---
title: Dungeons & Dragons and… therapy?  - The Hustle
description: Therapists are using tabletop role-playing games to help some clients open up.
image: https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/142570821-HS-News-Brief_2022-10-26T230858.572Z.webp
---

# Dungeons & Dragons and… therapy?

![Sara Friedman](https://53.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/53/assets/hubspot.com/web-team/WBZ/HubSpot%20Media/Blog%202021/Images/Nav/Optimized/TheHustle_Icon_Dark.svg) [Sara Friedman](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/author/sara-friedman) [Sara Friedman Twitter profile ](https://twitter.com/sarafriedmannn)

Published:  October 27, 2022

Updated:  October 11, 2023

What if your therapist prescribed you one “Dungeons & Dragons” game per week for anxiety?

![Dungeons & Dragons and… therapy?](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hs-fs/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/142570821-HS-News-Brief_2022-10-26T230858.572Z.webp?width=595&height=400&name=142570821-HS-News-Brief_2022-10-26T230858.572Z.webp)

That reality might not be far off, according to [*Wired*](https://www.wired.com/story/therapists-dungeons-dragons-tabletop-games-helping-people/), with the rise of therapeutic tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs).

#### **In TTRPGs…**

… players sit around a table, taking on the personas of fictional characters. This type of role-playing can be a helpful [tool](https://psychotherapy.psychiatryonline.org/doi/abs/10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.1994.48.4.624) when used in a mental health setting by:

- Providing a safe space to explore identity, traumas, and social skills
- Helping clients who might be uncomfortable with traditional therapy

Now, startups are springing up to meet the need:

- [Game to Grow](https://gametogrow.org/) created its own [TTRPG](https://www.criticalcore.org/) and offers provider training programs.
- [Geek Therapeutics ](https://geektherapeutics.com/)has a range of certifications and trainings.
- [Game Therapy UK](https://www.game-therapy.co.uk/) and [The Bodhana Group ](https://www.thebodhanagroup.org/)house educational resources.

#### **TTRPGs may seem like a relic of the past…**

… but business is still booming. “Dungeons & Dragons” earns an estimated [$100m-$150m](https://www.forbes.com/sites/brettknight/2022/10/11/could-dungeons--dragons-be-the-next-harry-potter-stranger-things-have-happened/?sh=23cbe9022e6f) annually.

And thanks in part to a prominent feature in Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” the game has a new batch of young fans, with 24% of players between 20 and 24 years old.

Topics: [Dungeons & Dragons](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/tag/dungeons-dragons)

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