How Chocolate Zucchini Cake is Similar to Therapeutically Applied Role-Playing Games

As a second-year student in the M.Ed. program for Clinical Mental Health and School Counseling at the University of Puget Sound, my classmate Jaclyn Layton and I decided to take on a new challenge. Despite our already busy schedules with work, internship hours, and school assignments, we decided to submit a proposal together to present at the annual Washington Association for School Counselors Conference (WSCA). Our joint presentation, titled “A Case for Fun: Building SEL Skills Through Role-Playing Games,” aimed to showcase the benefits of Therapeutically Applied Role Playing Games (TA-RPGs).

It was a long shot, but we couldn’t resist the opportunity to dive deep into research, connect to a larger community at WSCA, and create an engaging and interactive presentation. Jaclyn, a self-described data nerd and professional artist with a teaching background, was the perfect complement to my passion for reducing anxiety and depression in teens through Role Playing Games. 

I like to explain TA-RPGs as a choose-your-own-adventure book infused with Narrative Therapy. Both the players and the Game Master (GM) are creating the story together through collaborative storytelling. GMs have a unique opportunity to collectively create a safe and accepting environment where diversity is celebrated which fosters a sense of inclusivity. The GM describes situations for the players and asks them how they’d like to proceed. The players create their own characters in a fantasy world, often exploring what it is like to embody various identities and collaborate with other players to pursue a goal, collect treasure, or defeat antagonists. These scenarios can include real-life challenges teens might be struggling with like finding meaning, belonging, and developing self-compassion and self-efficacy.  

TA-RPGs allow players to reframe perspectives and see obstacles as challenges that can be overcome with collaboration. And then there is an element of chance as people roll dice to see whether or not their choices are successful. The structure is also flexible as teens can play with any number of people for any length of time but often 4-6 players for 60-90 minutes for 8-10 sessions is the sweet spot. Players don’t need a diagnosis to play TA-RPGs, but research has shown they’ve been beneficial for folks living with ADHD, autism, depression, and anxiety. 

On the day of the WSCA conference, I felt a mix of emotions and was grateful to have Jaclyn co-presenting as she brings a calm positive energy with her wherever she goes. The attendees asked great questions, such as “Are the materials needed for TA-RPGs free and/or easily accessible online?” and “Are the characters all working together for a common objective, or are they like trying to kill each other.” They also had a lot of laughs during the interactive demo where they created their own character. Their engagement made us feel even more confident and passionate about our presentation.

The presentation was such a success because of the support from Professor Ratliff, family, and friends, and the compassionate collaboration between Jaclyn and me. We feel honored and grateful to have had the opportunity to educate others about the benefits of TA-RPGs and are excited for our next presentation at the Serious Play Conference in Toronto, Canada in October of 2023. If you are curious about learning more about TA-RPGs I recommend checking out this Google Doc as it has a wealth of knowledge and resources.  

There is an endless amount of information to be uncovered at the intersection of wellness and play. Like a parent or guardian trying to sneak zucchini into their kid’s chocolate cake, I am interested in exploring how play can be used as a tool to help teenagers develop coping mechanisms and live in alignment with their full potential.

---