For Teachers & Administrators

What Is the Digital Sandtray?

A plain-language guide for educators who want to understand what the school counselor is doing with that tool — what it is, what it isn’t, and what students look like when it’s working.

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The short version

Sandtray therapy is a well-researched, evidence-supported expressive technique where a client builds a small scene using miniature figures — animals, people, buildings, objects, natural elements — in a tray of sand. The counselor witnesses the build without directing or interpreting in the moment. The client externalizes something they may not have words for yet. The talking happens after, if it happens at all.

The digital sandtray is the same concept, adapted for screen-based sessions. Students drag miniature figures onto a virtual sand canvas using a device. The counselor can see the tray in real time and save screenshots as documentation. There’s no physical cleanup, no cross-contamination risk, and no furniture dedicated to a physical sand box. The work — the therapeutic relationship, the symbolic process, the client’s agency in building — is unchanged.

What it is and what it isn’t

✓ What it is
  • An evidence-supported expressive therapy technique
  • A non-verbal way in for students who don’t have words yet
  • A documentation tool the counselor uses — screenshots are saved to the student’s file
  • A brief, structured intervention that fits within a school counselor’s ASCA scope of practice
  • Age-appropriate for elementary through high school
  • Something most students find calming rather than threatening
✗ What it isn’t
  • A diagnostic tool — it doesn’t produce a diagnosis or report
  • Free play or unstructured screen time
  • A substitute for clinical mental health therapy
  • A game — students often describe it as "serious" or "peaceful"
  • Something the counselor uses to tell parents what their child is "really feeling"
  • A replacement for classroom instruction time

What does a session actually look like?

A typical school-based sandtray session with a student is 15 to 30 minutes and follows a loose structure: the student arrives, the counselor checks in briefly, the counselor offers an open invitation ("build something in the tray — there’s no right way"), and the student builds. The counselor stays nearby and watches without commentary. After the build, the counselor may ask one or two open-ended questions about the scene. The session closes with a brief check on the student’s state before they leave.

A 15-minute version is used specifically for brief Tier 2 check-ins between classes. A student might build something as small as three figures before returning to class. This is intentional and sufficient — the work happens in the doing, not the talking.

What students say

When asked to describe sandtray to a friend, students commonly say things like: "You just build stuff and the counselor watches." “It’s kind of like playing but also not.” “You don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to.” For students who struggle with traditional talk therapy, this is often what allows them to engage at all.

Common teacher questions

Will students tell me what they built?
Sometimes, and they don’t have to. The counselor doesn’t share specifics of a session without the student’s consent (or unless there is a mandatory reporting concern). If a student volunteers information with you, listen warmly. You don’t need to do anything therapeutic with it.
What if a student is distracted or different after a session?
A student who just finished an emotionally meaningful session may be quieter, more reflective, or occasionally tearful when they return to class. This is usually not a problem — it’s often a sign something important was processed. Give them a moment to settle. A low-demand task at the start of the period can help. Contact the counselor if you’re concerned.
Is what the student builds private?
Yes — school counseling sessions carry the same confidentiality protections as other counseling, with the same mandatory reporting exceptions. The counselor is not going to describe a student’s build in a staff meeting or share screenshots without proper documentation purpose.
Is the digital sandtray age-appropriate?
Yes. The technique is used with students from kindergarten through 12th grade (and with adults). The counselor adjusts the language of the invitation and the figures available based on age. Younger students typically use fewer figures and simpler prompts. Older students may be initially skeptical but almost always engage once they try it.
How do I talk to a parent who asks about it?
You can say: "The counselor uses a digital sandtray — it’s a research-backed technique where students build scenes with small figures on a digital sand canvas. It’s a non-verbal way for students to express things they might not be able to say yet. It’s designed for school-based brief support, not clinical therapy." You can direct more detailed questions to the counselor directly.
What about students with trauma histories?
The counselor using this tool has training in trauma-informed practice. The sandtray is particularly well-suited to trauma because it does not require verbal disclosure — students can approach difficult material through symbol and metaphor, at their own pace, without being pushed. If you have concerns about a specific student, speak directly with the counselor.

What the research says (for those who want it)

Sandtray therapy has been studied since the 1980s and is recognized in the expressive therapy literature as effective for a range of presentations including anxiety, grief, trauma, behavioral concerns, and developmental difficulties. A 2015 meta-analysis by Ray et al., published in Psychology in the Schools, found play-based school counseling interventions effective across academic, behavioral, and social-emotional outcomes. The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) identifies expressive modalities including play therapy techniques as within the school counselor’s scope of practice.

If you’d like a copy of specific research, ask the school counselor — they’ll have it ready.

The bottom line for your classroom

The student who comes back from the counselor’s office quieter, or a little lighter, or both — that’s what success looks like. You don’t need to know what they built. You just need to know it was held with care. Your job is to welcome them back to your room and keep being the consistent, caring adult you already are. The counselor’s work and yours are a team effort.

Questions?

The school counselor is your best resource. You can also reach the Sandstories team at Hello@sandstories.app — we’re happy to answer questions from educators and administrators directly.

Citations & Further Reading

  1. American School Counselor Association. (2019). The school counselor and student mental health [Position statement]. ASCA.
  2. American School Counselor Association. (2021). ASCA student standards: Mindsets & behaviors for student success. ASCA.
  3. Homeyer, L. E., & Sweeney, D. S. (2017). Sandtray therapy: A practical manual (3rd ed.). Routledge.
  4. Kalff, D. M. (1980). Sandplay: A psychotherapeutic approach to the psyche. Sigo Press.
  5. Ray, D. C., Armstrong, S. A., Balkin, R. S., & Jayne, K. M. (2015). Child-centered play therapy in the schools: Review and meta-analysis. Psychology in the Schools, 52(2), 107–123.
  6. Webber, J. M., Mascari, J. B., Duba, J. D., & Melton, B. (2008). Solving problems in play therapy practice. In G. R. Walz, J. C. Bleuer, & R. K. Yep (Eds.), Compelling counseling interventions (pp. 261–272). Counseling Outfitters.