D&D Therapy
Therapeutic Social Skills Gaming Groups & Mental Health Therapy Groups
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For kids, teens & adults
Santa Rosa & Berkeley, CA
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Our Team
Timea Tenkei LMFT50507 has 16 years of experience supporting neurodivergent and disabled youth and their families. She also specializes in supporting children, teens, and adults who are struggling with life challenges including blended families, attachment issues, trauma, domestic violence, issues around sexuality, eating disorders, self-image, self-esteem, immigration issues, gender identity, school difficulties, parenting challenges and women's issues
Using client-centered techniques, Timea provides a safe space for clients to feel heard, understood and respected. She incorporates Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), Solution Focused & Mindfulness therapies to assist youth in learning how to identify and manage unhelpful thoughts & feelings, practice appropriate social skills, establish and maintain healthy boundaries and teach healthy coping strategies and effective communication skills. She incorporates her significant experience working with families from diverse cultural backgrounds to ensure that all individuals and families feel supported and understood.
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Alongside her private practice, Timea is offering Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) social skills group therapy in Santa Rosa and the East and North Bays of San Francisco. A growing evidence base suggests that D&D can provide a powerful framework for group therapy and social social skills practice for kids as young as 8.
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Anne Szostek has seven years of experience supporting Autistic and ADHD youth and their families, and has been acting as the storyteller (DM) in D&D sessions for Neurodivergent youth with Timea for the last two years. She specializes in working with players to co-create engaging, unique stories that provide them with the opportunity to explore their personal super powers and growth points in a fun and socially supportive environment. She takes a strength based approach to working with Neurodivergent individuals that helps them understand and transform their challenges and learn to feel powerful in any situation. She also has extensive experience working with families from a wide variety of cultures, and is skilled in adapting her games to meet the cultural and linguistic needs of her clients.
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Anne is particularly skilled in building and adapting D&D story lines that support each player's individual needs for self actualization and growth. She feels that D&D can be a powerful tool for supporting individuals of all ages who wish to learn more about themselves and to develop stronger social bonds and the ability to build and maintain healthy communities.
Dungeons & Dragons is a popular tabletop roleplaying game featuring heroes, villains and monsters that only requires dice, paper, pencils, and imagination. We use this game as a base for neurodiversity affirming, strengths-based group therapy sessions with elements of CBT (Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy) and ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) to create an immersive group therapy method that acts as a super powered conduit for therapeutic growth.
This therapeutic milieu is particularly supportive for Autistic, ADHD and otherwise Neurodivergent individuals as well as for people who are affected by electronics addiction (click to read more). It is appropriate for people age 8 or older.
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Our clients 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 reduce anxiety, depression and other mental health symptoms related to the demands of everyday life. The goal of our groups is to provide clients with a sense of autonomy which they utilize in developing important self regulation, executive function, leadership, and teamwork skills.
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Game sessions will be in person and take place weekly. Clients/caretakers will also have access to regular monthly meetings with a licensed therapist to discuss progress.
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We are in the process of establishing groups for the following ages: 8-11, 12-18, 18-24, and 25+. Groups will be held in Berkeley and Santa Rosa CA.
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Contact us to set up a free 30 minute consultation call. During that time we can answer any questions you may have about D&D and its therapeutic benefits and ensure that you or your child are a good fit for our programs.
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If you choose to enroll in a group, we will set up our initial therapy session to discuss goals and then begin game sessions.
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Read more about the research
behind D&D Therapy​
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Phone
925-335-6551
Group
Locations
Our central office is located at:
850 3rd St.
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
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We are also in the process of starting groups in Berkeley. Please contact us for more information about groups in your area.