





21st Century Play




Solo Play is OK


The Many Reasons to Collaborate.



Let’s Bring On A World of Hurt.



Multiplayer and Uninvited Guests



Minecraft and the Repetition Compulsion.




I’m not THAT non-directive.  🙂




  1. After reading your posts for a while now, I’d like to share with you that I really like your point of view. Especially when it comes to tollerating (also when it gets ugly). When I worked as a dramatherapist in child psychiatry I had my patients murder me many times, eat me up even, always to bring me back to life again and often do it again. In my current work with adult male sex-offenders I sometimes encourage clients to act the part of ‘the bad guy’. To see this as an important part of therapy, is often hard to explain to other professionals. So it is nice to read posts like this!
    What I am wondering about, has to do with embodiment. I can see how videogames can be an important tool in therapy and I understand how they are a fast way into the ‘world’ of your clients, but as off this days videogames are mostly played with two hands and the brain, leaving the rest of the body not participating. My experience in working with all kinds of clients is that people are often already ‘cut off’ from their bodies. Especially in cases of severe trauma, I spend a lot of time in therapy to let people ‘listen’ or better said ‘feel’ their bodies again. I wonder if using videogames in (or as) therapy doesn’t miss out on that. Or could even make it worse? I have often encountered people who say they can release stress in playing games, but their bodies are actually still super tense.
    I’m saying this not to critisize your ways, but to hear your thoughts on this. I wouls love to hear them.

  2. Mike…I’m not a therapist, but despite an overwhelmingly busy schedule I couldn’t stop reading this post. I’m deeply interested and curious about some of the implications you mention and how you actually use the gaming interaction to assist children. Truly fascinating. Also, I glad to be reading about someone who understands the need to embrace technology and try to understand things from each child’s view without creating generational barriers. When we become aware of the simple fact that each “older” generation struggles with the changes made by the next generation then it becomes easier to find that truly accepting attitude necessary to real understanding. Some simple examples are how my parents shocked their parents with Rock and Roll…mine with embracing new technology…the current generation with gaming and social media. To bridge the gap we need to see the changes really aren’t different in form…only content.

    Looking forward to reading more. Keep up the great work.

Speak Your Mind