The Power of Play: Supporting Children Through Child-Centered Play Therapy and Sand Tray Therapy. (Somatic Therapy of Marin – Play Therapy Office in Mill Valley, CA)

One of the most common things I hear from parents is: “My child is struggling, but they can’t tell me why.”

Children, especially between the ages of 6–12, don’t usually walk into a therapy office and talk about their feelings the way adults do. Instead, they show us what’s going on—through play, through metaphor, through how they move and relate.

That’s why in my practice location in Mill Valley, we offer child-centered play therapy and sand tray therapy—two approaches that meet children where they are, in the language they naturally speak.

These are not just tools—they are invitations into the child’s emotional world. And when done with presence, somatic attunement, and a deep understanding of how the body and nervous system hold experience, they can be profoundly healing.

Why Play?

In play therapy, the child leads. We don’t interpret or direct—we follow. That’s because child-centered play therapy is grounded in the idea that the child already knows what they need to explore and express. Our job is to create a safe, consistent relationship and environment that allows that unfolding.

When children have a space where they’re not being “fixed” or analyzed, but simply witnessed and accepted, they start to show us their world. Their fears, their hopes, the places they feel small or powerful—all of that comes out in the play. From a somatic perspective, we’re also watching how their body holds stress, how their breathing changes in different moments, how they regulate (or dysregulate) in relationship. All of this information is part of the healing process.

As they show us that world and embodiment, we can offer interventions in the play, movement, and conversation and a whole world of insight and shifts unfolds that is unique to each client.

Sand Tray: Stories Without Words

Sand tray therapy is another approach we use often in child therapy here in Mill Valley. It offers kids a way to build and tell stories without having to put words to things they may not fully understand yet.

With a tray of soft sand and a collection of miniatures—everything from animals to fantasy creatures to nature objects—children create entire worlds. They work through fears, find hidden strengths, or simply express what’s been stuck inside.

Sometimes we sit together in silence while they build. Other times there’s a story being narrated. Either way, there’s a kind of magic in the process. It’s somatic, it’s symbolic, and it’s often deeply regulating to the child’s nervous system.

A Relational, Somatic Lens

What sets the work apart at Somatic Therapy of Marin is that we are always tracking more than just behavior or story. We are watching how the child orients, how they breathe, how they hold their body. We are noticing shifts in regulation and disconnection, attuning to both the nervous system and the emotional system.

Because children are still developing the capacity to understand and express what they feel, we often see things in the body before they show up in words. A child might say they’re “fine,” but build a sand tray full of chaos. Or they might play out the same scenario over and over, as a way of metabolizing something overwhelming. These are all meaningful forms of communication.

In this work, healing often happens slowly and relationally. The child begins to feel safe, not just in the therapy space, but inside their own body. Over time, we see shifts in how they relate at home, at school, and with themselves.

What Child Therapy Can Support

In our Mill Valley office, we work with children who are experiencing things like:

• Anxiety and OCD

• Emotional outbursts or shutdowns

• Grief and loss

• Social struggles or bullying

• Divorce or major transitions

• Adoption or early attachment disruptions

• Sensory sensitivity or neurodivergence

Often, parents are looking not just for behavior change, but for deeper healing. They want to understand what’s going on underneath, and how to support their child in a more connected way. We always involve the family in our support.

A Place to Land

Child-centered play therapy and sand tray therapy offer children a place to explore their inner world without pressure. They allow for expression, empowerment, and integration.

And for parents, it can be a relief to know your child is being met with gentleness, curiosity, and attunement—by someone who sees the whole child, not just the symptoms.

If you’re in the Mill Valley area and looking for child therapy that is relational, somatic, and developmentally grounded, we’d love to talk.

Play Therapy office, Mill Valley

You don’t need to have it all figured out. Sometimes the first step is just finding someone who can help your child feel safe again—safe to play, to feel, to grow.