Sand Tray Therapy - Building My Own Sand Tray Summer 2012

by Sherrie Bridges-Sinclair #9
(Macon, GA)

Building My Own Sand Tray for Sand Tray Therapy
I wanted to build my own sand tray but was not sure of what materials I needed. I went to several lumber stores looking for a particular type of pre-cut wood that would make it easier for me to put the pieces together. That did not happen. Instead, I settled on getting a plastic container and some blue paint. Initially I had found a blue container. This is perfect, I thought. There is no need for me to paint the container. The problem with this container was that it was too small. I ended up getting a larger clear container and using that for my sand tray.
Since I was not fully satisfied with my clear sand tray, I started another venture to Home Depot and picked out some wood. This turned out to be a great experience! I was directed to a very nice young man who cut the wood according to my specifications. I did not realize it at the time, but this was the beginning of the formation of a new life. The young man and I put the pieces on the floor and simulated the box, making sure each side fit correctly around the base and each side fit snuggly together. I wish I had taken a picture of this event, but I did not.
Little did I know, this experience created in me the feeling and pride of having a baby. The picture of the wood pieces fitting together correctly would have been similar to having a sonogram of the fetus. Once I got the wood home, I sat on the kitchen floor with a sand paper board. Sanding the wood was similar to me caring for a baby, nurturing and molding it.
As I started gluing the pieces together, I thought of the years of raising my children. Putting the glue on the wood and sticking the pieces together was similar to providing them with knowledge, a moral foundation, and support. Next, I stained the wood, providing it with a coat of protection from the outside world. Finally, I painted the inside blue. It was time for the sand tray to take on the world of the psyche. I was finished! I had given birth to a new life, one that would help me define who I am as a person, just as my sons help define the type of mother I was to them as they grew up and matured.