Sand play is a therapeutic technique on the play scale. This non-verbal, intervention allows expression of feelings and thoughts that might be difficult to communicate with words alone. Sand play can be used to help support building healthy attachments, help to process trauma and improve emotional well-being.

Sand play uses a sand tray and a wide range of miniature figures to enable the young person to create their own ‘world’. The process is entirely guided by their imagination and feelings. Their interaction with the sand and figures, the scenes they create, and even the non-action in the sandbox, can reflect their inner experiences. This helps them to make sense of their own internal state.

Sand Play can:

• Encourage emotional expression and communication
• Assist in resolving internal conflicts
• Facilitate healing and personal development
• Aid in building a stronger self-concept and self-understanding
• Improve relationships with others
• Increase capacity to cope with life stressors

Drawing & Talking

Drawing and Talking, is a safe and gentle play work approach, allowing individuals to discover and communicate emotions through a non-directed technique. It provides an effective and symbolic way for young people to process emotional pain or trauma they may be experiencing. Drawing is a useful communication tool to express emotion, rather than directed questioning.

Within the sessions, the individual will draw anything (using only pencil and paper) they choose and will be encouraged to talk about what they have drawn using storytelling language (like metaphors) to help them make sense of their internal world.

Drawing & Talking can help with:

• Trauma
• Anxiety, stress or phobias
• Disrupted or disturbed sleep
• The effects of domestic violence
• Inability to make friends
• Inability to play
• Being withdrawn
• Inappropriate behaviour
• Peer or sibling disputes

TALA

Therapeutic Active Listening Assistant 1-1s facilitate a helping conversation using counselling practices. They are about building a warm, empathic, listening relationship with the young person. The nature of this work is always young person led as opposed to anyone else’s agenda. It is not solution led so much as providing a safe relationship in which the young person can share their concerns.

Sessions are in a safe space, ideally at the same time and on the same day, involving using creative resources such as picture cards, plastic figures, beads, feathers, stones, card, colouring utensils etc to facilitate sessions where the young person can explore how they feel. Above all else, active listening is the key component of all sessions. 

TALA can help with:

• Bereavement 
• Relationship with peers and at home 
• Self-esteem issues 
• Managing emotions