Healing Beyond Words: The Transformative Power of Sandtray Therapy
How do you tell a story that feels too big, too heavy, or too painful for words?
In her powerful TEDx talk, Stories in the Sand: Healing Trauma, Anxiety, and Grief, Tammi Van Hollander, LCSW, RPT-S, RST-C/T invites us to imagine the healing potential of play, creativity, and symbolism. She takes us on a journey—from her childhood summers digging her feet into the Jersey Shore sand, to her decades of work as a play therapist—showing how something as simple as a tray of sand and a few miniature figures can unlock profound healing.
The Language of Play
As Tammi reminds us, for children, play is language, and toys are words. Sandtray therapy allows clients of all ages to externalize their inner world by arranging miniatures in a tray of sand. What emerges is a three-dimensional story. One that can reveal emotions and conflicts too complex or painful to put into words.
This nonverbal approach helps regulate the nervous system, bridges the conscious and unconscious mind, and creates a safe psychological distance for working through trauma, anxiety, grief, and other overwhelming experiences.
Stories That Heal
Tammi shares moving case examples in her talk:
- Maya, a 5-year-old whose sand tray play revealed abuse she hadn’t been able to verbalize. With support, her family helped her rewrite her story from fear to resilience.
- Billy, a perfectionistic teen, used his sand tray to symbolize stress as a volcano ready to erupt. Through play, he learned to identify his anxiety and discover the resources that helped keep him safe and grounded.
- A 52-year-old woman grieving the loss of her twin at birth used the sand tray to reconnect with her sister in a healing way, transforming lifelong shame into self-compassion.
Each of these stories illustrates the same truth: when words aren’t enough, play gives us a way forward.
Why This Matters
According to the World Health Organization, more than 52 million adults in the U.S. experience mental health challenges each year, and more than half never receive treatment. Trauma, anxiety, and grief are often carried in the body, beyond the reach of words. Sandtray therapy offers a way to release, integrate, and heal from the inside out.
As Maya Angelou once wrote: “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you.”
Sandtray therapy offers a way to finally tell that story.
Experience It for Yourself
Tammi Van Hollander has spent over 20 years immersed in this work. And now, you have the rare opportunity to learn directly from her in a fully experiential sand tray retreat designed for therapists who want to explore this modality both personally and professionally.
Whether you’re looking to deepen your clinical practice, or you’re simply curious about how sandtray therapy can support your own journey of healing, this retreat is your invitation to step into the sand, discover your story, and witness the power of play.
Why Your Own Experience Matters
When providers step into the sandtray themselves, something shifts. Experiencing the power of the process firsthand builds trust in its depth and effectiveness. It reminds us that healing is not about fixing or forcing, but about creating space for the story to unfold.
By engaging in your own sandtray journey, you strengthen your ability to trust your clients’ process, to sit with what emerges, and to allow them to guide their own healing. In turn, you become a more grounded, confident, and compassionate therapist.
Register for the Sandtray Therapy Experiential Retreat with Tammi Van Hollander today!
Join us atop the breathtaking Appalachian Mountains at Art of Living Retreat Center in Boone, NC for 5 days of personal rejuvenation and interactive exploration of the Therapeutic Powers of Sand Tray Play Therapy.
Spaces are limited—reserve your spot today.
Join us atop the breathtaking Appalachian Mountains at Art of Living Retreat Center in Boone, NC for 5 days of personal rejuvenation and interactive exploration of the Therapeutic Powers of Sand Tray Play Therapy.
Help kids of all ages process their emotions, increase social skills and more! Including tips for working with children with depression, anxiety, trauma, ADHD, and Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Tammi Van Hollander, LCSW, RPT-S™, RST-C/T, is a licensed clinical social worker, Registered Play Therapist Supervisor, and Registered Sand Therapist Consultant/Trainer with over 25 years of experience working with children, families, and individuals. She earned her Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania and is internationally recognized for her innovative contributions to play therapy. Tammi is the author of Casey’s Greatness Wings and The Bibliotherapy Toolbox: 100+ Creative and Playful Story-Based Interventions to Help Kids Create Safety, Overcome Challenges, and Build Resiliency. She is also the creator of Greatness Sticks, a tool designed to foster resilience and self-esteem in children. A leader in the field, Tammi played a pivotal role in co-teaching the first-ever Sandtray therapy class in China, helping introduce this transformative modality to the country. She is founding board member of the World Association for Sand Therapy Professionals (WASTP), an organization dedicated to upholding the integrity of sand therapy through research, training, ethical standards, and global community building. Tammi is a sought-after international speaker and delivered her first TEDx Talk in October 2023, titled Stories in the Sand: Healing Trauma, Anxiety, and Grief.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Tammi Van Hollander is the owner of Main Line Therapy, LLC. and has employment relationships with the Expressive Arts Therapies and the Mid-Atlantic Play Therapy Institute. She receives royalties as a published author. Tammi Van Hollander receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Tammi Van Hollander is a member of the Association for Play Therapy and the National Association for Social Workers. She is a board member of the World Association for Sand Therapy Professionals and a program committee chair for the Specialists of Schools.
