How Therapists Are Using Tabletop Games to Help People
How Therapists Are Using Tabletop Games to Help People
How Therapists Are Using Tabletop Games to Help People
By Kam Burns
October 22, 2022
Summary
Cassie Walker, a clinical social worker and trauma specialist, sees games and role-playing as a valuable way to connect with clients and demonstrate that therapy doesn't have to be serious or painful.
Tabletop games allow their clients to reconnect with their imaginations, as the structure of the games provide some comfort and encourage people to start thinking about what could be rather than what is.
In addition to TTRPG therapy, some providers offer forms of geek therapy, including therapeutic video games and less structured role-playing.
Game to Grow has several in-house therapists who offer individual therapy.
The game kit provides teachers, parents, and mental health professionals with all the resources needed to run a TTRPG, including adventure modules, prewritten character sheets, and a facilitator guide designed to incorporate therapy into the games.
Boccamazzo is the clinical director at Take This, an organization focused on decreasing stigma and increasing support for mental health in games.
"It's the therapy that's the therapy, using the game as a vehicle."
Reference
Burns, K. (2022, October 22). How therapists are using tabletop games to help people. Retrieved October 28, 2022, from https://www.wired.com/story/therapists-dungeons-dragons-tabletop-games-helping-people/