Game Therapy UK

At Game Therapy UK, we provide innovative, evidence-based, therapeutic table top games (Dungeons and Dragons) to aid in the recovery of those experiencing social isolation or trauma. Our volunteers run gaming projects for a wide variety of young people including those who are: school excluded, autistic, a refugee, experiencing homelessness or have special educational needs. From tabletop RPGs, to boardgames to digital platforms and mindful painting, our projects support young people to:

• Explore identity and build confidence
• Emotional regulation
• Develop empathy and social skills
• Manage anxiety, trauma, and neurodivergence
• Engage with therapy in creative, meaningful ways

We are a grass roots organisation composed entirely of volunteers, and it is thanks to the generous donations of individuals and organisations such as Games Aid, that our projects will always be free to the end user. The young people we work with often have profoundly challenging early life experiences or are living within a system poorly designed to cater to their neurodivergence. At GTUK we tailor gaming projects to the needs of the individual and allow young people to co-design the experience; guiding them to direct their own growth and recovery. Supporting young people with such complex needs requires thought and care and it is a core principle of GTUK to work within an evidence based framework. Our research faculty of medical practitioners and academics are at the forefront of the research behind this developing field. Join us, for free, at our first academic conference at UCL on the 24th of April to see their work first hand. https://www.game therapy.co.uk/academic-conference

From a school avoiding young person gaining the confidence to return to class, to an autistic young person having a safe space to practise social interaction; our projects give young people a route to recovery; to self-worth, friendship and a lifetime of confidence.