A creative, hands-on way to explore what you are carrying, offered within collaborative counselling and at a pace you help set. Psychologists registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP). Registered Provisional Psychologists practise under the supervision of a senior registered psychologist. In-person sessions in Edmonton and St. Albert, and virtual counselling across Alberta. 50-minute sessions, seven days a week.

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Not every clinician offers sandplay. Our admin team can tell you who currently does.

You Might Be Wondering Whether Sandplay Therapy Is Right for You

You may be unsure whether arranging sand and small figures in a tray could count as real therapy. Maybe it sounds like something meant for young children. You might worry you would feel awkward doing it as an adult. If you are a parent, you may be wondering whether it is a serious option or just a pleasant way to fill an hour.

These are fair questions. People often start looking into sandplay when talking has stopped reaching the thing that matters. You might recognize yourself in some of this:

• knowing something feels heavy, but going blank the moment someone asks you to explain it
• telling the same story in the same words and feeling no closer to it
• watching your child go quiet or change the subject whenever feelings come up

None of this means you are doing therapy wrong, or that something is wrong with you. Some experiences are hard to put into words. Holding back can be one of the ways your mind protects you from feeling overwhelmed. It is a common human response, not a personal failing.

If you are curious whether a creative approach might fit you or someone you care for, read on. This page explains what sandplay involves, what research can and cannot tell us yet, and how to ask whether it is available here.

Who Sandplay Therapy May Suit

Sandplay may be worth asking about if you:

• are an adult, teen or parent curious about a creative or less verbal way of working alongside conversation
• have found it hard to put experiences into words in talk-based sessions
• are looking into options for a child or teen and want to understand the approach before booking
• are gathering information for a partner, friend or family member
• want a real say in the pace and format of your sessions

Whether sandplay is a good fit depends on your goals, your comfort with the approach, and whether a clinician with relevant training is currently available. A clinician can talk this through with you. A web page cannot decide it for you.

Sandplay therapy may not be the right starting point if you:

• Are in crisis or immediate danger. Please use the crisis resources below first.
• Still live in a situation where you or a child are not safe. Safety comes first. The crisis resources below are open around the clock, and counselling can follow when you are ready.
• Need a report for a court, custody matter or legal process. Forensic and legal work is outside this therapy service. Psychological assessments are a separate service with their own process.
• Are looking for a mandated program to address harm you have caused others. That kind of programming is outside this service. Our admin team can suggest where to look.
• Want a diagnosis. Sandplay does not provide one.

If You Need Help Right Now

Counselling is not emergency care. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, or you are thinking about ending your life, please contact one of these services instead of waiting for an appointment:

• Call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department
• Alberta Mental Health Help Line: 1-877-303-2642 (24/7)
• 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline: call or text 988 (24/7)
• Kids Help Phone, for children and young people: 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868 (24/7)

Wholesome Psychology is not an emergency or crisis service.

What Sandplay Therapy Is, and What It Is Not

Sandplay therapy may involve using a tray of sand and a collection of small objects to build scenes during a counselling session. It offers a creative, experiential way to explore thoughts, feelings, relationships or experiences alongside conversation. There is no right way to make a scene. No artistic skill is needed.

Some sessions may involve more talking. Others may focus more on the making itself. How much you talk, and whether you use the sand tray at all in a given session, is something you and your clinician decide together.

You set the pace, not your therapist. Taking part in any activity is always your choice.

A few clear boundaries:

• Sandplay is a counselling approach. It is not a legal service, an investigation, or crisis intervention.
• It does not provide a diagnosis, and this page cannot tell you whether it is right for your situation.
• Psychological assessments are a separate service and are not part of sandplay therapy.
• It does not replace medical, emergency or other specialized care when those are needed.
• Clinicians work within their own training and scope of practice, which is why not every clinician offers sandplay.
• What you share is confidential within legal limits. Your clinician explains those limits in your first session, and the confidentiality section below covers them in more detail.

Signs Hard-to-Name Feelings May Be Affecting You

Sandplay is an approach, not a condition, so there is no checklist that says you need it. Still, people who ask about creative ways of working often describe patterns like these:

• feeling a knot of emotion you cannot name, even when you try
• going quiet, foggy or blank when someone asks how you feel
• talking around an experience without ever getting close to it
• noticing tension in your chest, stomach or shoulders when certain topics come up
• worrying you will say it wrong, so you say nothing
• feeling that conversations about your emotions keep going in circles
• pulling back from people because explaining yourself feels like too much
• in children, showing worry through play or behaviour more than through words

These are common reactions, not signs that something is permanently wrong with you. Some people find certain experiences easier to show than to say, at least at first. If this sounds familiar, a conversation with a clinician can help you weigh whether sandplay, talk-based counselling or another approach makes sense. Structured support may help you find a way in.

How Sandplay Therapy Works at Wholesome Psychology

• Find your therapist. Because not every clinician offers sandplay, the first step is finding someone who does and who feels like a good fit. You can use our Match Tool, browse Our Therapists, or call our admin team at 780-904-4880. They can tell you who currently offers sandplay, at which location, and whether it can be adapted for virtual sessions.
• Book your first session. Your first appointment covers informed consent, confidentiality and its limits, and what you hope to get from counselling. It is also a chance to ask how sandplay works and talk about other approaches. You do not have to use the sand tray in your first session.
• Build your plan together. You and your clinician shape a plan around your goals. Sandplay might be a regular part of sessions, an occasional option, or set aside in favour of something that suits you better.
• Ongoing sessions. Sessions are 50 minutes, usually weekly or every two weeks. Frequency can change as your needs change.
• Progress check-ins. Your clinician reviews how things are going with you regularly. The plan can be adjusted at any point.

There is no fixed number of sessions. Your voice matters at every stage, including when you want to slow down, try something different, or stop. Getting Started with Therapy walks through these steps in more detail.

What the Research Says About Sandplay Therapy

We want to be straightforward here. Research on sandplay therapy is still limited. The studies we reviewed for this page do not allow us to say that sandplay treats or improves any specific concern. For that reason, we describe one approach below, sandplay itself, and we are careful about what we claim.

Sandplay Therapy

What it helps with: Sandplay is used as a creative, less verbal way to explore thoughts, feelings and experiences, though it has not been shown to treat a specific concern.

Evidence summary: The research we reviewed focuses on small, specific groups of children, such as a randomized controlled trial involving children with central nervous system tumours (Oncology Nursing Society [ONS], 2026). These records did not include enough detail about methods or results to draw conclusions about effectiveness. No adult-focused or Edmonton-specific evidence was available.

Limitations: Findings from narrowly defined groups of children cannot be applied to adults, to children in general, or to other concerns. People respond to creative approaches differently, and fit with your clinician matters.

If research support for a specific concern matters to you, ask your clinician how sandplay might sit alongside other approaches. You may also want to read about related creative options, such as play therapy and art therapy.

What You Can Realistically Expect

Change in counselling is rarely a straight line. Some sessions may feel meaningful, and others may feel slow or uncertain. Both are part of the process.

Some people notice shifts within a few months, while others benefit from longer-term work. Because research on sandplay is limited, we cannot point to a typical timeline for this approach.

Several things can influence how counselling goes:

• what brings you in, and how long it has been part of your life
• what is happening for you now, including stress, support and safety
• how comfortable you feel with your clinician and with the approach
• how regularly you are able to attend

No therapy, including sandplay, can guarantee a particular outcome. Fit matters. If sandplay does not feel right, or your clinician does not feel like the right match, you can change approach or therapist at any point.

Confidentiality and Your Privacy

What you share in counselling is kept confidential. Psychologists at Wholesome Psychology are regulated by the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP) and follow the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists.

In Alberta, which privacy law applies depends on the setting. Private clinics are generally governed by the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), which sets rules for how personal information is collected, used, disclosed and kept. The Health Information Act (HIA) governs health information held by custodians such as Alberta Health Services, and applies to clinicians when they work for or on behalf of a custodian.

There are a few situations where a clinician may be required or permitted to share information without your consent:

• when there is a risk of serious harm to you or to someone else
• when there is reason to believe a child is being abused or neglected, which must be reported under Alberta law
• when a court orders the release of records

Your clinician will explain these limits in your first session, before you share anything personal. You are welcome to ask about privacy, record keeping, how virtual sessions are protected, or whether photos of sand scenes are ever taken and how they would be stored. You can ask these questions before you book, too.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to describe what happened in detail?

No. You decide what to share and when. Some people use sandplay as a way to work with feelings without explaining everything out loud. You can also focus on what is happening in your life now rather than going back over the past in detail. Your clinician will check in with you about pace.

Is what I share kept private?

Yes, within legal limits. Counselling is confidential and protected under Alberta privacy law and CAP standards. The exceptions involve a risk of serious harm, suspected abuse or neglect of a child, and court orders. The confidentiality section above explains these, and you can ask your clinician anything before you share.

How many sessions will I need?

There is no fixed number. Some people find a shorter period of counselling is enough for what brought them in. Others prefer longer-term work. Research does not offer a standard timeline for sandplay, so you and your clinician review progress together and adjust as you go.

What if the therapist is not the right fit?

Fit matters, and it is okay to say so. If the connection does not feel right, or sandplay is not what you hoped, our admin team can help you find a different clinician or approach. New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

Can I have sessions online?

Yes. Virtual counselling is available anywhere in Alberta, and the same confidentiality standards apply. Sandplay uses physical materials, so whether it can be adapted for virtual sessions depends on the clinician. Our admin team can tell you what is currently offered.

Is sandplay therapy only for children?

No. Creative approaches may be considered with people at different stages of life. Whether sandplay suits you depends on your goals, your comfort with the approach, and whether a clinician with relevant training is available.

Do I need to be creative or artistic?

No. There is no right or wrong way to build a scene, and no expectation to make something meaningful or attractive. Some people like to talk while they work. Some prefer quiet. Either is fine.

Will my therapist interpret my scenes or give me a diagnosis?

Sandplay does not provide a diagnosis. Your clinician may invite you to reflect on a scene, and your own sense of what it means is part of that conversation. If you are looking for a formal diagnosis, psychological assessments are a separate service.

Meet Your Clinicians

Our team includes Registered Psychologists, Registered Provisional Psychologists, Registered Social Workers, Canadian Certified Counsellors, Mental Health Therapists and Student Therapists. All psychologists are registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists. Registered Provisional Psychologists practise under the supervision of a senior registered psychologist. Registered Social Workers are regulated by the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW).

Training differs from clinician to clinician, and not every clinician offers sandplay. Each profile on Our Therapists describes that clinician's approach, and the Match Tool can help you narrow your options. If you would rather talk it over, our admin team at 780-904-4880 can tell you who currently offers sandplay.

Sandplay for Children and Teens

Wholesome Psychology offers counselling for children, adolescents and young people. Clinicians who work with younger clients aim to use approaches suited to the child's age and stage. Depending on their training and the child's needs, sandplay may be one option a clinician considers.

Caregivers are part of the process. Your child's clinician can talk with you about how to support them at home, how confidentiality works for young people, and what you can expect to hear about sessions. You can learn more on our child and youth counselling page.

Taking a Next Step

If you would like to find out whether sandplay is available, and whether it might suit you or your child, you can start in whichever way feels easiest:

• Book a session online
• Match with a therapist using our Match Tool
• Call our admin team at 780-904-4880
• Email info@wholesomepsychology.ca
• Read Getting Started with Therapy to see what the first steps look like

Our admin team can confirm which clinicians currently offer sandplay, at which locations, and in which formats. Starting the conversation is enough.

New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

References

• Oncology Nursing Society. (2026, May 11). Effects of sandplay therapy on emotional problems and quality of life in children with central nervous system tumors: A randomized controlled trial.