Using Video Game Experiences to Encourage Existential Growth & Narrative Development During Treatment

Description: Clients often experience the deepest benefits from counseling in instances where the optimal connection between client and counselor is experienced through the formation of strong rapport. Fandom experiences have been shown to become integral parts in the identity formation of clients across various age ranges from childhood into adulthood. With media psychology offering insights into the experience of various gaming activities from avatar creation to goal fulfillment, it has become more possible to integrate the takeaway lessons learned in the game-space as strengths to be harnessed as exceptions to the problem in a therapeutic context. This presentation will explore a select style of player and narrative driven game experiences as connections for refining authorship of the client’s preferred narrative and learning to pursue meaning across treatment experiences from intake through termination of the counseling process.

CE Broker Tracking #: 20-914219

This is an event sponsored by FMHCA. This course is approved by the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling, LMHC, LMFT, LCSW – FMHCA CE Broker #: 50-748

Learning Objectives:

1. Attendees will be able to identify 2 game genres which lend nicely to discussion of growth concepts in a client-centered context.
2. Attendees will be able to identify 3 foundational clinical theories which can be used to form effective metaphors with a game playing client population.
3. Attendees will be able to create opportunities for narrative and existential exploration of growth topics in a therapeutic context.
4. Attendees will be able to identify one personal connection to their own growth processes as treatment professionals which can be repurposed to appeal to concepts from the hero’s journey and other storytelling concepts focused on inspiration and resilience towards personal obstacles.

About the Presenter:

Dr. Kaufmann is an Assistant Professor and chairperson for the Committee of Student Evaluation for Mental Health Counseling graduate programs at Grand Canyon University. Dr. Kaufmann also serves as a founding member of the Faculty Advisory Board for the Video Game Disorder clinical training programs through the IGCCB and is leading the taskforce for the APA to review the criteria for consideration of Internet Gaming Disorder in future DSM-5 updates. His research covers areas from video games, personality theory, process addictions, online education, and counselor development. He offers supervision to counselors nationwide to help bridge the gap in learning about addictions and specific insights related to effective treatment for clients experiencing games-related issues. Dr. Kaufmann is also a frequent contributor for programming through Geek Therapeutics and talks about mental health routinely via his Twitch and Youtube channels to connect clinical concepts with messages experienced during gameplay. His podcast, The Gaming Persona, is published weekly and seeks to share various insights related to psychological connections in the play of video games.