“Tavi draugi” will present a unique mobile sand therapy cabinet in Riga next week

The charity association “Tavi draugi” invites you on Monday, September 29, at 13:00 to the presentation event of the first mobile sand therapy cabinet in Latvia and the surrounding region, at 23 Lapeņu Street, Riga. The mobile sand therapy cabinet has been created with the aim of ensuring access to sand therapy services for children in the regions of Latvia.

Since the summer of 2025, the association “Tavi draugi,” together with LLC “Systemic Psychotherapy Center,” has been implementing the project “Creation of a Mobile Sand Therapy Cabinet and Provision of Sand Therapy in the Regions of Latvia.” The goal is to develop and implement an innovative mobile sand therapy support service accessible to children in the regions of Latvia who have suffered from peer violence and children with harmful sexual behavior, according to their specific needs, in order to prevent repeated risks of violence and reduce the long-term consequences caused by violence. The target group of sand therapy is children up to 18 years of age, who receive the service free of charge, based on specialist recommendations. Sand therapy support is provided by certified sandplay therapists, heads of the “Systemic Psychotherapy Center,” Daira Jonase and Ilze Žilde.

The first stage of the project has now been completed – this summer, support was provided for three months to 15 children in the Zemgale region, Lapmežciems. Next, the mobile sand therapy cabinet will travel to Vidzeme, Trikāta, where it will continue its work until the end of 2025 to provide children with accessible support in a safe and trust-based environment. Project activities will continue until the end of July 2026, also providing support to children in Latgale and Kurzeme.

The presentation event of the mobile sand therapy cabinet will be attended by “Systemic Psychotherapy Center” sandplay therapists Daira Jonase and Ilze Žilde, the head of the association “Tavi draugi” Ulvis Noviks, and the senior expert of the Public Administration Development Project Department of the Central Finance and Contracting Agency, Agris Pavlovskis.

Media representatives are kindly invited to attend the presentation of the mobile sand therapy cabinet and are asked to confirm participation by September 26 via email at [email protected] or by phone +371 29337759.

The project “Creation of a Mobile Sand Therapy Cabinet and Provision of Sand Therapy in the Regions of Latvia,” part of measure 4.3.6.4 “Development and Implementation of Support Instruments for Strengthening Family Functionality,” is being implemented with funding from ESF Plus and the state budget. The content of this press release is the responsibility of the association “Tavi draugi.”