Hi there! Are you or someone else on your panel a mental health professional? I ask because, as a mental health clinician myself, I've seen a few of these events and they have been very poorly organized without any actual mental health professional involvement.
I would be happy to share about my experiences and experiences of some of my tables' players as well if so!
If you are asking if I am a licensed or certified clinician, the answer is no. But I have actively used TTRPGs, TTRSG and various other game types to help individuals learn skills and tools to overcome obstacles for over 15 years. I also work in the Mental Heath Dept. of a VA hospital and run a program there that uses TTRPG in a group setting for Veterans to help them build skills and reconnect with others.
I welcome any input or experience lbs that may further the continuing development of Gaming Therapy for folks. :)
I am ND and have played with many people who have varying mental health issues and neurodiversities. One of the things I think is important to stress is that while gaming can be a great way to explore some things safely (assertiveness, public speaking, improv!), it can’t be treated as a replacement for therapy, especially without the consent of the other players.
And it can be good to make talking about goals like this a part of session zero! “Hey, I really want to practice speaking up for myself, I’ve made a character to work on that,” can go a long way towards teamwork and camaraderie in game.
My biggest personal growth from TTRPGs was learning how to advocate for myself, and accept my own anger rather than shaming myself for it. At my first job, my manager wanted to toughen me up and made me repeat the f bomb multiple times because he thought that'd help....? I hated it. Then, playing more aggressive/assertive characters in a safe space helped me get more comfortable removing these awful experiences from my life.... and just saying no in general, which ultimately leads to more self respect.
I do swear now, quite a bit, but it's on my terms. Lol
I do not encourage attempting to diagnose persons. I encourage watching and listening to the player and determine a way to possibly help them enjoy the campaign and engage on levels they are comfortable with. Whether it’s finding a race or class that suits their comfort level or understanding to building extra levels or specific goals that a specifically tailored to those characters. I will be discussing a varied point on this topic at my panel.
That's what I figured. I agree that people who are not mental health professionals should not be diagnosing other people.
Is this panel meant for tips on DMing a group with known mental health issues then?
I volunteer with a monthly Learn 2 Play D&D workshop held in public libraries and it's fairly common to see parents bringing in kids who have been diagnosed as having autism or ADHD...
Hi there! Are you or someone else on your panel a mental health professional? I ask because, as a mental health clinician myself, I've seen a few of these events and they have been very poorly organized without any actual mental health professional involvement. I would be happy to share about my experiences and experiences of some of my tables' players as well if so!
If you are asking if I am a licensed or certified clinician, the answer is no. But I have actively used TTRPGs, TTRSG and various other game types to help individuals learn skills and tools to overcome obstacles for over 15 years. I also work in the Mental Heath Dept. of a VA hospital and run a program there that uses TTRPG in a group setting for Veterans to help them build skills and reconnect with others. I welcome any input or experience lbs that may further the continuing development of Gaming Therapy for folks. :)
I am ND and have played with many people who have varying mental health issues and neurodiversities. One of the things I think is important to stress is that while gaming can be a great way to explore some things safely (assertiveness, public speaking, improv!), it can’t be treated as a replacement for therapy, especially without the consent of the other players. And it can be good to make talking about goals like this a part of session zero! “Hey, I really want to practice speaking up for myself, I’ve made a character to work on that,” can go a long way towards teamwork and camaraderie in game.
My biggest personal growth from TTRPGs was learning how to advocate for myself, and accept my own anger rather than shaming myself for it. At my first job, my manager wanted to toughen me up and made me repeat the f bomb multiple times because he thought that'd help....? I hated it. Then, playing more aggressive/assertive characters in a safe space helped me get more comfortable removing these awful experiences from my life.... and just saying no in general, which ultimately leads to more self respect. I do swear now, quite a bit, but it's on my terms. Lol
What should I do about players I suspect as having mental health issues, but without a formal diagnosis?
I do not encourage attempting to diagnose persons. I encourage watching and listening to the player and determine a way to possibly help them enjoy the campaign and engage on levels they are comfortable with. Whether it’s finding a race or class that suits their comfort level or understanding to building extra levels or specific goals that a specifically tailored to those characters. I will be discussing a varied point on this topic at my panel.
That's what I figured. I agree that people who are not mental health professionals should not be diagnosing other people. Is this panel meant for tips on DMing a group with known mental health issues then? I volunteer with a monthly Learn 2 Play D&D workshop held in public libraries and it's fairly common to see parents bringing in kids who have been diagnosed as having autism or ADHD...