Dungeons & Dragons Social Therapy Groups
For kids, teens & adults
Berkeley, CA
Group Leader
Anne Szostek, M.S., CF-SLP, brings nine years of experience supporting neurodivergent youth and their families to her role as Game Master (GM) for her Dungeons & Dragons based social language groups. For the past five years, she has specialized in using Dungeons & Dragons and other tabletop roleplaying games as tools to support social skills, self advocacy, and leadership skills for neurodivergent players. As a GM, Anne co-creates engaging stories that allow participants to explore their strengths and growth areas in a supportive environment. She takes a strength-based approach that helps neurodivergent individuals transform challenges into opportunities and feel empowered in any situation.
Anne has extensive experience working with culturally and linguistically diverse families, skillfully adapting her sessions to meet each client's unique needs. Her extensive experience working with AAC users (alternative and augmentative communication) allows her to adapt her games to accommodate players with diverse communication styles.
We use Dungeons & Dragons—a collaborative storytelling game that only requires paper, pencils and dice —as the foundation for our academically rigorous social skills therapy groups. Our neurodiversity-affirming sessions apply social-emotional learning strategies in an engaging environment that makes social skills and language development fun and engaging and that helps youth develop a sense of community and social cohesion.
This collaborative learning space provides endless opportunities to practice social skills, all while developing critical thinking, executive functioning, and academic skills as players plan strategies, weigh consequences, solve puzzles, and adapt to unexpected challenges.
Our participants are matched with groups of similar age and ability. Each group member creates their own character and will be guided through an adventure where they can grow in their ability to build supportive and accepting relationships, develop stronger self advocacy skills, improve self esteem and leadership abilities, and increase confidence academically and professionally. The goal of our groups is to provide participants with a sense of autonomy which they utilize in developing important self regulation, leadership, and teamwork skills.
Game sessions will be in person and take place four times a month. Parents will also have access to regular monthly meetings with one of our therapists.
Our games are appropriate for ages 7 and older. If you're interested in learning more, click here to contact us and set up a free 15 minute consultation call. During that time we can answer any questions you may have about our groups and ensure that you or your child is a good fit for our groups.
Group
Locations
Our current groups are held in Berkeley
We are looking forward to starting groups elsewhere in the San Francisco Bay Area. Please contact us for more information about groups in your area.