Play Therapy: Sand Tray Miniatures and Techniques

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sand tray miniatures for play therapy are important because the miniatures represent a vocabulary for expression. As play therapists are well aware of, play is the way children express themselves.  It is important to provide miniatures that represent ordinary life including items that represent mythological and fiction. For example, ordinary representations would be people, foods, buildings, flags, planets, shapes, planets, things representing different feelings and culture. Fiction and mythological would be fairies, elves, cartoons, etc.

One thing I remember from grad school is not to label the miniatures. You, as the play therapist or if you are a parent conducting filial therapy, should not label the miniatures but allow the child to describe the item. Many times a child will pick a miniature that reminds him of something that is not actually what the miniature is suppose to be. Be sure to provide items that provide positive and negative imagery and positive and negative emotions, such as sorrow, pain, joy, happiness, peace, etc.

Here is a general list of items that should help you start your play therapy/sand tray collection:

• People of different race, hair colors, ethnicities, sizes, etc.
• Families, including babies, twins, etc. See the miniatures that are pictured above.
• Provide clothes and some dolls with no clothes. Children like to dress the dolls or undress dolls.
• Mythological figures.
• Monsters.
• People dressed in their work clothing including work items such as tools, miniature office desk, etc. Think doll house miniature furniture. See dollhouse furniture here.
• Animals, large and small.
• Plants, flowers, bushes, leaves, rocks, and other environmental items.
• Home furnishings.
• Vehicles.

Bookmark this page because I will be making detailed lists soon. You can also check out my other blog posts on play therapy.

Credit goes to Sand Tray World Play: A Comprehensive Guide to the Use of the Sand Tray in Psychotherapeutic and Transformational Settings

Sand Tray Therapy Supplies: Size and Shape of Sand Tray

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many play therapists that get their own play room are excited about filling it up with all the basic supplies needed to conduct therapy sessions. One item that is important is purchasing a sand tray, which also seems to be the most difficult thing to buy. There are several options. First, do not feel like you can’t do sand tray therapy if you don’t own a professional sand tray. You can most certainly use a rubbermaid bin or even a child’s sand box to conduct a play session. I might be in the minority, but I don’t see anything wrong with using a child’s sand box like this one.

According to Sand Tray World Play: A Comprehensive Guide to the Use of the Sand Tray in Psychotherapeutic and Transformation Settings by Gisela Schubach, there are several sizes and shapes of sand trays that have been used in sand tray therapy.

• Dr. Margaret Lowenfeld used sand trays that were aluminum metat and measured 20 inches by 30 inches and were 3 inches deep.
• Dora Kalff’s trays were made of a wooden frame and measured 19.5 inches by 28.5 inches and are also 3 inches deep. Gisela Schubach recommends not using wet sand in a wooden frame tray.
• Goesta Harding provides a metal tray that measured 20.5 inches by 32 inches and are 2.2 inches deep.
• Gisela Schubach has found blue plastic trays that are 21.5 inches by 19.5 inches and 4 inches deep. She uses multiple trays.

Gisela advises against using a cat litter box as a sand tray because of the psychological imagery that could be raised.

If you don’t purchase a plastic box, you could get a custom tray made or even purchase a photographic tray. Make sure the tray has a flat surface on the bottom of the tray.

On Amazon, I found the Guidecraft Kid’s Sand Tray that doesn’t exactly match the sizes above, but it is an option.

The sand tray in the picture shown above can be be found here: Dynalon 107334 22 x 26 x 4 Inch Heavy Duty Polypropylene Rectangular Laboratory Tray / Storage Bin. The reason I like this tray is because it is 4 inches.

• 22 x 26 x 4 inch
• Heavy tray Fabricated with 1/4 inch thick
• Polypropylene
• All welded construction
• Can be customized with spigot and cover which are fabricated to order

Sand Tray Therapy Supplies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are interested in using a sand tray for play therapy, there is a basic list of supplies you will need. You can read more about play therapy here.

• First you will need a sand tray obviously. Many of them are painted blue on the inside. You can see a selection of sand trays here. You do not have to purchase a large sand tray, although it is better so a child has more room to express him or herself with the play therapy miniatures. If you can’t find or afford a large traditional sand therapy tray, you can always use a large rubbermaid bin.
• Fill the tray with either dry or wet sand about half way inside the sand tray.
• The sand tray is usually on top of a worktable, unless you purchase a sand tray that comes with a table.
• Play therapy miniatures, which usually include people, animals, and items that resemble something (such as a cross). Some play therapists buy a dollhouse family like these.
• Bowls and are also a good idea to have to help the child mold the sand.

If are interested in learning more techniques, check out the Sandtray Therapy: A Practical Manual, Second Edition.

You Are Not Alone When Battling Depression

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today I wanted to share a post with you that shows you are not alone if you are fighting depression. Last year I stumbled upon a blog called The Bloggess. Her blog posts are very interesting to read. Check out The Bloggess’ brutal honestly about battling depression and her admission to self harm.

It’s OK to Tell: A Story of Hope and Recovery- For Sexual Abuse Survivors

Recently I was contacted by someone who asked me if I would be interested in reading It’s OK to Tell: A Story of Hope and Recovery by Lauren Book. I said yes and received a free copy to review. Wow, I wasn’t expecting to read the book in one sitting. The day I got the book I opened it to read during my daughter’s nap, and I couldn’t put the book down. It’s a sad story, very detailed, but it is a MUST read for anybody who has been sexually abused or who has worked with sexual abuse survivors.

Lauren Book was sexually and physically abused by her female nanny from the age of 13 to 18. She was too ashamed, scared, and afraid to tell. She craved the attention and love her nanny gave her, since Lauren and her mother did not have a good relationship. Her mother had her own emotional issues that created a wedge among the family. Lauren’s father, Ron Book, is a well to do popular lobbyist in Florida. He seemed to be an involved caring father, but like a lot of fathers, was a workaholic. However, he designated family time so he did spend time with his family. Lauren did not want to say anything to her father for fear of hurting his career.

In the book, Lauren masters the goal of explaining how someone might experience Stockholm Syndrome. She explains how it just as serious to be abused by a woman as it is a man. Lauren also discusses the legal part to get her nanny behind bars. Lauren Book has come along ways and has used her bad experiences to start an organization called Lauren’s Kids. Her goal is to educate others about sexual abuse and that it is okay to tell someone if they are being abused.

It’s OK to Tell: A Story of Hope and Recovery is detailed, so understand that you will definitely become emotionally involved in this book. After I finished reading it, I Googled everything I could possibly think of about Lauren Book and her former nanny. Fortunately, her nanny is serving time. The important message to take away from this book is that it is okay to tell no matter what the abuser tells you.

365 Days of Stress Relief Tips: Tip #8, Go to Bed

 

If you missed my previous stress relief tips, please find the tips here.

One of the most simple tips that I don’t like to do, but it REALLY does help when you are stressed, is to go to bed. When I mean go to bed, I mean go to bed early. If possible, drop everything you are doing, and just go to bed an hour early. I know that sounds crazy, more sleep can help reduce stress. If you suffer from lack of sleep and you are stressed, your immune system becomes more compromised. Sleep is so important.

It is hard for me to want to go to sleep because I have a million things on my mind and other things I want to do. Make a goal for yourself to try and go to bed an hour earlier than you usually do. Try it and you will see, it really does help!

365 Days of Stress Relief: Dealing with Holiday Stress, Tip 7

 

If you missed the previous stress relief post, visit stress relief tip number 6 here.

The holidays are approaching, so what does that mean? Stress. For me and many others out there, we might experience sadness as we mourn how someone close to us is no longer with us anymore. This will be my first Thanksgiving and Christmas without my dad.

Regardless if you have lost someone, many people experience a holiday stress dealing with so many things to do. My simple tip is to make a list and plan in advance. We have a little over a week before Thanksgiving. Start your list now if you haven’t already of foods or things you need to buy.

Be realistic. Don’t over do it. Do what you can handle. Don’t commit to a thousand things if you can’t do it. Be honest with yourself and others.

Source

365 Days of Stress Relief Tips: Tip 6

If you missed my previous stress relief tips, you can see them all here. I am on a mission to come up with 365 days worth of stress relief tips. I hope you are enjoying my series so far.

Stress Relief Tip 6

Go for a drive. A drive can help you blow off steam and relax. DON’T go for a drive if you are upset or can’t concentrate. You should know if you are the type of person who can drive safely while stressed. I am the type of person who knows that going for a drive can help me feel better. It also helps me reduce cabin fever if I have been pinned in the house all day.

How about you?

When a Child Says “You Are Not My Friend”

 

My son is only 4 and doesn’t know how to express his feelings completely like most children his age. Actually, children even through middle school sometimes have a hard time expressing their feelings. Ok, even some adults! Yesterday my son was playing with another child who is 5 years old. The 5 year old wanted to play with a different toy than my 4 year old. My son interpreted this as thinking the 5 year old did not like him anymore. So my son pitched a fit and told him “you are not my friend anymore”.

I asked my son why he said that and of course he said it because he felt the other child did not like him. My son was able to verbalize that the other child “hurt his feelings”. I told my son that just because another child is playing with another toy, doesn’t mean that child doesn’t want to play with him. I also told him that it is wrong to tell another child that “you are not my friend anymore”. I know where he picked up on that too. My son came home crying one day because a little girl told him that “she doesn’t love him anymore and he is not her friend”. A week later, they were playing together.

If your child starts telling other children that he or she is not friends anymore, it is typically because their feelings were hurt about something. Of course in this case, my son interpreted the other child’s actions the wrong way, which then upset the other child. At this age, that is to be expected. I honestly think it is very important to sit down and clearly walk through any issues with your child at this age so they understand how to deal with any social problems they will encounter in the future. It is NEVER too young! I have witnessed other moms not stepping in and doing anything when their own child hurt another kid’s feelings.

About a month ago I was at a birthday party for a 5 year old. There was another child there who was very possessive of the birthday boy. My 4 year old tried to play with the birthday boy and the other child. I witnessed the other child telling my son that he can not play with them and to go away (remember, this is at a birthday party). The other child even went to as far to PUSH my child away from the birthday boy. The mother of this child witnessed this and didn’t do ONE thing. I was floored. I don’t know what was going through her mind to think this was okay. Parents, kids will be kids, but it is important for YOU to step in and teach your child what is right and wrong. If you don’t, they could grow up to bully other kids.

Teaching Self Esteem Using Bucket Filling

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is important to build self esteem in our children. It is also important to teach our kids to not hurt other people’s self esteem. I think there are too many parents that don’t teach their kids to be nice to others and not say mean things (sorry, it’s true!). I know there is usually more to the story when there is a child that bullies (problems at home, etc), but in general, I think many parents do not teach their kids to not make fun of other children. Unfortunately, some of those parents as adults make fun of kids as well (yes, I’ve seen it).

A good technique to help build confidence, self esteem, and at the same time to teach our children that positive statements can “fill someone’s bucket” is to use the bucket books. There are several and by different authors. You can find several bucket books here.  A neat activity to do with children is to get a bucket and to fill it with positive statements that can be said that will “fill someone’s bucket”. You could also talk about ways that someone’s bucket could be emptied…by saying mean things to one another.

• Get a few pieces of construction paper and cut out notecards.
• On the notecards, write down positive things that can be said to others and place it in the bucket.
• Show how saying mean things to someone can “deplete” the bucket by removing cards.

 

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