For a lot of people - particularly children and teens - verbalizing internal struggles can be difficult. Today's world comes with more pressures and concern for young people than ever before, so it is important to find a way for them to express the things that are bothering them so that they can get the help they need. Some innovative therapists are using sand tray therapy as a means of providing clients such an outlet.

This therapeutic approach's name pretty much describes what it is. It involves using a sandbox, a variety of miniature figurines, and sometimes water. Utilizing these tools, the client will be free to set up various scenes from their mind to create a scenario that expresses their feelings, concerns, thoughts, or struggles, without actually having to verbalize them.

This concept is centered around the base ideal that children are naturally drawn to play and that when allowed to do so without interference or direction, adults can learn a lot. Sandbox sessions provides a safe outlet through which they may feel at ease enough to demonstrate a bit of what is happening in their young minds. Without pressure, a child can be comfortable and secure.

Therapist believe that when given the freedom to express themselves, most children are capable of working through many of their issues on their own and begin a self-healing process. At the right moment, the therapist might choose to try and initiate a conversation with the child for further explanation as to what is happening in their scenes. Things that they cannot express with words, may be easier to demonstrate with the figurines.

The approach has been found to work well with very young children who have not yet developed appropriate verbal skills or the mental maturation to effectively describe their feelings. As play is a concept they understand without explanation, observing a child in action helps the therapist understand more about their feelings. Kids will often choose playtime to act out some scenarios that they have experienced in real life.

Many autistic children - regardless of age - also tend to respond well to this treatment. It helps them process the sensory input in a non-disturbing way and allows them to communicate better. The demonstrations which they exhibit during play can help a therapist understand them and decide what other methods might be effective in helping that specific client.

Because the idea is to allow the child to process their own situation and seek for a solution on their own, the therapist will not lead them into a scenario. Treatment could simply be a single session, it may last several weeks, or even years, depending on the client and their particular situation. The main thing is observation and patience.

While playing with toys in a sandbox is far from the typical approach for helping a child find a coping mechanism, it has become a very effective one - particularly for individuals who have verbal challenges. This simple, passive concept allows them to process safely and comfortably. Therapist might choose to make certain adjustments based on individual situations.