March 2026 Week 3

There are moments in Sandtray work when the room shifts.

A grave appears.
A figure is buried.
An apocalyptic landscape unfolds.
Everything is destroyed.

And you feel it in your body.

Working with suicidal ideation or deep hopelessness in the tray requires steadiness.

Symbolic death does not automatically equal suicidal intent.
But we also don’t ignore it.

Instead, we gently explore.

You might say:

• “When you placed that figure under the sand, what was happening for them?”
• “Is this about wanting relief, or wanting to be gone?”
• “What feels unbearable here?”
  
  

We stay regulated.
We slow down.
We assess when necessary.
And we remember that sometimes the tray is the safest place a client has ever expressed these themes.

The newest toolkit content =
“Responding to Hopelessness in Sandtray” a guide including:

• Assessment language
• Regulation tools
• When to pause Sandtray work
• Documentation examples

Depression wants relief & hopelessness wants escape.

Sandtray allows both to be seen safely.

You are allowed to move slowly here.

Take your time looking over all your resources + guides so far here in the Suite,  slowly reflecting and taking it all in for yourself first.

Until next week,

Amy & the SSI Team