Roll for Mental Health!: Applications of Tabletop Roleplaying Games for Counseling

Overview
Program Video and Resources (4)

Tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) have gone from niche basement hobby to cultural juggernaut—selling out live shows and drawing massive audiences online. But beyond the fantasy and fandom, these games offer rich, untapped potential for therapeutic use—especially for new professionals looking to build connection, creativity, and engagement in their clinical work. At their core, TTRPGs are collaborative storytelling experiences that promote social interaction, emotional expression, and problem-solving. This presentation is designed specifically for early-career clinicians and graduate students, offering a clear, accessible introduction to the world of role-playing games. Attendees will explore how TTRPGs can support mental health goals, discover key elements that make them effective in therapeutic settings, and walk away with practical tools and implementation strategies to begin using games in individual or group work.

Learning Objectives:
1.) Describe the core mechanics and structure of tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs), and articulate how these elements can be purposefully applied to support therapeutic goals in mental health settings.
2.) Demonstrate an understanding of how to facilitate TTRPGs in a way that fosters psychological safety, client engagement, and therapeutic depth, including strategies for creating inclusive, strengths-based game environments.
3.) Identify key ways TTRPGs can serve as empowering interventions for traditionally marginalized populations, including neurodivergent individuals and those exploring diverse gender and sexual identities.

Speakers:
Ryan Holliman
Beck Munsey