Sand Play Therapy
Sand Play Therapy Overview
The approach to sand play therapy taught and practised in these seminars were developed by Marie José Dhaese, as one of the many expressive play therapy methods used in the context of Expressive Play Therapy®. It has now been shared and taught for over 30 years. The content of each Sand Play Therapy seminar builds on the other; it is recommended they be taken in order.
Children’s process and imagery will be addressed through viewing and discussing slides and/or video taped sessions in the mornings. Adult imagery and process will be addressed through viewing slides but mostly through demonstrations and/or debriefing of participant’s imagery during the experiential in the afternoons. These seminars take place in Marie José’s well equipped playroom; participants will thus have the opportunity to experience and use her collection of sand play therapy figurines as well as the sand trays and storage units she has designed.


Seminar: Sand Play Therapy, A Healing Journey for All Ages
Date: July 12-15, 2023
Cost: CAN$850 + GST
Participants: Maximum of 8
CEU Credits: 24
Recommended Prerequisite: Expressive Play Therapy, A Holistic and Integrative Approach or equivalent
Overview & Content
Based on the principles of Expressive Play Therapy®, this 4-day in-person seminar will focus on using the healing medium of Sand Play Therapy to safely facilitate symbolic expression and transformation of painful experiences, and provide children, youth, and adults, with ways of facing the daily challenges of their lives.
In the first two days, topics of discussion will include the therapeutic properties of Sand Play Therapy, setting up a Sand Play area, and the many ways Sand Play Therapy can be used to help children, youth, and adults heal. In the latter two days, we will further explore witnessing and facilitating the making of spontaneous Sand Play images, what to take note of during this process, and consider the use of structured interventions when needed.
In the afternoons, participants will be given the opportunity to make, witness, and debrief sand play images. Children’s and adult’s processes and imagery will also be addressed through viewing and discussing case examples and a video taped session.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this seminar, participants will be able to:
- Describe the theoretical principles of Expressive Play Therapy® as related to Sand Play Therapy.
- Describe the history and development of Sand Play Therapy within the context of Holistic Expressive Play Therapy.
- Describe Sand Play Therapy’s place in the larger context of the major components of Holistic Expressive Therapy and the other Expressive Play Therapy methods which may support it.
- Apply Sand Play Therapy methodology in structuring and conducting a session through beginning, middle, and end stages.
- Identify the unique and specific gifts of Sand Play Therapy as one of the many expressive therapies available in play sessions.
- Integrate Sand Play Therapy practices while considering setting, accessibility, age groups, and demographics.
- Prepare a Sand Play Therapy area while taking into consideration various materials and symbols and the multimedia character of dry sand, wet sand, and water tables.
- Assess the appropriate and most beneficial media – water, dry sand, or wet sand – for children to process their trauma in a safe way during a play therapy session.
- Facilitate the image making process during spontaneous play in dry sand, wet sand, and water.
- Identify what to take note of while witnessing the image making process in a Sand Play Therapy session.
- Identify and track critical developments in the imagery and story created by children in a recorded Sand Play Therapy case study.
- Design appropriate structured interventions unique to the needs of each child, youth, or adult during the Sand Play Therapy process.
- Conduct Sand Play Therapy sessions with children, youth, adults, and families.
Fee includes use of materials and certificate of attendance for the purposes of continuing education programs. Meals and accommodations are not provided.
For participants wishing to count credits towards certification with CAPT, a successful student evaluation by Marie Jose in the form of an essay will be required. There will be an additional charge of $75 for this service.
* For those seeking certification with CAPT – this course will go towards 12 hours of theory / approach and 12 hours techniques.

Seminar: Images of Healing in Sand Play Therapy
Date: To be scheduled
Cost: CAN$650 + GST
Participants: Maximum of 8
CEU Credits: 18
Recommended Prerequisite: Expressive Play Therapy, A Holistic and Integrative Approach and Sand Play Therapy, A Healing Journey For All Ages
Overview & Content
This 3-day seminar is for experienced play therapists who are interested in further exploration of the symbolic language as it manifests itself in the images created in sand play therapy through the various stages of the healing process.
The mornings will be a time to cover the lecture material and discuss its contents with participants while viewing children’s imagery.
The afternoons will be participatory. Therapists will create, witness, and explore sand play images as related to the information discussed in the mornings.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this seminar, participants will be able to:
- Describe the theoretical principles of Expressive Play Therapy® as related to the image making process and the use of sand play therapy.
- Recognize and identify recurring images of healing as they reflect emotional, physical, and cognitive growth during the stages of sand play therapy.
- Describe the ways self-healing manifests itself in sand play imagery through the various stages.
- Describe and identify central images of healing in sand play therapy.
- Describe the language of symbols, metaphors, and images that appear during sand play therapy.
- Define and identify recurring patterns that emerge during sand play therapy and how they change from the beginning to end stages.
- Guide in further depth children, youth, and adults through the expression, exploration, and integration of their creation in the sand tray.
- Avoid the dangers of interpretation and projection in sand play therapy.
Fee includes certificate of attendance for the purposes of continuing education programs. Meals and accommodations are not provided.
For participants wishing to count credits towards certification with CAPT, a successful student evaluation by Marie Jose in the form of an essay will be required. There will be an additional charge of $75 for this service.
* For those seeking certification with CAPT – this course will go towards 9 hours of theory / approach and 9 hours techniques.

Sand Play Therapy Consultation
Date: To be arranged
Cost: CAN$390 + GST
Participants: 6 participants maximum
Recommended Prerequisite: Sand Play Therapy, A Healing Journey For All Ages and Images of Healing in Sand Play Therapy
Overview
This 2-day seminar will give participants the opportunity to consult with Marie Jose on client cases, whether working with children, youth, adults, individuals, couples families or groups.
Learning Objectives and Content:
- Therapists will explore client’s imagery as well as address some of the problems they may have encountered in their sand play therapy work.
- The afternoon will be a time for participants to make and explore sand play images related to the case brought to the group in the morning.
- Follow up Sand Play Therapy Consultation Seminars will also be set up upon request.
Fee includes certificate of attendance for the purposes of continuing education programs.
For participants wishing to count credits towards certification with CAPT, a successful student evaluation by Marie Jose in the form of an essay will be required. There will be an additional charge of $75 for this service.
The Centre for Expressive Therapy is an APT Approved Provider #95-010, a BC Play Therapy Association Approved Provider #18-01, and a Canadian Association for Play Therapy Approved Provider #09-102. Please visit their websites to learn more about their specific requirements.
Please visit their websites to learn more about their specific requirements.