Sandplay is a type of therapy in which the client uses a sandtray and miniatures to create a progression of pictures. Sandplay therapy is based on principles first developed by Carl Jung and refined by Dora Kalff. It can also be seen as analogous to Joseph Campbell's Hero's (or Heroine's) Journey: how and with what inner resources will we proceed to find our "treasure within"? In this way, we can live as poet Mary Oliver says: "All my life I was a bride married to amazement. I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms."

Clients are presented with rectangular, shallow trays half filled with sand along with a large selection of small figures, or miniatures, which represent anything and everything found in the material and natural world. The sandplay process invites the client to keep the trays dry or use water to wet the sand. Figures may or may not be used. The resulting creation can represent the client's world, issues, feelings, or possibly a dream. The therapist provides a safe and protected space by silently holding and containing the client's emotional states and conflicts.

The process of creating the sandtray enables the client to nonverbally express both conscious and unconscious material. Emotions and conflicts can be worked through and differentiation of the stresses and past hurts of each client can be integrated. The result can bring clients to a state of wholeness.

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