This semester marks the second Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) Therapy Group hosted by the Counseling Center at East Tennessee State University, introducing a role-playing form of care for students.  

This special therapy group is just one of the center’s various services designed to meet every student’s unique needs. The use of D&D in therapy is a form of Geek Therapy, a model that integrates pop culture into traditional practices and allows some students to better connect with their counseling experiences. 

“Role play allows clients to have a one foot in, one foot out experience with work that can be challenging,” said Rachel Ratley, staff counselor and lead of the D&D group.  

“It allows clients to practice skills and expressing emotion in a controlled environment where they are supported and can build confidence to do so outside of these sessions. It also allows them to build empathy and understanding for others as they also get to watch other group members process through their thoughts, feelings and actions.” 

Traditional D&D is a tabletop role-playing game where players create characters and embark on adventures guided by a “Dungeon Master”, using dice rolls to determine outcomes of actions and decisions within a shared fictional world. In this therapy group, Ratley serves as the Dungeon Master, guiding students through their own journeys tailored to their counseling needs. 

This closed group meets weekly at the Counseling Center and concludes at the end of each semester. Like any of the groups at the Counseling Center, students must complete a needs assessment before joining and a brief appointment to discuss their specific needs with a staff member. Although the D&D group can’t accept more students once it has started, other group offerings can be joined at any time. 

The Counseling Center aims to meet students where they are by offering niche therapy options for a diverse range of needs. Other unique services include the group “Embodied Acceptance: Navigating Perfectionism and People Pleasing,” run by counselor Zara Taylor, and a new workshop, “They're Going to Know: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome,” run by counselor Khia Hudgins-Smith. 

In addition to groups and workshops, the Counseling Center offers traditional services like personal counseling, drop-in sessions and more. Students can learn more about services online at www.etsu.edu/students/counseling, or contact the Counseling Center via phone at (423)439-3333 or email at counselingcenter@etsu.edu. 

Open to the community as a whole, the ETSU Community Counseling Clinic offers limited mental health services provided by counselors-in-training under the supervision of licensed and doctoral-level Counseling Faculty. 

East Tennessee State University was founded in 1911 with a singular mission: to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond. Through its world-class health sciences programs and interprofessional approach to health care education, ETSU is a highly respected leader in rural health research and practices. The university also boasts nationally ranked programs in the arts, technology, computing, and media studies. ETSU serves approximately 14,000 students each year and is ranked among the top 10 percent of colleges in the nation for students graduating with the least amount of debt.

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