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Pilot Dungeons & Dragons
Psychotherapy Group
This fall, I'll be offering a Pilot Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) Psychotherapy Group as a unique therapeutic option for neurodivergent tweens (ages 10-12) and their parents in Victoria by partnering with Derek Madson of The Griffons Den (DM the DM!).
Background
I've worked with families and their youth for over 20 years, including 6 years in Victoria in private practice working with neurodivergent youth and their families. Through this work, I've faced a big obstacle in finding and recommending activities in Victoria that are intellectually challenging, fun, in person, and social that can be a springboard for the development of personal and social goals. So, I created my own!
I decided to partner with Derek of The Griffons Den because he already runs family Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. Derek is a professional dungeon master with over 40 years of experience and expertise. I've been playing D&D for a little while now and know first hand the potential benefits of table top role playing games like this one.
In this group, kids ages 10 to 12 and a parent/guardian will play 12 weekly 2 hour Dungeons & Dragons sessions on Tuesday afternoons from 4:00 to 6:00 pm.
This is not your typical social skills or skill development program - kids (and their parents) will be participating in a real D&D campaign and these sessions will be complemented by 3 group counselling sessions as well as 3 individual and 2 parent counselling sessions.
And, one of the biggest strengths of this program is that after this group, kids (and families) can continue playing D&D at The Griffons Den so the fun doesn't end when the group does!
Group Details:
Where: Dungeons & Dragons sessions will take place at The Griffons Den located at 202-920 Hillside Ave in Victoria. Individual and parent therapy sessions will take place at Sarah's office, located at 301-1627 Fort St in Victoria.
When: This group starts on Tuesday, September 15 and runs to Tuesday, December 1st for a total of 12 sessions that run from 4:00 to 6:00 pm weekly.
Who: This group is best suited for kids aged 10 - 12 who are neurodivergent, including giftedness, ADHD, and/or ASD, as well as one parent/guardian from their family.
What: Participants will play a professionally-run D&D campaign in a group with a maximum of 8 players.
How the Psychotherapy/Counselling Portion of the Group Works:
Parents/Guardians will attend an intake parent session before the group starts and after the group ends with Sarah, a registered clinical counsellor, to learn about Dungeons & Dragons, and discuss their child's strengths and challenges as well as details about the group.
Kids will attend 3 individual counselling sessions with Sarah, including before and after the 12-week long campaign. Additional sessions can be booked beyond these 3. Sessions are available during my regular counselling schedule and can be booked online through my Jane booking site. In these sessions, we'll talk about the D&D campaign and progress toward the goals the kids set for themselves.
Group Counselling Sarah will attend 3 of the 12 D&D sessions at The Griffons Den to facilitate a group counselling session with the kids and parents/guardians around the campaign, for example how the players think their character is doing, what they would do the same or differently, strengths they remember from the day's play, etc.
FAQs
When is the group offered?
The group is offered on Tuesdays from 4:0 to 6:00 pm from September 15 to December 1st. Participants commit to attending each of the 12 weeks to get the most from this group. This group is a closed group, meaning participants start and finish the campaign together, with no participants joining after the group has already started.
What is the selection process for this group?
If you are interested in signing up for this group, you'll provide some information about the child and parent who would like to participate on this form. Then, I'll contact you to arrange a free 15 minute consultation to chat further about the group to see if it's a good fit and we'll go from there.
Does the Dungeons & Dragons gameplay incorporate aspects of therapy?
No - this is the unique part of this group. The campaign will be run like any other campaign to allow for a rich experience. The group counselling sessions will focus solely on analyzing and assessing gameplay, what went well, what they would do differently, etc. The therapeutic aspects of the group only occur in the individual and parent counselling sessions held in Sarah's office. This ensures confidentiality around any counselling is maintained and is kept to the counselling sessions, not the campaign.
Tuesdays doesn't work with my schedule for the D&D group, but I'm interested in combining therapy with D&D. Can I attend therapy with Sarah if I attend another one of The Griffons Den's campaigns?
Yes, you can. Please contact me for more details.
Is therapy covered by my extended health benefits?
Most insurers cover individual and/or family counselling sessions provided by a registered clinical counsellor (RCC). The group counselling sessions may or may not be covered. Please check with your insurer for details of your coverage.
When can the parents/guardians and the child attend therapy with Sarah?
I am in my counselling office on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and every other Friday. Sessions are booked in Jane so you can see my schedule. More details about this can be covered during the free 15 minute consultation. 24 hours notice is required for cancellations otherwise the full session fee will be charged.
Is The Griffons Den membership covered by my extended health benefits?
At this time, the membership to play Dungeons & Dragons is not eligible for reimbursement through your extended health benefits. You can pay your fee upfront or as a monthly membership directly to The Griffons Den.
Who are these groups for?
This group is for kids who are between the ages of 10 and 12 years old who are neurodivergent (e.g., gifted, ADHD, autism, anxiety, etc.) and are interested in playing Dungeons & Dragons with a parent/guardian and peers. Kids and/or parents/guardians can have previous D&D experience.
How many people are in the group?
A maximum of 8 people can participate in each group, with a maximum ratio of 1 adult per two kids from the same family. I will take a waitlist for the potential January 2027 offering of this group.
What skills does this group focus on?
Parents and kids will complete pre- and post-group assessments to measure any changes that may have taken place during this group. This specific type of group, where the therapy exists outside gameplay is a novel approach. However, previous research has identified the following skills can be developed by playing table top role playing games, such as Dungeons & Dragons:
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Creativity, problem-solving skills, and perspective switching (Rosenblad et al, 2025; Yuliawati et al, 2024)
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Empathy (Yuliawati et al, 2024)
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Identity formation (Rosenblad et al., 2025 ; Yuliawati et al, 2024)
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Navigating life challenges such as failure, breaking rules, and navigating relationships (Rosenblad et al, 2025)
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Pre-counselling tools for counsellor, for example, players share emotions and counsellors can observe patterns of behaviour and trains of thought among players (Yuliawati et al, 2024)
Why is this a pilot group?
This is a pilot group to test what it looks like to run a D&D psychotherapy group with kids and their families. This pilot group will help us see what works with this format, what needs to be added, or any other feedback around being in the group.
How much does the group cost including everything?
Here are the estimated costs for the group (* indicates costs that may be covered by your extended health benefits):
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Paid directly to The Griffons Den: The 12-week campaign for 1 kid and 1 parent/guardian is $216.50 per month.
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Paid to Sarah Davis:
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Family counselling sessions are $200 for 50 minutes, with 2 sessions required = $400*
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Individual counselling sessions are $180 for 50 minutes, with 3 sessions booked individually = $540*
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Group counselling sessions are $100 for 60 minutes per child/parent pair, with 3 sessions planned = $300*
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Total cost: $649.50 + $400* + $540* + $300* = $1889.50 per parent/child pair over 4 months ($1240 of which may be eligible for coverage under your extended health benefits)
References
Otani, V. H. O., Novaes, R. A. C. B., Pedron, J., Nabhan, P. C., Rodrigues, T. M., Chiba, R., Guedes, J. V. C.,
Marques, L. M., & Vissoci, J. R. N. (2024). Framework proposal for Role-Playing Games as mental
health intervention: the Critical Skills methodology. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 15, 1297332.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1297332
Rosenblad, S. R., Wolford, T., Brennan, R. S., Darnell, J., Mabry, C., & Herrmann, A. (2025). Mastering
Your Dragons: Using Tabletop Role-Playing Games in Therapy. Behavioral Sciences, 15(4), 441.
https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15040441
Yuliawati, L., Wardhani, P. A. P., & Ng, J. H. (2024). A Scoping Review of Tabletop Role-Playing Game (TTRPG) as Psychological Intervention: Potential Benefits and Future Directions. Psychology
Research and Behavior Management, 17, 2885–2903. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S466664