Earning an XP Boost: Exploring and Advocating for the Gamer Community

Gamers make up a 2.6 billion-person strong community. Many of our clients, family, friends, and peers are active in the culture, yet other mental health professionals know little about these activities. Gamification is a common term used in the field of education. Teachers will develop methods to make their classroom activities more palatable to students to increase engagement and retention. The core principles that make up active engagement in games, lend themselves to the classroom setting. However, as we analyze theories of learning, we see that these same core principles apply to mental health treatment. Similarly, counselors understand the importance of identity. But what about a Gamer Identity? This presentation will explore the gamer identity & gamification as concepts, and then identify practical methods to bring this into practice and inform mental health professionals. Presenters will discuss clinical assessment, treatment planning, and application of interventions.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe gamer identity and gamification, and consider their connection to the counseling process.
2. Recommend creative counseling interventions, assessments, and practices that rely on gamer themes.
3. Explore ideas for broaching this topic with other mental health professionals, including an exploration of ethical implications.
4. Review the ACA code of ethics and consider our ethical obligation to culture.