Healing Word and Greater Restoration use a blend of the traditional Dungeons and Dragons system, "homebrew" (unique content made by the group facilitator), and a research-based therapeutic RPG module called "Critical Core"(https://www.criticalcore.org/). Short answer: these groups provide a space to explore and learn more about yourself, process tough topics, and navigate challenging scenarios within the safe distance of a fictional world. Long answer: these groups follow three main concepts - Collaborative Play, Narrative Transference, and Aesthetic Distance. Collaborative Play involves players working towards a common goal and building on each other's ideas in a creative, "gamified" environment. Narrative Transference involves feeling a connection and resonating with certain characters, themes, or plots within a story. Aesthetic Distance involves players finding a balanced emotional and cognitive distance between themselves and their characters. Players are able to relate to the emotions and experiences of their characters, while also being able to have enough separation from their characters to think logically and approach the story with multiple perspectives.

Healing Word and Greater Restoration are built for all experience levels. If you've ever wanted to: • Explore personal growth or different aspects of yourself ("How would it feel to be more assertive?"; "What would it feel like to explore my gender expression/identity?"; "What would it be like to have more confidence in social situations?") • Engage in storytelling or find new ways to practice creativity • Experience therapy differently than the standard talk therapy setting Then this group is for you! All that is needed is curiosity and openness. Why Dungeons & Dragons is good for your brain | Science Quickly Video Podcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGqnMP_yPrU&t=8s

Each session is 2 hours long and involves an "out-of-character" (answering as yourself, not your character) check-in question, a brief recap of the previous session if applicable, in-character role-play through various scenarios (navigating social encounters, engaging in combat, solving mysteries, etc.), and an out-of-character check-out question involving session reflections. The first session involves establishing group goals, discussing group expectations, learning game rules, and character creation.