Therapeutic Dungeons & Dragons for Adults
Relationship-focused, in-person group therapy for creative and neurodivergent professionals
This in-person therapeutic Dungeons & Dragons group was created for adults in the Plano, Richardson, and North Dallas area who want a more experiential way to explore and change how they show up in relationships. It can help you with:
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Navigating conflict and disagreement
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Assertiveness and boundary-setting
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Managing social anxiety in group settings
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Tolerating uncertainty and ambiguity
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Collaboration and shared decision-making
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Emotional awareness and regulation
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Repairing missteps and misunderstandings
These same skills can help in your IRL friendships, families, workplaces, and romantic relationships. The difference that you get to practice them in a therapeutic role-playing group, then slow down and reflect on what happened, how it felt, and what you might like to try differently next time.
Why Use Collaborative Storytelling Games in Therapy?
You might think of playing role-playing games as an opportunity for performance or escapism. But D&D therapy for adults becomes a powerful tool for awareness, experimentation, and reflection.
Traditional talk therapy has to contend with all your unconscious defenses that hide your wounds from yourself and others. Geek therapy introduces a secret door to help people discover and process things that might have otherwise taken years to uncover. The process of pretending to be a person other than yourself is what allows D&D to be an effective therapeutic tool.
Most clients who participate in therapeutic D&D groups can expect these types of outcomes:
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Increased confidence in social settings
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Better communication in relationships
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Reduced shame and anxiety about saying the “wrong” thing
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Increased emotional regulation
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Deeper self-awareness about habitual roles you take
(e.g. caretaker, wallflower, leader, outsider) -
Understanding how to take up space without overstepping
Plus, you’ll be learning all of this within your experienced Game Master’s Aura of Wisdom, which grants advantage on all your Insight checks (out of character).
You don’t need to know anything about D&D to participate. The game is simply the structure that allows relational patterns to emerge naturally.
Who This Group is For
This adult D&D therapy group in Plano/ North Dallas is designed for adults who are reflective, creative, and relationally curious, including:
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Working professionals who spend a lot of time thinking, analyzing, or problem-solving
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Creatives, engineers, designers, writers, and other imaginative or systems-oriented thinkers
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Adults with social anxiety or discomfort in group settings
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Neurodivergent adults, including those with ADHD or on the autism spectrum
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People who struggle with connection and isolation
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People who enjoy storytelling, imagination, and character growth
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People who benefit from experiential or non-traditional therapy formats
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Queer folks looking to explore their identity while feeling seen, respected, and supported by a party that has your back. This is an LGBTQ+ affirmative space that values consent and emotional safety.
Many people who are drawn to this group have tried talk therapy and found it helpful but incomplete. They know what they want to change, but not always how to embody those changes in the moment.
What a Session Looks Like
Each 2-hour therapeutic D&D group session includes:
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A brief check-in to help everyone arrive and get oriented
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Guided gameplay using a narrative-focused TTRPG system (Dungeon World 2)
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30 minutes of structured processing time at the end to reflect on experiences, emotions, and group dynamics
My therapeutic D&D group is trauma-informed, predictable, and carefully contained. Emotional safety and consent are prioritized throughout. We’ll establish safety tools (including Lines and Veils) and agree as a group on what behavior we expect at the table, and what we won’t tolerate. You will never be asked to share more than you want to, and there is no expectation to perform, act, or “be good at role-playing.” And no one gets left behind in the dungeon.
A Campaign Tailored to You
One of the biggest differences between this group and a typical D&D experience is that the adventure won’t be pulled from a published module or a generic campaign book. Instead, I’ll build the story around you.
During Session 0, we’ll create characters who already share meaningful connections to one another. They'll have history, tension, loyalty, unfinished business, and maybe even rivalry. From there, I’ll design a campaign that is fully tailored to the party: your characters’ backstories, values, relationships, and the kinds of themes you want to explore.
That means that the world will feel personal -- in fact, we'll build out the setting as a group, too. Every encounter will be meaningful and carry important stakes. NPCs won’t be random. The villains won’t be generic. The plot hooks will be connected to the things your characters actually care about. The choices you make will shape the direction of the story in real time.
If you’ve ever played in a campaign where it felt like you were just wandering through someone else’s adventure, this is the opposite of that. This is the kind of game where your character matters, your relationships matter, and your decisions actually impact and change the world.
What This Group Is Not
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This group is not focused on sexual content or sexual role-play.
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It is not a substitute for individual trauma therapy.
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It is not a drop-in social group or a traditional D&D campaign.
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It is not competitive, performative, or optimization-focused.
Group Structure & Commitment
• Closed group (consistent players throughout, max 5 + therapist)
• 8-week commitment
• 2-hour weekly sessions on Fridays from 4:30-6:30 PM
• Adult group (18+)
• Private-pay ($90/session; $720 total)
• Screening consultation required prior to joining
Because group cohesion and emotional safety are essential, participants reserve their seat for the full 8-week arc. This structure allows the party to build trust, deepen the story, and create real momentum without anyone getting left behind halfway through the journey.