Leveling Up: Introducing a Wellness Evaluation for Mental Health Professionals to Better Support Gamer Clients

Gamers are a 2.6 billion-person community. Counselors may not recognize that many of their clients, family, friends, and peers are active gamers, and likely do not understand this facet of their lives. Gaming has historically been blamed for negative behaviors, however the literature increasingly supports benefits when it is used in healthy ways. This session will provide a framework for what others need to know about the gamer culture. It will present a new wellness evaluation that can be used to help the uninitiated better understand the gamers in their lives.

Learning Objectives

1. This presentation will provide an overview of the gamer culture, and provide a model to help others understand the underpinnings of this culture.
2. This presentation will explore the importance of mental health assessments, particularly as they relate to providing quality mental health service.
3. This presentation will introduce a new gamer assessment tool, based on the wellness model, that can help mental health counselors to better understand the gamers in their lives.