When Words Are Not Enough and the Power of Sand Tray Therapy in Counselling
Amanda Dounis is a Psychotherapist, Hypnotherapist, and Clinical Supervisor based in Sydney, Australia. She is the founder of the Positive Thinking Clinic, where she supports children, teens, and adults through evidence-based therapies, including counselling, hypnotherapy, and EMDR.
There comes a point in therapy where words stop working. A client is talking, explaining, trying to make sense of what they feel, and yet something deeper stays just out of reach. They pause, search, and often say, “I don’t know how to explain it.” As therapists, we recognize that moment. It’s not resistance, it’s the limit of language. And in that space, something else is needed. Sand tray therapy offers a different way in. It doesn’t ask clients to find better words, it gives them another way to express what’s already there.
A brief history
Sand tray therapy began with Margaret Lowenfeld in the early 20th century. She developed what she called the “World Technique” after observing that children could use miniature figures in sand to represent their inner experiences. Without needing to explain, they were able to show complex emotions, relationships, and situations.
This work was later expanded by Dora Kalff, who brought in ideas from Carl Jung, particularly around symbolism and the unconscious. Over time, sand tray therapy became both a practical and meaningful way to access deeper psychological material.
What is sand tray therapy?
Sand tray therapy uses a tray of sand and a collection of miniature objects—people, animals, buildings, and natural items. Clients are invited to create a scene that represents something from their inner world.
It’s not about being creative or imaginative in a performance sense. It’s about giving shape to something internal.
Thoughts, emotions, and experiences that feel hard to explain begin to take form. The tray becomes a contained space where what’s happening inside can be seen from the outside.
Why it works
Many clients come into therapy already trying to think their way through things. They analyze, explain, and revisit the same thoughts, often without feeling any real shift. Others feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to start. Sand tray therapy changes the process. It allows clients to express without needing the right words, access emotions in a more manageable way, step back and observe their experience and engage without pressure.
For children, this often feels natural. For adolescents and adults, it can feel relieving—there’s no expectation to explain everything perfectly.
The role of the therapist
In sand tray work, the therapist doesn’t need to lead the process. The focus shifts to observing and allowing. You might notice where objects are placed, what is close or distant, what is included or left out. But rather than interpreting too quickly, you stay curious. Simple questions are enough:
“What stands out to you here?”
“Tell me about this part.”
“What does this represent for you?”
The meaning comes from the client. The therapist’s role is to support that process, not define it.
Creative ways to use sand tray
Sand tray can be adapted easily depending on the client and the goal of the session. It can be used to explore past, present, and future situations, map out relationships or internal experiences, work through a current challenge, create a “problem” and “solution” scene, and revisit and reshape a situation.
For children, it often flows naturally through play. For older clients, it can be introduced as a way of laying things out visually, rather than keeping everything in their head.
Bringing it into practice
Sand tray therapy doesn’t need to replace anything you already do. It can be added when it feels appropriate. It can be helpful when a client is stuck in repetitive thinking, emotions feel too intense, there’s difficulty putting things into words, and you’re building rapport. Even introducing it once can open up a different way of working.
Ethical considerations
Like any approach, sand tray therapy needs to be used thoughtfully. It’s important to consider whether the client is ready, staying within your scope of practice, being mindful of cultural meaning in symbols and documenting what you observe rather than making assumptions. The focus stays on the client’s experience, not on trying to interpret it for them.
A different way of working
Sand tray therapy isn’t about the sand or the objects. It’s about creating a space where clients can express something they haven’t been able to say. Where thoughts and feelings become visible. Where insight can happen without pressure.
In a profession built around conversation, this approach offers something different. Because sometimes, what a client shows you tells you far more than what they can put into words.
Amanda Dounis, Counsellor, NLP, Psychotherapist, Coach, Teacher
Amanda Dounis is a Psychotherapist, Hypnotherapist, and Clinical Supervisor based in Sydney, Australia. She is the founder of the Positive Thinking Clinic, where she supports children, teens, and adults through evidence-based therapies, including counselling, hypnotherapy, and EMDR. With a background in early childhood education and a passion for emotional wellness, Amanda empowers clients to overcome anxiety, overthinking, and self-doubt so they can thrive with confidence and clarity.
