Sand Tray Therapy Activity Student #5- Extended Tray Project for School Counselors and Play Therapist

by Sand Tray Therapy Class Student
(Atlanta)

With this particular sand tray therapy technique, I was not sure where to start. This sand tray allowed me to look at myself, and the many aspects of my life, to see if all of my needs are being met according to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. As you can see in my sand tray. I began by place different miniatures in my sand tray over the course of four days.

I did this without thinking of the pyramid representing the hierarchy of needs. I wanted to do it this way so I could look back once I was finished to see if all of my needs are being met.

Once finished I felt as if most of my needs are met but I felt as if something was missing but simply could not put my finger on it.
As you can see my psychological needs are being met through the consumption of food, drink and air, achieving adequate sleep, and a comfortable temperature.

This has been represented through the water surrounding my sand tray and the trees and flowers placed in the top left corner. My physiological needs are met and therefore the need for safety has been able to emerge.

In my sand tray this has been represented through the colorful piece with the giant eye placed on the right side of my try. This piece represents protection and security in my tray. The third layer of needs in Maslow’s hierarchy is love and belonging, which is represented through the different clusters throughout my tray.

No one miniature stands alone, each miniature has something else that has been placed directly next to it. This represents companionship and family. My esteem needs have been represented through the beautiful gray horse placed in the center of the try. I felt this to be the perfect representation of myself.

The horse to me represents something beautiful, proud, brave and strong. Finally there’s the last layer of the hierarchy which is self-actualization which I feel is represented through every miniature that has been placed in my tray. I embrace the facts and realities of my sand tray therapy world rather than denying or avoiding them.


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