Integrating Sandtray in Play Therapy into the 8 Phases of EMDR

Date: July 24 - 25, 2026


When Words Aren’t Enough in EMDR


There are moments in therapy when you can feel something is there.


But it doesn’t come through words alone.


The room gets quiet.

The connection starts to drift.

What’s happening is felt, but just out of reach.


And the more you ask for language, the further away it seems to go.


In those moments, EMDR is still supportive.


But the pathway is not only through words.


Sandtray offers another way of working.


Because not all experience is stored in language alone.

  • Some of it lives in sensation.
  • In image.
  • In implicit memory.


In places that are felt, but not easily known through thought.


This is what we often see in early developmental trauma, in intergenerational patterns, and in moments when the system shifts out of full presence because what is there feels like too much.


Through Sandtray, those experiences can begin to take shape.


Through symbol, movement, and relationship.


And it doesn’t stop at access.


Sandtray becomes part of the processing itself.


Woven into all 8 phases of EMDR while staying grounded in fidelity.


It gives the system a way to organize, revisit, and move experience in a form that matches how it was originally held.


A way for safety and distress to exist together without overwhelming the system.


A way for integration to happen across both what can be named and what can only be felt.


All within the 8 phases of EMDR therapy.


The 8 phases can feel more natural move through, with a framework that offers fidelity. One that can deepned the client's experience through play, symbol, and nonverbal experience, regardless of age.


In this way, EMDR does not require the client to come into words. It allows you to meet them where their experience is already organized, and support it as it moves toward integration.


Why This Matters


So you can stay grounded in EMDR

while expanding how you work with what isn’t accessible through words.


What This Training Focuses On


This workshop will help you integrate Sandtray Therapy into all 8 phases of EMDR in a way that is grounded, intentional, and clinically sound.


You’ll learn how to:


Bring sandtray into EMDR in a way that feels clear and usable

Recognize when something needs to be worked through beyond words

Stay grounded in safety and pacing while the work deepens

Support clients across ages without losing structure or direction


How You Will Learn

  • This is an experiential virtual training.
  • You will observe demonstrations, engage in guided practice, and receive feedback so you can begin using this in your sessions right away.


Everything is designed to translate to both in-person and telehealth work.

If you are located in the U.S., you will receive a EMDR and Sandtray Integrated clinician kit mailed to you before the training so you can fully participate.


This Training Is For You If

  • You’ve completed EMDR Basic Training
  • You want EMDR to feel more clear and usable in real sessions
  • You can sense what’s happening in your client’s system, but want a clearer way to support it
  • You’re ready to deepen your work without losing structure or fidelity

Register