Therapeutic Tabletop Role-Playing Game Groups for Tweens, Teens, and Young Adults

Looking for a therapeutic group to develop social skills, create friendships, build self-esteem and be more socially connected? Are creativity, exploration, and adventure important for your personal growth?

If you answered yes, then a Tabletop Role-playing Group may be just what you’re looking for.

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Tabletop Role-playing Groups

I’m Dr. Kelli Dunlap, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in games and mental health. I have a masters in game design and use games as part of my therapeutic practice with individuals. My co-facilitator, Max Raabe, MA also has a masters in game design and has been GMing (aka facilitating) group tabletop games for over a decade. Together, we’re excited to provide a unique therapeutic group that uses role-playing games as a tool for developing social skills and fostering interpersonal well-being.

The use of tabletop role-playing games in a therapeutic setting is not new, but it is a rapidly developing area of clinical interest. Roleplaying is a well-established clinical tool that allows a person to practice a variety of skills, such as effective communication, teamwork, and problem-solving, in a supportive environment and without social risk. Situations requiring these skills occur naturally in tabletop gaming – no one takes on the Final Boss alone. Because the game is a step removed from “real life,” it provides space for players to more earnestly explore novel situations, to conjure creative and unique solutions, and practice interacting with others through play and performance.

Goals of the Tabletop Roleplaying Groups include the development and improvement of:

  • Effective interpersonal communication
  • Problem-solving 
  • Setting, maintaining, and respecting boundaries
  • Conflict resolution
  • Identifying and managing emotions
  • Peer interaction

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REGISTRATION OPEN FOR THE FOLLOWING GROUPS

Online Role-Playing Game Group for Tweens

Summary: This group is for children ages 11 – 13 and is facilitated completely online. Each session is approximately 90 minutes, during which children will step into the character roles of their choice, from intrepid adventurers to spell-casting wizards. For this age group, we tend to use more kid-friendly role-playing systems like Kids on Bikes, No Thank You Evil, and Pugmire. The specific RPG system for the group will be finalized after group members are selected to ensure that the role-play and surrounding stories is customized to the group’s needs.

Cost: Free; There is no cost for these sessions. While therapeutic RPGs is something Dr. Dunlap and Mr. Raabe are very familiar with, doing this work 100% online is a new frontier. We’ve tested and prepared the tech angle as much as possible, but there will likely be hiccups along the way. As a thanks for your support and patience as we navigate this new normal, we’re offering the group at no cost.

Schedule: The group will start as soon as we have enough players who meet criteria – tweens with mild to moderate mood disorders and/or ADHD. Our aim is to have the group set and ready to go by the second week in May. Groups run approximately 90 minutes with time to get up, move around, stretch, and shake it out. Meetings are currently set for Tuesdays at 2:00PM, however this may shift based on availability of participants.

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Click here to request more information on RPG groups

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COMING SUMMER 2020!

June 2020 Tabletop Role-playing Summer Camp

(Ages 12 – 14; mixed)

Details Coming Soon

 

June 2020 Tabletop Role-playing Summer Bootcamp

(Ages 14 – 16; mixed)

Details Coming Soon

 

June 2020 Tabletop Role-playing Camp for Self-Rescuing Princess

(Ages 12 – 14; girls only)

Details Coming Soon

 

Click here to request more information on RPG groups

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About the Facilitators

Dr Kelli Dunlap, PsyD is licensed psychologist specializing in games and mental health. With a masters in game design as well as her doctorate in clinical psychology, she’s our resident Geek and Gamer Therapist. Dr. Dunlap has been researching games and mental health for over a decade and is internationally known as an expert in the field. Her clinical expertise is grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy and she integrates her experience in gameplay and game design to foster personal development and psychological growth in both individual and group settings.

Max Raabe, MA is a mental health paraprofessional, game designer, and expert tabletop facilitator.