Description
This immersive two-day (12-hour) training is designed for mental health professionals seeking to ethically and effectively integrate Sandtray Play Therapy into Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) treatment. Grounded in the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model and the therapeutic powers of play, this course explores the integration of EMDR’s eight-phase protocol with the symbolic, relational, and sensory-rich experience of Sandtray Play Therapy.
Drawing from the traditions of the Sand Tray Training Institute of New Mexico, this training emphasizes developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed play therapy interventions for children, adolescents, and adults. Participants will engage in handson, experiential play-based learning, alternating between therapist and client roles in dyads to apply both EMDR and Sandtray Play Therapy techniques.
Through a balance of lecture, live demonstration, group discussion, and experiential play exercises, clinicians will develop practical skills for resource installation, trauma processing, and integration—especially with nonverbal clients, clients with complex trauma, and those needing symbolic access to early attachment wounds through play.
Educational Goals
This training will help participants to:
- Describe the clinical rationale for integrating EMDR’s eight-phase protocol with Sandtray Play Therapy using the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model and foundational play therapy principles.
- Demonstrate at least two play-based techniques for incorporating Sandtray Play Therapy into EMDR Phase 2 preparation, including the development of internal resources through symbolic play and metaphor.
- Apply Sandtray Play Therapy as a developmentally appropriate modality to support trauma reprocessing in EMDR Phases 3-7 while maintaining dual awareness and therapeutic pacing.
- Identify ethical and culturally responsive play therapy considerations when using Sandtray Play Therapy in combination with EMDR across diverse child, adolescent, and adult populations.
- Describe how co-regulation and embodied presence emerges through experiential play therapy activities.
- Identify at least two clinical indicators of verbal limitation or dissociation and modify the use of Sandtray Play Therapy within the EMDR protocol to maintain dual awareness and client stabilization.
Equipment
In-person training does not have any equipment requirement. For online course equipment requirements, please refer to the linked document below:
Prerequisites
Level 1 & 2, EMDR Levels 1 & 2; graduate degree in mental health or enrolled in a graduate degree program.
Although this workshop offers opportunities to practice combining sandtray play with EMDR, it is not designed for beginners in the EMDR or sand modalities.
Continuing Education
This course is 12 contact hours.