Leveling Up
This presentation is a description of some of the controversy around video games, as well as distinguishing between the types of video games available and how they may be used therapeutically.
The objectives for this presentation are to help participants:
- Become familiar with some of the controversies around video games, and the evidence to refute the controversial claims.
- Explore the different types of video games.
- Learn how to engage video games therapeutically, both for themselves and with clients
Tanya Keenan, MA, AAC (She|Her)
Clinician II
Compass Health
Director
Doxacon Seattle
Tanya has been a nerd since she first saw Star Wars (in a theatre!) and a gamer since she got her first Atari system. She put games aside for a while, but never lost sight of her love for scifi and fantasy. She has been playing video and tabletop games for over 20 years, including D&D, Jedi Knight, Mysteries of the Sith, Assassin's Creed, MouseGuard, World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy XIV Online, and Destiny 2 (her first console game).
She began to see the therapeutic benefit of games almost as soon as she began to contemplate becoming a therapist. Tanya works in community mental health as a clinician for homeless youth, taking part in a partnership between her agency and an agency that works to end youth homelessness.
Tanya is also the director of Doxacon Seattle, a Pacific Northwest conference exploring the intersection of Christianity and speculative fiction. She also co-hosts Tabletop Transformations a CASTT Gamers monthly show that focuses on the spiritual impacts of TTRPGS, every 4th Thursday of the month.