Training Courses
Introduction to Sand Tray Therapy
1 Day Course
This introduction course blends trauma therapy and experiential hands-on learning for sand tray therapy.
Advanced Topics: Chronic Complex Shame and Relational Trauma in the Sand Tray
1 Day Course
This advanced training is a trauma-informed, inclusive approach with a focus on the topics of complex shame and relational trauma.
Child and Family Therapy Through the Sand Tray
5 Day Course
This five-day advanced child and family therapy course is experiential and examines Sand Tray Therapy grounded in trauma-informed, neurobiological, developmental, attachment, and relational frameworks.
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Sand Tray Therapy & AI Ethics
1 Day Virtual Course
This one-day experiential virtual course explores the practice of virtual Sand Tray Therapy for adults, children, and parent support.
Introduction to Sand Tray Therapy
This one-day training is a trauma-informed, inclusive approach with a focus on experiential hands-on learning.
Course Description
Sand Tray Therapy stands as a creative and highly effective intervention, offering a unique space to work through a wide range of challenges, from anxiety to trauma. While traditionally seen as a play therapy, Sand Tray Therapy has the versatility to be used with people of all ages and cultural backgrounds. This introductory training provides an in-depth review of various Sand Tray Therapy approaches, including an exploration of the foundational principles of neuroscience and attachment theory. Participants will engage in experiential practice, within triads, stepping into the roles of therapist, client, and observer. Training is in-person, hands-on learning integrated with interactive lectures.
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Practice and Experience: Engage in Sand Tray practice to gain insight into the client's experience.
Historical and Theoretical Knowledge: Explore the history and key approaches of Sand Tray Therapy, including Sandplay/Jungian, Neuroscience and Satir in the Sand Tray, and Synergetic Sand Tray.
Neuroscience Insights: Delve into the neuroscience behind Sand Tray work, including the polyvagal system, right brain to right brain attunement, and co-regulation.
Interventions and Tools:
Learn specific interventions and tools that can be seamlessly integrated into other therapeutic approaches.
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Transformation Through Metaphor: Facilitate client transformation by helping them release the binding reactivity of their defenses, using metaphor and somatic awareness.
Integration and Perspective: Support clients in becoming more integrated, exploring different perspectives, and experiencing bottom-up somatic shifts.
Strengthening Sense of Self:
Assist clients in strengthening their sense of self and achieving greater congruence.
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Gain a comprehensive understanding of the history and major schools of Sand Tray Therapy and their influences.
Discover the science behind Sand Tray Therapy's effectiveness, particularly the role of neuroscience and the polyvagal system.
Learn to utilize metaphor in therapy through parts work, identifying different themes, hotspots, and stages of Sand Tray work.
Facilitate somatic anchoring and awareness by leveraging co-regulation, immediacy, and right brain to right brain connectivity.
Build safety and therapeutic rapport through the use of the sand tray.
Master techniques such as:
Bilateral movement in the sand tray,
Creating a vagal break,
Utilizing the safety game,
Effectively using and teaching metaphor,
Facilitating a family map.
Advanced Topics: Chronic Complex Shame and Relational Trauma in the Sand Tray
This one-day training is a trauma-informed, inclusive approach with a focus on experiential hands-on learning.
Course Description
Sand tray therapy is a powerful and versatile therapeutic intervention that fosters a creative and safe environment for addressing a wide range of challenges, including anxiety, trauma, and relational dynamics. This modality is particularly effective for individual clients as well as for working with multiple clients simultaneously, such as siblings, couples, parents, or multi-generational groups.
Our Advanced Topics training is designed to enhance existing sandtray skills, deepen therapeutic efficacy, and expand practitioners’ capacity to apply sandtray therapy across diverse clinical contexts. Each Advanced Topics seminar will focus on a specific theme, offering in-depth exploration with practical, clinically grounded strategies.
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Practice sand tray techniques to gain client perspective and supervised triad experience.
Review and deepen understanding of the neuroscience of sand tray, including the polyvagal system, attunement, and co-regulation.
Learn the science and theory behind Chronic Shame and Relational Trauma.
Apply sand tray therapy to Chronic Shame and Relational Trauma within their theoretical approach.
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Gain a comprehensive understanding of the history and major schools of Sand Tray Therapy and their influences.
Discover the science behind Sand Tray Therapy's effectiveness, particularly the role of neuroscience and the polyvagal system.
Learn to utilize metaphor in therapy through parts work, identifying different themes, hotspots, and stages of Sand Tray work.
Facilitate somatic anchoring and awareness by leveraging co-regulation, immediacy, and right brain to right brain connectivity.
Build safety and therapeutic rapport through the use of the sand tray.
Master techniques such as:
Bilateral movement in the sand tray,
Creating a vagal break,
Utilizing the safety game,
Effectively using and teaching metaphor,
Facilitating a family map.
Child and Family Therapy Through the Sand Tray
This five-day training is trauma-informed, integrative, and experiential hands-on learning.
Course Description
This advanced child and family therapy course is experiential and examines Sand Tray Therapy grounded in trauma-informed, neurobiological, developmental, attachment, and relational frameworks. Participants will expand their theoretical and practical knowledge of Sand Tray for emotion regulation, attachment repair, co-regulation, and transformation applied to diverse client systems, including children, youth, parents, and families.
This course emphasizes applications in family therapy, parental involvement, and child-centered practice, guiding therapists to shift from a behavioral management lens toward a nervous system and relational perspective. Through hands-on experiential learning, we will explore assessment, case conceptualization and treatment planning through in-class and small group processes. Students will also develop the ability to integrate experiential, somatic, and digital modalities to enhance attunement, safety, nervous system regulation, and connection within the therapeutic alliance.
We are excited to include one-day (Friday) as a Virtual Sand Tray Therapy modality. This day will focus on exploring emerging considerations in virtual play therapy and the ethical use of AI-assisted tools for clinical practice, with attention to how these technologies can extend accessibility, creativity, and co-regulation in online settings while maintaining therapeutic relational integrity. Friday will meet via Zoom, virtually, see full description below.
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Assessment, Symptoms, & Treatment Planning,
Understanding presenting concerns through a right brain, attachment, nervous system, developmental, and relational lens.Intervention & Anchoring
Applying attuned, flexible interventions that support regulation, connection, and integration.Integrative Clinical Framework
Grounded in trauma-informed, neurobiological, developmental, attachment, and relational approaches. Participants will explore integrating theoretical orientation from a diverse range of options.From Behaviour to Nervous System
Shifting from behavioural management toward relationship-based, co-regulating therapeutic work AND teaching and modelling this to parents.Child, Family & Parent Integration
Learn to facilitate growth and healing for child, youth, parents, and family systems as singles, dyads and the family system. Learn the power of parent support.Experiential Skill Development
Learning through, lecture, hands-on Sand Tray, case conceptualization, triads, demonstrations, and group process.Expressive, Somatic & Digital Modalities
Integrating multiple modalities to enhance attunement, safety, and therapeutic presence.Online/Virtual Play Therapy & AI Integration
Exploring ethical and creative use of online sand tray/play therapies and AI tools to support accessibility and connection while maintaining relational integrity with current ethical standards of practice.
This work is about who we are with clients, along with what we do.
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The course is highly experiential and includes Sand Tray practice, demonstrations, case conceptualization, triads, and group process. It also includes a one-day online/virtual experiential play therapy component incorporating AI in counselling. We will be meeting online (Zoom) Friday.
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Master’s level counselling students
Therapists working with children and families
Clinicians wanting to deepen experiential and relational practice
Designed for both new and returning participants from Introduction to Sandtray
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Pricing
Full 5-Day Course: (completion certificate)Students: $1,500 + GST
Professionals: $1,700 + GST
Notes:
Monday - Thursday: In-Person Training
Friday: Virtual Training
Early bird pricing available. Limited seating. Waitlist in effect.
Virtual Sand Tray Therapy & AI Ethics
This one-day experiential virtual course explores the practice of virtual Sand Tray Therapy for adults, children, and parent support.
Course Description
This one-day experiential virtual course explores the practice of virtual Sand Tray Therapy for adults, children, and parent support. Along with theory, demonstration, practice, and integration, participants will learn the practical, ethical, legal, and therapeutic considerations required for safely adapting Sand Tray work to an online/ virtual environment.
Through interactive discussions, demonstrations, and guided exercises, students will explore how to:
Adapt physical Sand Tray work to digital platforms or home-based trays.
Ensure client safety, emotional regulation, and session integrity remotely.
Navigate legal, regulatory, and professional requirements in BC (including BCACC standards, PIPEDA, and telepsychology guidelines) for AI and digital therapy.
Integrate culturally safe, accessible, and client-centered approaches.
Apply ethical and practical strategies for using digital Sand Tray tools, capturing documentation pictures securely, and managing technical challenges.
By the end of this course, participants will learn the knowledge and tools to plan, deliver, and ethically conduct virtual therapy sessions applied in the Sand Tray while maintaining therapeutic presence, relational integrity, and clinical efficacy. Virtual skills are transferrable beyond the Sand Tray to other types of virtual therapy.
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Virtual Sand Tray Adaptation: Modality-specific adjustments for using physical or digital trays, miniatures, and camera setups
Client Suitability & Safety: Assessing technology access, privacy, emotional regulation, and appropriateness for remote work
Clinical Application & Case Integration Virtual parent support, case conceptualization, and integration with diverse theoretical orientations
Ethical & Legal Considerations: Informed consent, documentation, confidentiality, jurisdiction, emergency planning, and regulatory compliance in BC
Therapeutic Integrity: Maintaining embodied, relational, and symbolic work in a virtual environment
Practical Implementation: Managing tray setup, camera angles, sand picture capture, session closure, and post-session documentation
Cultural Safety & Accessibility: Incorporating diversity, inclusion, and client-specific accommodations in virtual Sand Tray practice
Digital Tools & AI Integration: Evaluating secure digital Sand Tray platforms, AI-assisted enhancements, and best practices
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Master’s level counselling students
Practicing therapists working with children and families
Working professional clinicians wanting to deepen relational and experiential practice
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Friday Virtual One-Day :
• Students: $150 + GST
• Professionals: $250 + GST
Limited seating to support an in-depth experiential learning environment. Previous courses have sold out, and early registration is recommended. Early bird pricing available.
The virtual training day will take place via Zoom, with breakout rooms to support experiential practice and small group connection.
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Group Training
Training for the whole team!
Duration: One-day workshop at your location
8 hours (3 breaks)
Group Size Details: Min. of 9 max. of 21
Fees: $3,500 +(tax)
50% (non-refundable deposit) due at time of registration
remainder due 30 days prior to training date
All participants must be part of the host organization team, as per the original request, unless approved by trainers.
Cancellation policy:
Up to 30 days before the training:
non-refundable deposit
Transferable date (one time is possible upon discussion) if outside of the 30 days
Within 30 days of the training: no refunds, no changes
Meet Your Trainers
Beth Scholes
MACP, R.C.C.
As a family systems therapist, I specialize in developmental relational trauma that includes symptoms consistent with anxiety and complex chronic shame. In my private practice, I work with families, children, and individual adults. I have been using Sand Tray Since 2017; and am now excited to share this powerful tool with others. My training includes both Jungian and Neuro-Science Satir and the Sandtray, and adult education. I discovered Sand Tray in graduate school and have used it with clients of all ages ever since. I use Sand Tray for trauma intervention, play therapy, families, and so much more. I bring 20+ years of facilitating and teaching experience to this training and love this aspect of my career. For more information refer to Meet Beth
Patricia Felzien
MACP, C.C.C., R.C.C.
As a registered clinical counselor, I specialize in working with children, youth, and their caregivers, focusing on trauma through somatic and experiential therapies, including Neuro-Science Satir Sand Tray Therapy (NSST) and more. I have facilitated numerous educational and therapeutic groups over the past 15 years. I discovered Sand Tray Therapy in 2017, became certified in NSST in 2022, and am pursuing a Level 1 NSST Trainer certification. I actively participate in NSST “Fishbowls” and international training. For more information refer to Patricia Felzien