Basic Skills Using Sand Tray Effectively in Play Therapy

Next Level Play Therapy: A Podcast for Play Therapy Excellence · Dec 11, 2025 · 43m · transcript

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If you’ve ever wondered how to set up a sand tray during play therapy sessions in a way that feels intentional, grounded, and supportive of your client’s nervous system, this episode is your new BFF.

We’re diving into the essentials — starting with how to introduce the sand tray using child-centered, non-directive prompts and when to lean into thoughtful directive prompts that still honor the client’s process.

Then we’ll get real about boundaries (aka the invisible safety net of every play therapy session).

You’ll hear the simple sand tray rules I use with kids that protect…