Everything included in our 2027 cohort to support you through every step of your sandtray journey:
Go beyond learning sandtray. Become credentialed in it.
This immersive, hybrid training experience is designed to help you develop deeper sandtray skills, build confidence in the tray, and complete the training needed to pursue your Internationally Credentialed Sandtray Therapist (ICST) credential—all within an intimate cohort. COHORT ONE OPEN NOW!
ONLY 12 THERAPISTS
ACCEPTED INTO EACH ICST COHORT
Join Cohort One in 2027 for immersive, in-person training on April 14–18 and November 10–14.
Build on where you are now with the education, experience, and support to move forward with confidence.
Every Great Sandtray Therapist Starts Somewhere
You’re ready to build—or strengthen—the foundation behind your sandtray work.
Whether sandtray is new to you or already part of your practice, ICST meets you where you are. What matters is your curiosity, willingness to practice, and desire to help clients communicate, process, and heal beyond words.
Through guided instruction and hands-on experience, you’ll deepen your understanding of what to do in the tray, why it matters, and how to use it with greater clarity and intention.
Bridge the gap between understanding sandtray and using it naturally and intentionally in the therapy room.
Turn What You Know Into What You Do
You’re ready for sandtray to feel more natural, intentional, and integrated into your clinical work.
No matter how much training or experience you already have, there is always space to strengthen how you respond in the moment, recognize meaningful patterns, and support the process as it unfolds.
ICST helps you connect knowledge with practice so you can trust your clinical judgment and use sandtray with greater confidence.
Deepen your clinical thinking, refine your approach, and strengthen the therapist behind the work.
YOUR NEXT LEVEL REQUIRES MORE THAN ANOTHER TECHNIQUE Want to Go Deeper
You’re not simply looking for more activities—you want to strengthen the therapist behind the work.
ICST gives you the space to examine your process, deepen your case conceptualization, explore the neuroscience behind sandtray, and expand how you work across clients and presenting concerns.
Through advanced education, consultation, feedback, and immersive practice, you’ll build on where you are now while continuing to grow into the clinician you want to become.
This is exactly why the ICST TRAINING exists.
Join the next ICST cohort. Hands-on training. Case consultation. Community. Personal growth. Credentialing.
This Isn’t Another Training You’ll Watch and Forget.
You can take another CE course. You can learn another intervention. You can add another technique to your toolbox.
But there comes a point when learning more isn’t necessarily what makes you feel more confident as a sandtray therapist.
You need the opportunity to practice it. To experience it. To have someone watch your work and help you refine it. To bring in the cases where you’re thinking, Okay…what am I missing here?
To understand not only what you’re seeing in the tray, but the neuroscience behind why it matters.
And sometimes?
You need to get into the tray yourself.
That’s what ICST was designed to give you.
INSIDE ICST, YOU'LL EXPERIENCE:
Core + Advanced Sandtray Training
50 Hours of CE Credit
15 Hours of Case Consultation
A Small Cohort of Therapists That Become Family
Don't just take my word for it
What changes after you join?
When you’re inside the ICST, you’ll:
Letters Behind Your Name
Complete the training experience designed to lead toward the Internationally Credentialed Sandtray Therapist credential through IAST.
Build Real Clinical Confidence
No more second-guessing yourself in session. You’ll know what you’re seeing, what it means, and how to respond in a way that actually moves the work forward.
Get Support When You Need It
You’re not left to figure this out alone. Ask questions, get feedback, and learn from other therapists working through real scenarios just like you.
Deeper Self-Awareness
Experience sandtray personally and continue cleaning your own mirror as you grow as a therapist.
Know What To Do Next
Stop overthinking your next move. With clear frameworks and guidance, you’ll have direction in session instead of feeling stuck or unsure.
Feel More At Ease In Your Work
When you know what you’re doing, everything feels lighter. You’ll spend less time overthinking sessions and more time feeling confident in your approach.
Ok, now for how
this works
Everything included in our 2027 cohort to support you through every step of your sandtray journey.
So what’s included?
Your ICST EXPERIENCE COMBINES TWO IMMERSIVE, in-person training intensives with 15 hours of online case consultation between sessions. You’ll begin by building a strong foundation in Levels 1 and 2, apply what you’re learning with real clients while receiving ongoing support, and return ready to deepen your work through Levels 3 and 4.
In the spring | Levels 1 & 2: April 14–18, 2027
Introduction to Sandtray Therapy
Build your foundation in the history, theory, structure, and clinical application of sandtray therapy.
In this foundational level, you’ll get a solid basis in all things sandtray therapy – what you materials you need, how it works for different ages, the history and background of this amazing method, as well as lots of your own sandtray work through the days so you can start your transformation process and increase your confidence, clairty, and connection from Day 1.
13 CE Hours
The Neuroscience of Sandtray Therapy
Understand what’s happening beneath the surface and learn how neuroscience helps explain the power of experiential sandtray work.
Over the course of two days, you get a crash course in how sandtray therapy helps the brain heal through its access to both the right and left parts of the brain. You will continent to experience your own sandtrays but fron the lens of interpersonal neuorobiology. When you finish with Level 2, you’ll not just know how to to sandtray but feel confident that you know WHY as well.
12 CE Hours
ONLINE CASE CONSULTATION BETWEEN BOTH VISITS TO JONESBORO, ARKANSAS
15 Hours of Case Consultation
Training is only one part of becoming a stronger sandtray therapist. Consultation gives you the opportunity to bring your real clinical work into the learning process while receiving continuous guidance and support. This supported period gives you time to apply what you learned in Levels 1 & 2 before returning for the deeper, more experiential work of Levels 3 & 4.
In the fall | Levels 3 & 4: November 10–14, 2027
Advanced Sandtray Therapy + Case Consultation
Move beyond foundational techniques and deepen your clinical decision-making through advanced training and real case consultation.
As you shift into a deeper understanding of sandtray therapy, you move into not just doing sandtray therapy but BEING a sandtray therapist. Level Three moves from a left-brained power-point based training to one that is lived in the body and through experiential exercises. With this training, you get to focus on honing your skills of attunement, which allows you to increase your confidence that you can walk into any sandtray room and know how to help your clients heal.
13 CE Hours
Advanced Elective Training
Continue developing your expertise through an advanced sandtray training selected by your cohort.
Because Amy has taught sandtray therapy for well over a decade, your cohort will vote on your advanced training of choice. All of the advanced trainings assume you know sandtray therapy; the purpose of each training is to then take a deep dive into a particular theory or subject area, using sandtray therapy as a way to enhance the knowledge. Previous students say that the Level Four is often the cherry on top, getting to nerd out with friends for two days and go deeper into how sandtray can change lives.
Four choices for Level 4:
Advanced Sandtray with Children > Solution Focused Work in the Sandtray > Advanced Sandtray with Teenagers > Daring Greatly in the Sandtray
13 CE Hours
And Yes—You Get the Sandtray Stuff Too.
Because if you’re coming all the way to Arkansas, we’re going to take care of you. Your ICST experience also includes:
âś“ Handmade sandtray and premium Jurassic Sand
âś“ Southern Sandtray tote bag
âś“ Personalized workbook and training handouts
âś“ Personalized journal and pen
âś“ Required books and learning materials
âś“ Snacks and two meals during each full training day
âś“ Special discounts from leading miniature companies
âś“ Lifetime access to the private ICST Facebook community
âś“ Done-for-you marketing materials to help you share your sandtray services
✓ Lodging at Amy’s home, when available
You’ll leave with more than a credential—you’ll have the tools, resources, and support to continue putting your training into practice.
This Is Professional Development. But Past ICST Therapists Will Tell You It’s Also Personal.
Part of becoming a stronger therapist is being willing to look at ourselves, too.
At Southern Sandtray, we call it: Cleaning your own mirror.
During ICST, you aren’t only learning how to facilitate the work for someone else. You’ll experience sandtray personally. You’ll see what it feels like to sit on the other side of the process. You’ll notice what comes up. You’ll learn more about yourself.
And you’ll carry that awareness back into the room with your clients. It’s one of the reasons past participants describe ICST as more than a training.
They describe it as transformative.
Our miniature boxes quickly become the bright part of any day and clients love spying the new addition in your collection!
Your ICST Training Experience
INTERNATIONALLY CREDENTIALED
SANDTRAY THERAPIST TRAINING
Only 12 Therapists
A small-group, immersive training experience designed to deepen your sandtray skills, strengthen your clinical confidence, and guide you toward becoming an Internationally Credentialed Sandtray Therapist.
$500
deposit
-
- Approximately 50 hours of continuing education credit
- Premium sand from Jurassic Sand
- The Interpersonal Neurobiology of Play by Theresa Kestly
- 15 hours of online case consultation with Amy Flaherty and your ICST cohort
- Lifetime access to the private ICST Facebook community
- Personalized workbook and training handouts
- Personalized journal
- Stylish ICST tote bag
- Special discounts from leading miniature companies
- Done-for-you sandtray therapy marketing materials
- Small-group learning with like-minded therapists
- Two meals during each full training day
- Immersive workshops at Southern Sandtray headquarters
*remaining payments start in 2027
More from our ICST Community
Why learn from Amy Hood?
Hey y’all, I’m Amy Hood — therapist, wifey, occasional rapper (yes, seriously), and founder of the Southern Sandtray Institute.
After training thousands of therapists worldwide and spending nearly a decade teaching sandtray therapy, I created ICST to offer something deeper than another stand-alone training.
This program brings education, hands-on practice, consultation, feedback, and community together in one intentionally designed experience.
I’ll be there to guide you throughout the process—helping you strengthen your skills, trust your clinical judgment, and grow into a more confident and intentional sandtray therapist.
ICST IS FOR YOU IF…
You’re ready to make sandtray a more confident, intentional, and meaningful part of your clinical work—whether you’re just beginning or have been using it for years.
âś“ You want a clear learning path that meets you where you are and continues building your skills.
âś“ You want to understand not only how to use sandtray, but why the process works.
âś“ You want hands-on experience instead of another passive online course.
✓ You’re ready to strengthen your clinical confidence and trust yourself in the therapy room.
âś“ You value personalized feedback, mentorship, and ongoing case consultation.
âś“ You want to deepen your understanding of the neuroscience behind sandtray therapy.
âś“ You want to learn alongside a small cohort of therapists who are equally committed to this work.
✓ You’re open to personal growth as part of becoming a more intentional and effective clinician.
âś“ You want to build a specialty that supports your clients, strengthens your practice, and expands your professional opportunities.
âś“ Becoming an Internationally Credentialed Sandtray Therapist is part of where you want your career to go.
You don’t have to arrive as an expert. You only need to be ready to learn, practice, and grow.
Check out what these sandtray therapists from around the world have to say about their experience...
Everything you need to know
Do you offer CE’s?
Yes. Every eligible in-person training level included in ICST is supported with continuing education credit. Across the ICST experience, you’ll complete approximately 50 hours of continuing education while building your sandtray skills through training, consultation, and clinical application.
How do payments work?
A $500 deposit secures your spot in the ICST cohort. Your remaining balance is then divided into payments beginning in 2027, so you can reserve your seat now without paying the full program investment upfront.
Why isn't ICST completely online?
ICST is more than an online course—it is a credentialing experience.
If we’re going to credential you in sandtray therapy, we want to ensure you can demonstrate the skills, not simply understand them conceptually. Certain parts of sandtray work are best learned through live practice, observation, feedback, and hands-on experience.
Do I have to travel for ICST?
Yes. The in-person portions of ICST take place at Southern Sandtray in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
We know traveling for training takes planning, so we’ll help make the process easier. You’ll receive travel recommendations, planning information, and details about what to expect before you arrive.
Who is ICST for?
ICST is designed for licensed mental health providers and qualifying graduate students who want to develop deeper competency in sandtray therapy.
It’s especially suited for clinicians who are ready to move beyond taking individual trainings and want a structured path toward advanced clinical application and credentialing.
Do I need previous sandtray experience?
You do not need to be an advanced sandtray therapist before joining. ICST is intentionally structured to take you through the different levels of training and application needed to develop your skills.
If you’re unsure whether your current education or experience qualifies you, reach out to the Southern Sandtray team before enrolling.
What is included in ICST?
Your ICST experience includes your required sandtray trainings, approximately 50 CE hours, case consultation, clinical application, mentorship, training resources, books, sand, swag, and additional support throughout the credentialing process.
When are the 2027 in-person trainings?
The 2027 cohort will meet in person in Jonesboro, Arkansas during:
April 14–18, 2027
November 10–14, 2027
Between the in-person experiences, you’ll continue learning and applying the work through consultation and clinical practice.
Can international therapists participate?
Yes. ICST is not limited to therapists in the United States. Therapists have traveled from around the world to Arkansas for sandtray training.
If you’re traveling internationally, we recommend allowing additional time to coordinate your travel arrangements.
GO BEYOND LEARNING SANDTRAY. BECOME CREDENTIALED IN IT.
Join the 2027 ICST cohort for an immersive experience that combines in-person training, clinical consultation, hands-on practice, and a supportive community.
With only 12 therapists accepted into each cohort, you’ll receive the personalized guidance, feedback, and experience needed to strengthen your skills and use sandtray with greater confidence and intention.
Your path toward becoming an Internationally Credentialed Sandtray Therapist starts here.