First Sandtray Therapy Session Burlington | Graceway

One of the most healing experiences in therapy is realizing you don't need to have the right words, the right explanation, or even a clear plan — you just need a safe space where what's inside you can gently emerge.

If you are considering trying sandtray therapy, you may be wondering what actually happens in a session. Many people initially feel a sense of curiosity mixed with hesitation — Will I know what to do? Will I have to explain everything? Is this going to feel strange?

These questions are normal.

This article will walk you through exactly what you can expect in your first sandtray session at Graceway Wellness, so you can arrive feeling grounded, informed, and at ease.

A Space Designed for Emotional Safety

Your session takes place in a private, calm therapy room at our Burlington office, intentionally designed to support nervous system regulation. Soft lighting, natural elements, and an uncluttered environment help create a sense of grounded presence — before any words are spoken.

You won't see toys scattered around or anything resembling a child's playroom. Instead, you will notice curated shelves of miniature figures: natural elements, people, bridges, symbols, animals, objects representing challenge, hope, transition, and meaning. These figures are not chosen randomly — they are selected because they reflect universal human themes.

The sandtray itself is placed at a comfortable height, filled with soft sand, ready to be shaped.

Sara Tawadros, RP(Q) has carefully designed this space using our therapeutic approach to create an environment where adults can explore their inner world without pressure or performance.

Your First Moments in Session

Sandtray therapy begins not with doing, but with being.

Your therapist will welcome you and invite you to settle in. There is no immediate expectation to use the sandtray. Many clients appreciate a moment of quiet or a few grounding breaths before beginning. You are always in control of the pace.

Once you feel ready, your therapist will simply and gently invite you to create a scene in the sand using any figures that feel meaningful to you — even if you don't yet know why you're choosing them. There is no right or wrong choice, no need to make it "make sense," and no pressure to talk while creating.

Creating in the Sand: A Process of Expression, Not Performance

As you begin to choose figures and place them in the tray, your mind may try to label or analyze what you are doing. This is natural. But the sandtray process often invites a different kind of awareness — one that comes through the hands, the senses, and the intuitive self.

You may:

• Move quietly and thoughtfully

• Rearrange figures until something feels "right"

• Discover emotions surfacing as you create

• Feel surprising clarity, or even relief, without having spoken a word

Your therapist remains present with you throughout the process, not to interpret your choices, but to witness them with full attention and respect.

Whether you're working through anxiety and depression, grief, life transitions, or simply seeking deeper self-understanding, the sandtray provides a unique space for exploration.

What Happens After You Complete Your Scene

Once your scene is complete, you may choose to:

• Sit silently and observe it

• Reflect out loud on what you see or feel

• Identify themes or emotions that arise

• Simply acknowledge what has emerged, without needing to interpret it

You are never required to explain your choices, and your therapist will not impose meaning. Sometimes, insight arises immediately. Other times, it surfaces hours or days after the session, with a sense of gentle unfolding.

Some clients choose to take a photo to reflect on later; others prefer to smooth the sand, allowing what emerged to be honored in the moment and released.

How You Might Feel During and After a Session

Clients often describe their first sandtray session as:

• Grounding

• Unexpectedly emotional, yet not overwhelming

• Clarifying — like something inside finally made sense

• Peaceful — a quiet inner shift rather than a dramatic breakthrough

Because sandtray engages the nervous system and symbolic mind, it often supports emotional integration long after the session ends. You may notice increased self-awareness, inner softness, or subtle emotional shifts in the days that follow.

For those who incorporate faith integration, the sandtray can also hold spiritual themes and sacred symbols in a way that honors your beliefs while respecting therapeutic boundaries.

Why This Must Be Done In-Person

Sandtray therapy is only available in-person at our Burlington office because it requires physical interaction with sand, symbols, and space. The healing value lies in the tactile experience — the grounding sensation of sand through your fingers, the visual field of the tray, the embodied presence of being witnessed in a safe environment. These elements simply cannot be replicated online.

Clients travel from Oakville, Milton, Hamilton, Mississauga, and surrounding areas because this modality offers something unique: not more talking, but a new way of knowing and healing.

If you prefer traditional talk therapy or wish to integrate both modalities, that is welcomed. We also offer virtual sessions across Ontario for clients who do not require sandtray, including support for couples counselling and other therapeutic needs.

A Modality That Meets You Where Words Cannot

You do not need to be artistic, creative, or emotionally "ready." You only need to be open to exploring a different kind of therapeutic language — one that honours your inner world without demanding you explain it.

Sandtray therapy is not about fixing. It is about revealing — and allowing what is revealed to be held with compassion, safety, and curiosity.

You were created for more than endlessly analyzing your pain. You were created for healing that reaches the parts of you that words cannot touch — and sandtray therapy offers that sacred space.

Your Next Step

If you are feeling drawn to explore this modality — whether from curiosity, intuition, or because talking has reached its natural limit — you are welcome to begin with a free consultation.

This is simply a conversation to determine whether sandtray therapy might be the next right step in your healing journey.