Yes!

As an introvert, going out with friends or family during the week isn’t typically my go-to when I have spare time to unwind. I would much rather stay in for some light reading, revisit my favorite TV shows and movies or play a game. One thing that I really noticed about myself during the pandemic was that I found myself really wanting more than my usual thimbles-worth of social activity as those opportunities were few and far between. I was lucky enough to have a friend who encouraged me to join his D&D (Dungeons and Dragons) group for a new campaign he’d been working on. I’d heard of D&D throughout the years as a fantasy/adventure nerd and Stranger Things fan but hadn’t actively looked into what it was all about. Once I dove into the source material and the mechanics of how to play, I began to think of ways this could be incorporated into a therapeutic group setting. It turns out that this thought has been manifested into a real approach, especially when working with adolescents.

At this age, talk therapy and solely asking questions isn’t the most effective way to engage the client. Games offer a creative way to build the therapeutic relationship through that crucial period of engagement while assessing his/her/their strengths and areas for where there is room for growth. Games also increase the organic learning of mental wellness through activity as opposed to broaching the subject in conversation. For example, the clinician running a campaign can present a situation within the game where the clients are presented with an objective where they need to engage in problem solving together in order to complete it. As you can see, just this one situation encourages the clients to learn and use social skills in an entertaining way where they’re also flexing their creative muscles. Here are a few other life skills that can be improved through D&D:

Assertiveness

Communication

Emotion regulation

Handling unpredictability

Problem solving

Self esteem

If you are interested in a group like this, please reach out to me as I’m working on starting a D&D therapy group of my own. Thank you for reading and take care!