to the tray and figures, and we agree on how the session will go.
2. Creation. You build a scene, guided by a prompt or simply by what draws you.
3. Observation and exploration. Together we notice what’s in the tray, what stands out, and what it brings up, without forcing interpretations.
4. Processing and integration. We connect the tray to your experiences, feelings and goals.
5. Closure. The session ends with grounding, and the tray may be photographed so you can revisit it later.

Sand tray is usually part of a broader treatment plan rather than a stand-alone service, and is included in regular session fees (→ Fees & Policies).

How we use sand tray

• With EMDR, IFS, and other trauma therapies. Dr. Hourmanesh uses directive sand tray work to identify targets, build resources and support processing in EMDR & IFS.
• Non-directive (Jungian-informed) sand tray, where you lead and the tray unfolds without a set agenda, for children, teens, couples and adults.
• In family and group sessions (→ Family Trauma Therapy, Group Trauma Therapy).

Why work with Dr. Hourmanesh

Dr. Hourmanesh is a Certified Sand Tray Therapist, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor, and a certified EMDR and IFS Therapist. That combination means sand tray work is integrated with evidence-based trauma treatment, not used in isolation (→ About).

Frequently asked questions

Is sand tray therapy just for kids? No. Adults often find it surprisingly powerful, because it bypasses the habit of explaining and analyzing.

Curious whether sand tray could help? Request an appointment or call (801) 441-8943.