Waldo

Winborn

Walking with my Shadow: Learning with Sandtray Play Therapy, How to Embrace Places with Little Light
Waldo Winborn Headshot
Webinar via Zoom:  
Friday, Nov. 21, 2025
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. CST
In the symbolic landscape of the sand, both light and shadow take form. Walking with My Shadow invites sand therapy practitioners to explore the unseen aspects of self that quietly shape the therapeutic field. Through experiential sand-based reflection, journaling, and neuroscience-informed dialogue, participants will deepen their understanding of countertransference and projection, not as clinical problems, but as essential pathways toward authenticity and integration.
 
Grounded in the sandtray competencies of self-awareness, attuned witnessing, and ethical containment, this training explores how the nervous system and implicit memory influence relational presence. Participants will learn to recognize the neurobiological patterns that arise during shadow activation, engage in reflective practices that support regulation, and strengthen their capacity to hold complexity with compassion.
 
Ultimately, Walking with My Shadow offers an embodied invitation to embrace the therapist’s own humanity, honoring that healing unfolds most deeply in the spaces where light and shadow meet.

Why you should attend

Waldo draws on decades of experience in trauma-informed play and sandtray therapy, offering an immersive, reflective learning experience. Through sandtray exercises, journaling and neuroscience-informed dialogue you’ll explore:

  • How countertransference and projection influence your sandtray work
  • The neurobiology of defensive responses & emotional resonance during “shadow” activation
  • Experiential reflection to deepen self‐awareness, attuned witnessing and ethical containment in your therapy practice

In short, this is an opportunity to strengthen your professional practice and your personal presence as a therapist by exploring those “places with little light” in the sand and in self.

 Registration & seats are limited

Because we value quality and interaction, space is limited. Secure your spot now.

Members - $20
Non Members - $130

What you’ll gain

  • Eligible for CE credits (APT, NBCC, ASWB)

  • Deepened competence in sandtray work with trauma-informed, integrative techniques

  • Practical tools you can bring directly into your clinical work

  • A small‐group, interactive format that invites personal reflection and professional growth

Don’t wait!

Seats will fill quickly. If you’re interested in expanding your sandtray therapy toolkit — and in exploring the deep interplay of light and shadow in the therapeutic space — please register today.

We look forward to seeing you on November 21st for what promises to be a rich and transformative training.

 
Members - $20
Non Members - $130

 

Objectives:

  1. Identify how countertransference and projection emerge within sand therapy sessions and influence the therapeutic field.
  2. Describe the neurobiological processes that underlie defensive responses and emotional resonance during shadow activation.
  3. Engage in reflective sand-based and journaling exercises to explore personal shadow themes that may impact client work.
  4. Apply sand competencies of self-awareness, attuned witnessing, and ethical containment when shadow material arises in the tray.
Members - $20
Non Members - $130

About Waldo Winborn:

Waldo Winborn is a distinguished professional counselor based in New Mexico, with decades of experience in behavioral health. As a Registered Play Therapist (RPT), Registered Sand Therapist Consultant Trainer, and EMDR Consultant, he specializes in trauma-focused interventions for children and families. His clinical expertise extends to training and consultation, with a particular emphasis on sand therapy, play therapy, EMDR, and attachment-based approaches.

Waldo plays a pivotal role in advancing mental health practices in New Mexico, serving as a consultant for the New Mexico Early Education and Care Department’s SEED program. Additionally, he holds leadership positions in the field, currently serving as the Secretary for the World Association for Sand Therapy Professionals and the President for the New Mexico Association for Play Therapy. His commitment to professional development is further reflected in his status as an approved clinical supervisor by both the New Mexico Counseling and Therapy Practice Board and the New Mexico Board of Social Work Examiners.

In 2009, Waldo co-founded Winborn Wellness & Counseling alongside Renee Winborn, LCSW. Under their leadership, the agency has expanded its reach, now providing comprehensive mental health services across four counties in Southern New Mexico. Dedicated to education and mentorship, he frequently facilitates trainings and workshops for mental health professionals, equipping them with trauma-informed and attachment-based therapeutic skills.

A veteran of the United States Marine Corps, Waldo brings a deep commitment to supporting individuals impacted by trauma and those who serve as caregivers and professionals in the field. Guided by the belief that “Trauma does not affect just one person; it ripples throughout the constellation in which one lives and impacts all within the system,” he remains steadfast in his mission to foster healing and resilience in individuals, families, and communities.

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