D&D Therapy

What is a TTRPG?

TTRPG’s, short for TableTop Role-Playing Games, are social games played with a group of people around the table or online, where each participant creates, controls, and plays a fictional character in an evolving story or adventure. In most TTRPG’s, one participant acts as the “game master”, the host, referee, and facilitator of the game. The only other component needed is an agreed upon set of rules.

Benefits of TTRPGs

Tabletop role-playing games help players:

Synthesizing information
Learn to take the perspectives of others
Evaluating the effects of one’s actions
Improve their frustration tolerance
Exploring & accepting uncomfortable/undesired parts of self
Develop their creative problem-solving skills
Recognizing personal strengths and weaknesses
Cultivate communication and collaboration skills
Existential issue exploration
Best of all, they are fun!

What is Dungeons & Dragons (TM)?

Dungeons & Dragons, first published in 1974 and commonly abbreviated as D&D or DnD, is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. It has been published by Wizards of the Coast (now a subsidiary of Hasbro) since 1997. D&D’s publication is commonly recognized as the beginning of modern role-playing games and the role-playing game industry.

Players are given the opportunity to engage in a form of collaborative storytelling in which they are able to create and embody an avatar to engage in the fantasy world. One player is the Dungeon Master who facilitates the game, controls the monsters and non-player characters, and narrates the story. The adventures can span a wide range of experiences and stories, but often involve puzzle-solving, social relationships of various kinds, beating monsters, and finding treasure or other valued items.

Therapeutic D&D

There are additional benefits to participating in role-playing games with a therapeutic game master. There is an added layer of emotional safety provided by the therapist’s presence and management of issues that can arise. The game itself is modified to encourage work on particular skills that each player needs. The therapist provides questions or prompts for the players at the beginning or end of each session to promote self-reflection.

Most people who play D&D or other role-playing games can tell you that their characters reflect parts of themselves- sometimes parts they like and sometimes parts they don’t like. Other times characters may reflect ways of being a player wishes they could have in their regular life. The game setting gives people a chance to try out being different in a safe way. Because if it goes badly, it was your character who did that, not you! Therapeutic game masters help modulate players’ experimentation with new ways of being so that it is more likely to be a positive or healing experience.

Current Groups

LGBTQIA+ Social Skills Groups: For humans 18-24

In social skills groups the players typically start with a 10-15 minute intro and reflection questions, followed by 70 minutes of game time and a 10-minute debrief out of character. The game is modified to present opportunities to work on each player’s areas of need, such as work on social communication, theory of mind, executive functioning, joint play skills, self-awareness, imagination, and emotional regulation. Each participant has individual goals that they develop with the game master.

By interacting with others in a trusting and accepting environment, members are given the opportunity to experiment with novel behavior and to receive honest feedback from others concerning the effects of their behaviors. As a result, individuals learn how they affect others.

It provides an opportunity for increased mindfulness, as players think through their decisions as their characters rather than as themselves.

*This group is for humans who identify as a part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Upcoming Groups Expected to Start: TBD

Interested? Click the link below to submit a request for consideration for the next upcoming D&D group session.

Counseling Focused Groups:

In counseling groups, there is a 15-minute check-in followed by 60 minutes of game time and then a 15-minute period after the game time of active discussion and reflection on what took place to help players understand themselves. Mental health themes can be explored in safety as well as learning and practicing methods for dealing with mental health, social interaction or identity concerns. This format of the group requires investment in actively considering one’s own role in the group, one’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Each member is an integral part of the group process and storyline.

This group helps to build strong communication skills, empathetic understanding, and frustration tolerance. The members learn problem-solving and relationship skills in the game that can be utilized in everyday life scenarios. Counseling-focused groups work well for individuals who are open to considering themselves from multiple perspectives, receive feedback from others, and can emotionally regulate enough to talk about mental health topics in some depth.

PLEASE NOTE: Dungeons and Dragons is a Trademark of Wizards of the Coast (Hasbro Subsidiary). I am not affiliated with, nor endorsed by Wizards of the Coast or Hasbro.