Local Sand Tray Therapy in Leeds, AL
A Safe, Creative Way to Heal and Express What Words Can’t
Sometimes emotions are too big, painful, or confusing to put into words, especially for children or individuals healing from trauma. You may notice your child struggling to talk about their feelings, or you might personally feel stuck reliving experiences you can’t fully explain.
Sand Tray Therapy offers a powerful way to express and process those experiences.
Our sand tray therapists serve Leeds, Moody, Trussville, Irondale, Odenville, Springville, and surrounding communities.
When Talking Isn’t Enough
For many clients, especially children, teens, and trauma survivors, traditional talk therapy can feel overwhelming. You might see signs like:
Difficulty expressing feelings or experiences
Anxiety, anger, or sadness that seems to come from nowhere
Recurring nightmares, fears, or emotional shutdown
Relationship or behavioral struggles that don’t make sense
These challenges can leave families and individuals feeling helpless or disconnected. Sand Tray Therapy helps bridge the gap between what can be said and what can be shown, creating space for deep emotional healing.
What Is Sand Tray Therapy?
Sand Tray Therapy is an expressive, evidence-based approach where clients use miniature figures, symbols, and objects in a tray of sand to build scenes or stories.
These scenes often represent the client’s inner world - their memories, fears, hopes, and emotions. Guided by a trained therapist, clients are encouraged to explore the images they’ve created and the meanings behind them.
Through this gentle, creative process, healing often emerges naturally. The sand becomes a safe space where difficult experiences can be symbolically explored, processed, and transformed
How Sand Tray Therapy Helps
At Grove Counseling in Leeds, Sand Tray Therapy can help both children and adults:
Process trauma and grief safely
Reduce anxiety and emotional overwhelm
Gain insight into inner thoughts and experiences
Improve emotional regulation and self-awareness
Strengthen a sense of empowerment and healing
For children, sand tray work often looks like imaginative play but it’s guided by deep therapeutic understanding. For adults, it can unlock insights and emotions that have been inaccessible through talk alone.
Why Clients Choose Grove Counseling
At Grove Counseling, our therapists are highly trained in expressive and trauma-focused modalities. We believe healing happens through creativity, safety, and connection.
Whether your child is processing big emotions, or you’re an adult exploring trauma, grief, or life transitions - Sand Tray Therapy can help you uncover healing from the inside out.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sand Tray Therapy
Is Sand Tray Therapy only for children?
No, while it’s often used with kids, Sand Tray Therapy can be deeply effective for teens and adults, especially those working through trauma or grief.
How is Sand Tray different from Play Therapy?
Play Therapy uses a wide range of play activities to help children express emotions. Sand Tray Therapy uses sand and symbolic figures as the main medium and it’s often used with both kids and adults.
How much does Sand Tray Therapy cost?
Most of the time medical insurance will help cover the cost of services. We are in-network with BCBS, Anthem, All Kids, and Aetna. We also have an affordable sliding scale.
Reach Out Today to Learn More or Get Started!
Location
Leeds Office
Leeds Office
Grove Counseling
7924 Parkway Dr
Leeds, AL 35094
Phone: (205) 499-2607