Gaming 101 for Mental Health Professionals

You know that feeling when you're talking to someone who knows a lot about something, and you know nothing—leaving you unsure how to engage? Many mental health professionals feel this way when clients talk about gaming. If you've ever been in that place, or you're simply curious about the growing world of gaming, this foundational training is for you. Designed for therapists with little to no gaming experience, this program invites you on a journey to bridge the gap between gaming and mental health. Together, we’ll explore gaming as a cultural competency, equipping you with the language, concepts, and tools to connect meaningfully with clients who are gamers. Through critical reflection, practical strategies, and reviewing emerging research, you’ll gain the skills and confidence to integrate gaming knowledge into your clinical practice—opening new avenues for understanding, growth, and play.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this program, participants will be able to:

1. Critically reflect on personal experiences and biases related to gaming to better understand its influence on therapeutic practice

2. Gain a working understanding of common gaming terminology and concepts to enhance communication with clients who identify as gamers

3. Explain the benefits of understanding gaming as a cultural competency, including its role in building rapport, fostering therapeutic alliances, and enhancing client engagement

4. Identify potential benefits of gaming in mental health and therapeutic contexts

5. Integrate newfound gaming knowledge into clinical practice by tailoring therapeutic interventions for clients who identify as gamers

About Kaleb Aronson, LCSW:

Kaleb (they/them) is a white, queer, nonbinary, trans, gamer, and cat parent who currently works as an outpatient therapist. They mainly work with queer, trans, neurodivergent, gamers - anyone wanting to better work with their brain and not against it. They strive to integrate anti-racist, queer and trans affirming, and social justice values into everything they do. It is still surprising to them that they know their way around a Ps5 controller, and it's even more surprising that working with gamers has become an integral part of their clinical practice. 

About Continuing Education:

PAGPS offerings are designed for mental health professionals and deal with topics that are usually underrepresented in graduate training programs and/or that provide additional, advanced, and newly emerging perspectives on group therapy theory, research, and practice.

This program is intended for mental health professionals at a post-graduate level. This program, when attended in its entirety, is available for 2 continuing education credits.

The Philadelphia Area Group Psychotherapy Society (PAGPS) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. PAGPS maintains responsibility for this program and its content. PAGPS is also approved by the PA State Board of Social Workers, Marriage & Family Therapists & Professional Counselors to offer continuing education for social workers, marriage & family therapists, and professional counselors. This program carries 2 CE credits. Attendees can also receive 2 CE credits toward re-certification for the National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapist.

PAGPS is committed to accessibility and non-discrimination in its continuing education activities and will conduct its activities in conformity with the American Psychological Association’s Ethical Principles for Psychologists. To arrange accommodations for special needs, please contact us at pagpsgroup@gmail.com.

There is no commercial support for this program nor are there any relationships between the CE sponsor, presenting organizations, presenter, program content, research, grants, or other funding that could reasonably be construed as conflicts of interest.

The Philadelphia Area Group Psychotherapy Society (pagps.org), an affiliate of the American Group Psychotherapy Association (http://www.agpa.org), provides a forum for exchanging ideas, theories, studies, research, information, and experience in group psychotherapy.

Members come from all over the Philadelphia region, including the city of Philadelphia and surrounding areas in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Members may list their groups on the PAGPS website. For more information about joining PAGPS or renewing your membership, please visit our website at www.pagps.org, or e-mail us at pagpsgroup@gmail.com.