Assessing Qualities to Become Your Best Sandtray Self in Play Therapy
Through an Ethical Lens
Presented by:
Sheri L. Shulenberger, LPC-S, RPT-S™, CCST-AC-T & Aubrey Valladares, LCSW, CCST​
Sheri Shulenberger is a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor with a private practice located in McKinney, Texas who works with adults, adolescents, and children using talk therapy, play therapy and sandtray therapy. She is a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™ and Advanced Level Certified Clinical Sandtray Therapist Trainer currently training mental health professionals in the modality of sandtray. She is also an adjunct teacher at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, Oklahoma. Sheri is passionate about her specialized training in sandtray. She has served in the position of Secretary, President-Elect, President, Past-President, and currently serves as the APT Reviewer for the Texas SandTray Association. Connecting with other professionals at the TSTA conference is a yearly tradition.
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Aubrey Valladares is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a private practice based in Missouri City, Texas. Aubrey offers individual, family, and group therapy to adolescents and adults. She specializes in sandtray therapy, EMDR, and parts work—integrating these powerful modalities to support deep healing and transformation.
As a Certified Clinical Sandtray Therapist and current Secretary of the Texas SandTray Association, Aubrey is deeply passionate about her sandtray practice. She is eager to connect and collaborate with fellow sandtray professionals who are committed to advancing their therapeutic skills and enhancing client outcomes.
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Assessing Qualities to Become Your Best Sandtray Self in Play Therapy Through an Ethical Lens is an engaging and interactive presentation where participants will explore the therapeutic power of sandtray in play therapy through experiential activities designed to deepen insight and enhance clinical practice. Attendees will take part in sandtray in play therapy techniques and examine ethical best practices in training, experience and supervision. Participants will also identify both internal and external resources to support personal and professional well-being. This session emphasizes self-care as an essential component of ethical and effective practice, making it ideal for clinical sandtray therapists committed to growth through play therapy.
Learning Objectives:
1. Explain how to gain competency in a modality.
2. Identify three considerations when deciding on a professional association.
3. Describe best practices for a sandtray therapist.
4. Discuss the difference between internal and external resources.
5. Assess perceptions, practices and suggestions for self-care.
6. Practice the therapeutic power of experiential activities.
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Melissa Fleming, LPC-S, RPT-S, CCST-T received her Bachelor’s in Applied Learning and Development in 1999 and her Master’s in Educational Psychology in 2004, both from The University of Texas at Austin. She spent 17 years working in schools, including 12 years as an elementary school counselor. After attending a CEU on using sandtray in the playroom, Melissa was deeply moved and inspired by the power of the tray. She began incorporating sandtray in her school counseling office and quickly witnessed its transformative impact on students. That experience motivated her to become a Licensed Professional Counselor so she could continue the work in private practice. Melissa opened her private practice in 2016 and currently works in Buda, Texas, supporting children, parents, and adults. In 2020, she became a Certified Sandtray Therapist-Trainer, and shortly after, a Registered Play Therapist and Supervisor. Melissa has served as President of the Austin SandTray Association, as well as Public Relations Chair for the Texas Sandtray Association and President of the Capital of Texas Counseling Association. She enjoys training, supervising, and sharing her love of sandtray and play therapy. Outside the office, Melissa finds joy spending time outdoors with her husband, two daughters, and their three energetic dogs.
The Elemental Self: Growing into Your Best Sandtray Play Therapist is an experiential workshop inviting clinicians to explore their therapeutic identity through the metaphor of the four elements—earth, air, fire, and water. Each element offers symbolic insight into how we show up in the therapy room: grounded, flexible, passionate, or clear. Through personal reflection, sandtray creation, and small group processing, participants will identify which element(s) align with their current strengths and where growth may be needed. This training is designed to deepen self-awareness, strengthen therapeutic presence, and reconnect therapists to their authentic selves—both inside and outside the sandtray.
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Learning Objectives:
1 Describe the symbolic qualities of earth, air, fire, and water and explain how each metaphor can be applied to enhance therapeutic presence in sandtray play therapy.
2 Construct a sandtray world that reflects personal strengths and areas for growth in their therapeutic identity as a sandtray play therapist.
3 Analyze how cultural background influences both the therapist’s and client’s interpretation of elemental metaphors in sandtray play therapy.
4 Develop strategies to integrate the elemental framework into culturally responsive and client-centered sandtray play therapy practice.
The Elemental Self: Growing into Your Best Sandtray Play Therapist
Presented by:
Melissa Fleming, LPC-S, RPT-S, CCST-T​​