Rolling For Change

Kids on Bikes with Doug Levandowski

December 10, 2019 · Discuss on the Geek Therapy Forum

We are so excited to share with you, a conversation we had with Doug Levandowski. If one of the roles of Rolling for Change is to identify games with the potential for self discovery and confrontation of the unconscious self, Kids on Bikes does this in a way that allows the players to totally bleed and be present. I think especially for those of us who are aging young rebels, this game offers an opportunity to explore your past and the stuckness that may come with the changes of our childhood and teen years. Either way, we hope this discussion with Doug will be enlightening. We also hoe that you will take the opportunity to go quickly and buy this amazing RPG. You can find it at Renegade Games, Drive Thru RPG, FLGS, and of course Amazon. Listen, buy, play! Enjoy!

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Larping with Joie Martin

November 11, 2019 · Discuss on the Geek Therapy Forum

This time around we are talking with Joie Martin, author of free-form LARPS and founder of Drowning Moon Studios. Join Brian, Joie and Woody for a brief exploration into the world of larping and learn more about Joie’s larps at Drowning Moon. This whole episode will make you want to go LARP- so go do it. Report back here afterwards so we can compare notes and discuss all the things.

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Gaming & Friendship

November 6, 2019 · Discuss on the Geek Therapy Forum

In this episode Brian, Ginger, Suzi and Woody discuss the ways that gaming creates community and friendship. We have discussed this topic a few times in the past, but this time around its probably more personal. The episode takes a few turns as we talk about why we game, and how games have become the cement of our community.

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Play therapy and therapeutic gaming with Dr. Brian Quinones and Tim Grant

October 5, 2019 · Discuss on the Geek Therapy Forum

In this episode we discuss the challenges of adapting play therapy and game therapy to the social milieu of evidence based practice. We also discuss games that are easily usable in building a therapeutic gaming practice. In all honesty, there is a lot to digest in this discussion. Even with our 90 minute discussion, we only barely scratched the surface of the conversation that is possible. Nevertheless I believe, dear listeners, that this discussion will help you on your trek to unravel some of the underlying mechanisms at play in gaming, and you may walk away with more awareness of how games can be used as therapeutic tools.

Best wishes and happy listening!

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Talking with Jack Berkenstock of the Bodhana Group

September 21, 2019 · Discuss on the Geek Therapy Forum

In this episode we get the opportunity to hear from Jack Berkenstock about his work in the Bodhana group. Together we talk about the therapeutic use of all sorts of games, the state of gaming as a tool for therapeutic growth, and many other areas. This episode is for gamers as well as therapists who use games as part of their practice. Its also the interview that made me go and purchase tickets for a trip to Harrisburg Pennsylvania to go to the convention that Bodhana is running: Save Against Fear. Listen to this podcast and then come join us in October.

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Gaming, Identity, and Loss

September 8, 2019 · Discuss on the Geek Therapy Forum

In 100 years, none of this will matter. At Geek Therapy we are fond of saying media matters, and it does, but it is perhaps a temporary state of being that finds meaning in those things we consume. We self identify often with what we own. We say; This is me! This is who I am! But then when we discard those self identifying consumables; ‘the things’ we are easily thrown back on the question of who am I if not my clothes, my musical taste, my games, etc. In Hindu texts they talk of neti neti which means ‘not this, not that’. The direction is to ask yourself the question ‘who am I?’ over and over again in a sort of spiral towards identification of the true self as we strip off the layers of things and identities that we have taken on. There is really no end to the progression as we keep coming to the conclusion that I am not this, and I am not that.

Moving has placed me in a very visceral Neti Neti experience. This podcast is a direct expression of that. I doubt that we answer any burning questions herein. More likely its about a spiral of identity loss that I was feeling as I began to discard stuff and reset my life in a new home. I hope that the discussion has some resonance for you, or at least that we provide some momentary entertainment.

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