The Game Master’s Guide to Therapeutic Role-Playing

Integrating Tabletop RPGs into Counseling, Education, and Group Therapy

The Game Master’s Guide to Therapeutic Role-Playing: Integrating Tabletop RPGs into Counseling, Education, and Group Therapy

Transform imagination into a tool for healing, growth, and connection.

In The Game Master’s Guide to Therapeutic Role-Playing, behavior therapist and educator Karla K. McNeese, M.S., bridges the worlds of counseling and creativity to reveal how games like Dungeons & Dragons can foster emotional regulation, empathy, and resilience.

Drawing from her experience in behavior analysis, addictions counseling, and over a decade in education, McNeese presents a clear and practical framework for using tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) in therapy and classrooms. Readers will learn how to design meaningful sessions, guide character-driven growth, and use storytelling as a pathway for behavioral and emotional breakthroughs.

Inside you’ll discover:

• How to safely facilitate role-playing in therapeutic and educational settings.

• Strategies for addressing anxiety, trauma, and social skill development through gameplay.

• Guidance for becoming a certified Therapeutic Game Master.

• Practical examples and adaptable tools for counselors, teachers, and group leaders.

Whether you’re a mental health professional, educator, or simply a passionate game master, this guide empowers you to turn adventures into opportunities for healing—and play into progress.

Let the story begin.