Tabletop Role-Playing Therapy

When we treat children’s play as seriously as it deserves, we are helping them [and us] feel the joy that’s to be found in the creative spirit. It’s the things we play with and the people who help us play that make a great difference in our lives.

~ Fred Rogers

Magic, elves, wizards, thieves, and barbarians. If you have ever played Dungeons and Dragons (Dnd), you can immediately see how the practice can be therapeutic. Using the same mechanics as Drama therapy, TRPG therapy is a great outlet for emotional release, projection, and engaging certain socil skills we otherwise shy away from in real life. TRPG Therapy is a group therapy modality that utilizes narrative and role-play therapies combined into a game where participants work as a team to solve problems, improve interpersonal effectiveness, increase distress tolerance, and increase critical thinking skills through the use of storytelling and gameplay. It teaches socio-emotional learning, Self-confidence, self-control, empathy, perspective-taking, social reciprocity, and self-awareness are all linked to academic success. Furthermore, the development of these skills generally leads to people living happier, better-quality lives. And the research backs it up.

I have been running Dnd sessions, online and in person, for over 15 years, both in my personal life and in clinical settings. While the intervention is mostly geared toward children under the age of 15, adults can benefit just as much.

If you are interested in a TRPG group session, people reach out