Make An Insight Check
Dungeons & Dragons as a Therapy Tool
I love Dungeons & Dragons. The high fantasy of it, the imagination aspect, getting to tell a story in a collaborative effort, I love everything about DnD; well maybe not when my character fumbles an important die roll. Recently thanks to the popularity of various podcasts, web series, and influential celebrities DnD is having a bit of a moment in the sun. More people are playing than ever before, and some of those people are therapists like me that got to thinking: this is a great therapy tool.
A Part of Ourselves in Everything We Do
For me, I feel the therapeutic effects of playing this game every time I play it. The idea of being able to just be someone else I think is enticing to many of us, however, that person we are pretending to be is still just us even if we think we have nothing in common with our Orc Shaman Warrior we created. That is because we put a part of ourselves into everything we do, even at our lowest points when we think we have nothing to give we are putting our mark on the world in some way. Dungeons & Dragons can help make that mark feel more tangible, even though it is a game of mostly imagining things happening in an imaginary world it can feel real. An example: I love to play rangers/archers, I love the idea of being able to spot danger before it comes and stopping it before it hurts my fellow party members. In my everyday life, I play a somewhat similar role, I am constantly thinking and looking ahead for my loved ones. In my work with clients, I find myself constantly being curious about how things look for them down the road, and that is a drive for me to be present with them and provide the best help I can so they have the best version of themselves in the future.
Following Our Own Adventures
DnD is not for everyone and I know that, however, I think everyone has that piece of them they have always wanted to explore. We all have inside of us our own version of a Hero and what that means to us. For me, part of my journey in finding that Hero was playing Dungeons & Dragons with friends and processing some of what my character did with a therapist I had at the time. For you, it might something similar, or maybe it’ll be something vastly different, but nevertheless you have a Hero inside of you too. We are all on our own journey in life, towards that best version we want for ourselves, towards our internal Hero. I wish you good luck on your journey adventurer, and if you are looking for a party member to aide you in your quest I would be honored to come with you.