The New Mexico Sandplay Society (NMSS) is a professional organization whose purpose is to promote education, training and research in Sandplay therapy as established by Dora Kalff, meeting guidelines set by Sandplay Therapists of America and the International Society for Sandplay Therapy (STA/ISST).

Sandplay is a therapeutic modality which must be experienced, not just studied. As such, the foundation of becoming a Sandplay therapist is completing one’s personal Sandplay with an ISST member (CST and CST-T). {Please note that people interested in doing a Sandplay process for their own personal growth and transformation, but who do not want to become Sandplay therapists, can do their process with qualified Sandplay therapists who are not CSTs or CST-Ts.}

Other educational and training requirements for those therapists interested in pursuing certification include training with a CST-T in the theory and practice of Sandplay, completion of theoretical papers, supervision with a CST-T, and ISST acceptance of a Sandplay case study. The three levels of STA/ISST membership which involve an application process are Registered Sandplay Practitioner (RSP), Certified Sandplay Therapist (CST), and Certified Sandplay Therapist – Teacher (CST-T).

NMSS sponsors quarterly Sand Dialogues, workshops and trainings which are supported by the New Mexico Sandplay Training Center (NMSTC) who provide CEUs which are accepted by the New Mexico Counseling and Therapy Practice Board and the New Mexico Board of Social Work Examiners, and which also meet the training criteria established by STA. A CST-T is present at all NMSS Sand Dialogues, trainings and workshops which offer both CEUs and Sandplay credit.

There is a growing body of literature on Sandplay written by Sandplay therapists.