Gretchen Watts

Gretchen Watts, MSSW, LCSW, CST-T, is a Jungian Psychotherapist and Certified Sandplay Therapist based in Nashville, Tennessee. She is a Certified Therapist Member of both the Sandplay Therapists of America and the International Society of Sandplay Therapists (ISST), a distinction held by fewer than 300 people worldwide. She offers individual adult psychotherapy, therapy with children and adolescents, and private consultation for professionals working toward Sandplay Certification. Gretchen serves on the Board of Trustees of Sandplay Therapists of America, shaping the profession nationally, and is one of the few ISST-certified sandplay therapists in the Southeast United States.

Gretchen grew up 17 miles from the sand and ocean in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and has worked in New York City and Seattle before making her home in Nashville, where she raised her young adult daughter. She discovered Sandplay Therapy when she answered a calling to grief work following the death of her beloved husband. Her training in Sandplay Therapy has included in-depth study and research in Jungian Psychology, Symbolism, and Sandplay Theory and Practice, as well as ongoing group and individual consultation, and extensive travel to institutes and world congresses.

Gretchen earned her BSc from the University of North Carolina in 1970 and her MSSW from the University of Tennessee in 1981. Her professional background reflects a deep commitment to creativity and healing, beginning with work for the Society of Friends (Quakers) in New York City. In Nashville, she developed a conflict resolution program for inner-city public schools and co-authored the book 'Friendly Classroom for a Small Planet: A Handbook on Creative Approaches to Living and Problem Solving for Children.' She was also part of a small team that developed an alternative treatment community for young adults diagnosed with Schizophrenia in both Nashville and Seattle.

Gretchen has presented her research at multiple national conferences, including presentations on sandplay therapy, despair, and the transformative feminine at Sandplay Therapists of America assemblies and conferences. She delivered the keynote presentation at the Nashville Jung Circle's 10th Anniversary Celebration in May 2025.