Can Dungeons and Dragons Replace Therapy? How Roleplaying Games Support Mental Health
Dale Critchley speaks with Alyssia Merrick, a PhD candidate researching the powerful effects of Dungeons & Dragons on mental health. Discover the surprising benefits that TTRPGs offer to players of all experience levels, from reduced anxiety to enhanced self-esteem and community building. Alyssia shares insights into her research, exploring how D&D can serve as a tool for self-discovery and resilience—without requiring a therapist’s couch. Whether you’re a skeptical newcomer or a seasoned veteran, this episode uncovers new ways to engage with D&D for personal growth.
Alyssia Merrick (BPsych Hons) is a PhD candidate located at James Cook University, Townsville. Their research primarily focuses on the impacts of play on adults, with a particular focus on the employment of tabletop gaming as an intervention for wellbeing.
00:00 – Fantasy Characters as Therapy?
00:11 – Tabletop Games with Purpose: Introducing Andovir’s Gods
01:14 – Why We Created a New Class: Meet the Ardent
03:10 – Interview Introduction: Alyssia Merrick
05:00 – Beyond Entertainment: How TTRPGs Support Mental Health
08:13 – Research Findings: Mental Health Improvement After 8 Weeks
10:57 – Character Creation as Self-Exploration
11:29 – Surprising Results: New vs Veteran Player.
13:46 – TTRPGs in the Bigger Picture of Wellness
17:08 – Psychological Theories at Play: Flow and Self-Determination
19:26 – Could D&D Improve Your Next Office Meeting?
21:05 – Trauma, Personified: Combatting Personal Demons Through Play
21:58 – Alyssia’s Three Wishes for TTRPGs
25:48 – For New Players: Drop the Guard, Dive In
28:24 – For Veterans: Foster Mental Health through Play
30:17 – Ongoing Projects: Bringing Game Therapy to a Global Scale
33:40 – Where to Connect with Alyssia
35:06 – Thanks and Farewell
Links
- Investigating Tabletop Gaming for Wellness Promotion: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082697954259
- Alyssia’s Published Research: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alyssia-Merrick-2
- Free: Gods of Andovir: https://wyrmworkspublishing.com/lair/andovir/the-gods-of-andovir/
- Ardent Character Class: https://wyrmworkspublishing.com/lair/andovir/ardent/
- Wyrmworks Publishing Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wyrmworkspublishing
Manually captioned. Transcript available at our website.
Please leave us a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice!
👀 Get 10 Free Adventures
Comments
Can Dungeons and Dragons Replace Therapy? How Roleplaying Games Support Mental Health — No Comments
HTML tags allowed in your comment: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>