Week 1 — Session Zero
We get set up together: making characters, talking through how the group will work, and agreeing the boundaries that keep it a safe place to be. No game yet — just solid ground to start from.
Therapy at the table
RPG Therapy Groups
It's a game, and it's also a rehearsal for real life. Stepping into a character lets you set the everyday worries aside for a while and practise the things that are harder to practise face on — together, and with nothing much at stake.
RPG group therapy brings together people facing similar things to share a story for a while. Playing a character gives you a bit of distance from your own worries, and in that space it gets easier to try out social skills, work through conflict, and learn to lean on a team.
It works because you live the lessons rather than just talking about them. Courage you try on at the table has a habit of following you home.
How it runs
An 11-week cohort
Weeks 2–11 — The Campaign
Ten sessions of play, where the group works together to get through whatever the story throws at them. The skills you build doing that tend to carry straight over into everyday life.
From a recent group
Building confidence at Tāhunanui
I recently ran a social-anxiety programme at the Tāhunanui Community Hub. The group used tabletop gaming to practise talking to each other and to grow their confidence, in a setting where it felt safe to give it a go. It went really well — and watching people find their feet is a big part of why I love running these.
Common questions
- You can join a group, or do it one to one
- No role-playing experience needed — beginners are very welcome
- It suits rangatahi and adults alike
- The focus is confidence, connection and communication
- Want to know when the next cohort starts? Just ask
For organisations
Partner with us
Are you an organisation looking to support your community? I'm keen to find partners to sponsor future programmes. If you'd like to fund a cohort for your members or the wider community, let's talk.
Get in touch