Attachment: Recognizing safe haven and secure base in the sand tray
Date: February 28 - March 1, 2026
Daily Schedule for both days (CST): 9:30am - 4:00pm with 1 hour lunch
Presenter: Marshall Lyles, MA, LPC-S, LMFT-S, RPT-S, EMDRIA Approved Consultant
NBCC 10 Hours: Attachment: Recognising safe haven and secure base in the sand tray has been approved by NBCC for NBCC credit. Marshall Lyles is soley responsible for all aspects of the program. NBCC Approval No. SP-5054.
Description: Attachment needs deserve to be held in homeostatic balance. We need to be held close and we need to be supported in exploration. When our relational needs are not held in rhythm, the internalized models wisely hold self-protective strategies that, tragically, then make having those needs met in the future more complicated. This both contains trauma and increases the chances for accumulating future trauma more likely.
Expressive therapies are well suited for trauma-informed work due to their utilization of all the senses, their honoring of client timing, and their comfort with externalized metaphor. This 2-day online workshop will overview some expressive approaches, with special focus on sandtray therapy, allowing practice time for trauma-sensitive applications and taking special consideration for the added complexities of working with those with attachment and trauma (such as families impacted by intergenerational trauma and adoption). This workshop will be highly experiential.
Learning Objectives:
1. Overview major tenets of expressive therapies
2. Discuss trauma-informed concepts involved in expressive therapies
3. Discuss relevant trauma-informed relational neuroscience
4. Overview how attachment rhythms affect resiliency
5. Practice trauma-informed specific interventions from different types of expressive therapies that adjust to shifting streams of attachment energy. There will be particular focus on learning specialised adaptations in expressive sand tray work for attachment-related presentations.
6. Practice expressive therapy treatment planning for those affected by attachment trauma
Registration information: The registration fee is $400. The training will occur via Zoom and participants will need access to the internet as well as have some sandtray therapy materials available.
Cancellation policy: Registration is non-refundable, but registrants can secure their own replacement.
IMPORTANT: If you do not receive the Zoom link within 24hrs of the event start time, please email [email protected] as soon as possible to ensure you are able to attend live.