Sand tray therapy, which is sometimes called sand play therapy. At Barnett Counseling Services Sand Tray Therapy is utilized to support individuals who have experienced a traumatic event such as abuse or a catastrophic incident. Although this type of therapy is used most often with children, sand play therapy also can be helpful for teens and adults. Research shows that sand tray therapy also can help increase emotional expression while reducing the psychological distress that may come from discussing traumatic events or experiences. Clients choose which items and objects to incorporate into the tray and arrange them in any way they want. Meanwhile, the therapist mainly serves as an observer and rarely interrupts the client, other than to reflect and offer behavior descriptions. After the sand play is complete, the therapist and client typically discuss what was observed, the items and objects that were chosen, how they were arranged and any symbolic or metaphorical meanings. This therapy is based on the notion that if a therapist provides the client with a safe space, the client will use the sand tray to create solutions to their problems on their own.