Dungeons & Dragons Therapy
beyond this place there be dragons
-Adam Davis, Game to Grow
The dragons aren’t the part we have to imagine. People of all ages deal with their own dragons every day. Stories give us a place to practice facing them—together. Sometimes real-world problems call for imaginary solutions. In therapeutically applied role-playing games (RPGs), we create the story together, using characters and shared challenges to explore new perspectives, discover strengths, and practice different ways of responding. The world may be imaginary, but the experiences and connections shared within it—and the skills forged along the way—can carry into life beyond the game.
How RPGs can be used as therapy
Individual Therapy
Individual D&D therapy offers a different way to approach real-world concerns through characters and story. Playing a character can create enough distance to explore emotions, identity, relationships, fears, and patterns that may be difficult to name directly. Together, we can reflect on what happens in the game, experiment with different responses, and practice carrying new insights and skills into everyday life. Clinical case literature suggests that role-playing can provide a useful bridge for emotional expression and therapeutic exploration, although the broader research is still developing.
Family Therapy
In family D&D therapy, family members become part of the same adventuring party. Shared challenges create opportunities to notice how the family communicates, responds to frustration, shares leadership, solves problems, and recovers when things do not go as planned. The story can also help family members see strengths and perspectives that may be harder to recognize within familiar roles. Early pilot research suggests potential benefits for communication, collaborative problem-solving, positive interactions, relationship building, and developing new insights about one another.
Social Skills Group Therapy
In a D&D social skills group, skills are practiced through real interactions rather than taught only as abstract rules. Players make decisions together, communicate ideas, consider different perspectives, adapt when plans change, repair misunderstandings, and help create space for everyone at the table. A shared interest and a structured adventure can make connecting with others feel more approachable. Small studies involving autistic adults and socially anxious gamers have found promising results related to meaningful social interaction, belonging, and reduced social anxiety.
Meet your Certified Therapeutic Game Master—and resident Dungeon Master—Dr. Aly.
I came to Dungeons & Dragons by an unusual route: I learned how role-playing games could be used therapeutically before I really learned to play for fun. Since then, I’ve completed training in therapeutically applied role-playing games, trained with Game to Grow, and earned certification as a Therapeutic Game Master through Geek Therapeutics.
At the table, my job is to create a world with enough structure to feel safe and enough possibility for players to surprise themselves. Through the adventure, players can practice communicating clearly, considering different perspectives, solving problems together, adapting when the plan goes sideways, and experimenting with new ways of responding.
I bring the therapeutic framework and guide the adventure. The players bring the characters, choices, creativity, humor, and unexpected moments that make the story ours. I’ve facilitated D&D-based social-skills groups and family-therapy adventures—and I have a tattoo of the first D&D character I ever played, so it’s safe to say I’m invested.
Meet Your DM
The Science Behind the Magic
Coming soon… the evidence behind utilizing play and games in therapy.