Play Therapy & Sandtray Therapy · Orlando & Longwood, FL
Children speak through play. We listen.
A developmentally appropriate approach to counseling for children — meeting kids where they are, in the language they already know.
Your child is telling you something. They just don't have the words.
Children don't process difficult experiences the way adults do. They can't always name what they're feeling, explain what happened, or sit still and talk about it for an hour. But they can play. And in play, they show us everything — their fears, their confusion, their grief, their resilience.
Play therapy is not just supervised playtime. It's a structured, evidence-based clinical approach that uses play as the primary medium for therapeutic communication. A trained play therapist reads what a child creates, enacts, and avoids — and responds in ways that promote healing, self-expression, and emotional growth.
What play therapy addresses.
Anxiety & worry
Children experiencing excessive fear, separation anxiety, school refusal, or generalized worry often respond well to play-based approaches that don't require verbal explanation.
Behavioral challenges
Aggression, defiance, meltdowns, and difficulty following rules often signal an unmet emotional need. Play therapy helps identify and address what's underneath the behavior.
Trauma & adverse experiences
When something difficult has happened, children often can't talk about it directly. Play provides a safe distance to process what words can't reach.
Family transitions
Divorce, a new sibling, a move, a loss — children feel these changes deeply, even when they seem fine on the surface. Play therapy creates space to process the adjustment.
Grief & loss
Children grieve differently than adults. Play therapy meets them in that grief without requiring them to articulate what they may not yet understand.
Social & emotional development
Children who struggle with friendships, empathy, impulse control, or reading social cues can develop these skills through structured therapeutic play.
How play therapy works.
Play therapy sessions typically last 45–50 minutes. The child is given access to a range of materials — toys, art supplies, sand, miniature figures — and the therapist observes and responds to what the child creates and enacts.
The therapist follows the child's lead, reflects what they observe, and responds in ways that promote safety, self-expression, and emotional processing.
Progress in play therapy often looks different than in adult therapy. Change shows up in behavior, emotional regulation, and relationships — not in verbal reports. Parents are updated regularly on themes and progress.
A Specific Modality
Sand Tray Therapy
Sand tray therapy is a powerful, non-verbal approach that gives children a way to express what words often can't reach. Using a tray of sand and a collection of miniature figures, children create scenes that reflect their inner world — and in doing so, begin to process it.
How it works
A child selects miniature figures — animals, people, buildings, natural objects — and arranges them freely in a shallow tray of sand. There are no rules and no wrong answers. The therapist observes without directing, creating a safe container for whatever the child needs to express.
Because the work happens through play rather than conversation, children don't need to find the words for difficult experiences. The sand tray becomes a bridge between what a child feels internally and what can be seen, understood, and gently worked through.
Keenan uses sand tray as one tool within a broader child-centered approach — introduced when it fits the child's needs and pace, never forced. Some children gravitate to it immediately; others come to it over time.
Why sand tray helps children
Non-verbal expression
Children who struggle to articulate feelings — or who have experienced trauma — can communicate through the figures and scenes they create, bypassing the pressure to "talk about it."
Safe emotional distance
Working symbolically through miniatures gives children a layer of protective distance from painful experiences, making it easier to approach and process them.
Externalizing inner conflict
When a child places figures in the sand, abstract fears and confusing emotions become concrete and visible — something that can be looked at, moved, and changed.
Trauma processing
Sand tray is particularly effective for children who have experienced loss, family disruption, abuse, or other adverse experiences that are difficult to approach directly.
Building a sense of control
In the tray, the child is in charge. This experience of agency is itself therapeutic — especially for children who feel powerless in their day-to-day lives.
Developmentally appropriate
Play is the natural language of childhood. Sand tray meets children where they are developmentally, making therapy feel less clinical and more like something they actually want to do.
Best suited for
Children ages 3–12 who are processing trauma, grief, anxiety, behavioral challenges, or family transitions — and who find it hard to express themselves through words alone.
What parents notice
Reduced acting-out behaviors, improved emotional regulation, greater willingness to talk about feelings, and a child who actually looks forward to their therapy sessions.
At Lakeview Counseling
Sand tray is offered in-person at our Orlando & Longwood offices. Sessions are 50 minutes and can be combined with other play-based and talk therapy approaches as the child's needs evolve.
A Note for Parents
Play therapy works best when parents are engaged partners. You will receive regular updates on your child's progress, guidance on how to support the work at home, and space to share your own observations. Your involvement is not optional — it's essential.
Trained in play therapy and sandtray.
I've completed specialized training in both play therapy and sandtray therapy. I work with children and collaborate closely with parents throughout the process.
Keenan Crowley, MA, NCC — Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern (IMH27091), supervised by Stacey Greenberg, LCSW, LMFT (FL SW13127)
Ready to take the next step?
Play therapy and sandtray therapy in Orlando and Longwood, FL — in-person and via telehealth throughout Florida. A Maitland office opens January 1, 2027. A free 15-minute consultation is available to answer your questions.
Also at Lakeview Counseling
Want to learn more about how play therapy works?
Read: Understanding Play Therapy