1. Art, sand tray and play therapy
Counselling children
Art, sand tray and play therapy

2. Art therapy with children

3. Sand tray therapy with children

4. Session with parents or parent

5. Session with parents

6. Initial session with parents or parent
First session with the parents or parent to get information about the situation that doesn't need to be talked about in front of the child

7. Parents – initial session
What works well?
What doesn't work well?
Family background
Are parents together
Are parents separated
Are they re-partnered
Step parenting issues
Parenting disagreements
Boundaries
Strengths and talents of the child
Hobbies
Issues with siblings
Issues that brings child to counselling:
 emotional
 behavioural

8. Who will benefit from counselling? The parent (s) child / whole family
Assessment of who will benefit most.
What are the issues?-
Do they relate to the parenting or surrounding situations between parents
Child’s issues
Behavioural
Emotional
At home
At school
With friends
With separation from parent ?

9. Child’s emotional signs
Fears: fear of monsters
Nightmares
Fear of new things, fear of going to school, fear of visits etc
General anxiety
Sadness: crying a lot, being clingy at separation of parents, after moving house – loss of friends
Anger and aggression: throwing things, generally angry after certain events, towards certain people,
acting out, destroying toys, hurting siblings, pets etc

11. Child’s behaviour
Aggressive behaviour: kicking things, destroying things like toys,
hitting or kicking others, siblings friends etc
Bullying others ,
acting out at school
Not listening
Not obeying, being disrespectful to others
Back chatting to parent (s)
Not wanting to go to school: being bullied by other kids,
Shyness and feeling anxious about going to school,

12. Play is therapeutic in itself

13. What is play and sand tray therapy and how does it work?
Sand tray therapy has been developed by a Jungian therapist over 50 years ago.
She found that this kind of therapy is a non – intrusive, non-judgemental approach to help the child express itself
Play is the natural language of a child
It works often on a symbolic level and lets children work inner and outer conflicts out in a non threatening way

14. Self directed play – story telling
Figurines are placed in the sand tray
The child either talks or is silently placing figures in the sand and moving them around
I ask about the story and who is in the story

16. How it works
Fears can be externalised as a dragon or monster in the sand tray
Sadness can be expressed by choosing a figurine that looks sad – or by isolating a figure
Anger can safely be expressed (motorbikes or warrior figures often help)

20. Kids skills Kids skills Learning to have courage
Learning to challenge fears
Turning fears into challenged that can be overcome
Creating support to help challenge fears
Reward system