Program Spotlight – Fun with Dice: Tabletop RPG Therapy 🎲
- Ben Turner
- May 30
- 2 min read
What if therapy could feel like an adventure game? That’s the idea behind Fun with Dice, our innovative tabletop RPG therapy program! Imagine a group of people coming together to play a game like Dungeons & Dragons, where you create characters, overcome challenges, and maybe even slay a dragon or two. It’s not just for fun (though it is a blast) – it’s a creative way to build social skills, confidence, and cope with real-life challenges through storytelling and play.
In Fun with Dice, a trained facilitator (who’s also a huge RPG fan) leads a weekly game session designed with therapeutic goals in mind. As you embark on epic quests in the game world, you’ll also be working on real-world skills: things like teamwork, problem-solving, communication, and emotional regulation. Shy about speaking up? Before you know it, you might find your voice while negotiating peace with a feisty goblin. Struggle with anxiety? You might practice coping strategies when your party is in a tight spot in-game, learning that you can get through stressful moments. The best part is, it doesn’t feel like therapy – it feels like hanging out with friends on a fun adventure. Often, participants tell us they look forward to game night all week because it’s a safe, no-pressure space to be themselves, laugh, and experiment with new ways of interacting.
And guess what – research backs this up. Studies show that tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) can promote cognitive and psychosocial skills and even help reduce stress and anxiety. We’ve seen it firsthand: one player said that after facing challenges as her bold warrior character, she felt braver facing real-life fears. Another participant who usually kept to himself started opening up and joking with teammates after a few sessions; the game gave him a sense of belonging and confidence.
Our Fun with Dice program is open to all skill levels – you don’t need any experience with RPGs to join. We provide the dice, the stories, and a welcoming group. All you need is an open mind (and maybe a touch of imagination)! It’s recovery-oriented too: we often weave in themes of overcoming adversity, trust, and growth into the game’s narrative. By the end of a campaign, don’t be surprised if you not only had fun, but also made friends and discovered new strengths in yourself. 🌟
Are you curious about trying tabletop RPG therapy? Let us know! We’re passionate about this program because we see the joy and progress it brings. After all, sometimes the best way to work on ourselves is when we’re busy rolling dice and saving the (imaginary) world. Game on!
Comments