Humanistic Sandtray Therapy Institute

05/22/2026

Sharing a picture of a colleague and HST trainee of mine. This training took place 10 years ago today! Every time I hold an HST training, it feels brand new to me.

04/13/2026

Join me!

Join us for Humanistic Sandtray Therapy for Preadolescents 101: From Velveteen Rabbit to Skin Horse

📅 Friday, May 1, 2026
⏰ 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM CDT
💻 Virtual | $100 | 3 Non-Contact CEs

“What is REAL?” the Rabbit asked the Skin Horse one day… “It doesn’t happen all at once. You become.”
— Margery Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit

This experiential workshop with Dr. Ryan D. Foster, PhD, LPC-S, CHST, RST-C/T offers counselors, counselors-in-training, and allied mental health professionals an accessible introduction to Humanistic Sandtray Therapy (HST) — a deeply relational, person-centered approach to sandtray work.

You’ll learn how to:
🌿 Describe the theoretical foundations of HST
🌿 Create a sandtray environment
🌿 Begin facilitating HST using a presence-centered approach

Register now!

https://empathywell.com/product/5-1-26-humanistic-sandtray-therapy-for-preadolescents-101-from-velveteen-rabbit-to-skin-horse/

(972) 498-1307
[email protected]

04/03/2026

We totally overhauled our website! Check it out!

Deepen your psychotherapy practice with a person-centered, experiential approach that meets clients in the here-and-now — and transforms how you work.

07/28/2025

I had a superb and meaningful experience training this group of therapists in HST this weekend at our Level I training! Awesome group of humanistic sandtray therapists!

06/20/2025

JUST ANNOUNCED! 2025 Level I and Level II/Advanced Trainings are now open for registration!

(P.S. The website is undergoing some remodeling so it looks a little funky on mobile devices right now)

We will be offering a Level I and Level II/Advanced Training in HST during Summer 2024. Each training costs $295. HST Training Levels To become a Certified Humanistic Sandtray Therapist, Levels I and II//Advanced trainings are the basic educational requirements. Subsequently, trainees must complete....

06/20/2025

Our new, refreshed logo!

06/15/2025

Put the first layer of paint to represent sky and water in my new sand trays that I am prepping for our upcoming trainings!

01/07/2025

So, has anybody started reading my new book? Let me know what you think in the comments!

Humanistic Sandtray Therapy: The Definitive Guide to Philosophy, Therapeutic Conditions, and the Real Relationship provides a comprehensive exploration of the underlying theory, necessary skills, and practical applications behind Humanistic Sandtray Therapy (HST) based on a person-centered gestalt m...