Discover how Minecraft can be used as a therapeutic tool. No gaming experience necessary! Ellie will demonstrate how Minecraft offers a creative and expressive space for children, young people and adults. Minecraft can be likened to a digital sandtray, LEGO, and role-playing adventures all rolled into one hugely popular game. Learn actionable therapeutic interventions to apply with clients.
Learning Objective Participants Can Expect From This Event
- Verbalise the benefits of using Minecraft in sessions.
- Identify the data protection, privacy, security, and consent issues that need to be addressed before using videogames like Minecraft therapeutically.
- Recall 3 examples of how Minecraft can be used in sessions.
Who is This Workshop Appropriate For?
- Counsellors, Psychotherapists, and other Mental Health Professionals. Health and Social Care Professionals. All welcome.
How May This Workshop Impact Your Practice?
- Gain practical ideas on how to engage with clients' interest in Minecraft and other video games.
Course Content
Presenter
Ellie Finch, MA MBACP (Accred), is a clinical supervisor, counsellor, and social worker who works with children, parents and families. She is an Accredited Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), a Professional Member of the Association for Counselling and Therapy Online (ACTO), and registered with Social Work England as a Social Worker. She specialises in working with neurodivergent clients and parents and siblings of children with disabilities and complex medical conditions. She has a worked in a range of settings including CAMHS, schools, private practice, and local and national charities (including Relate, The Children’s Society and ChildLine). She has developed an innovative online service engaging children in counselling through videogames, such as Minecraft, and other digital tools.
Ellie provides consultancy and training to professionals and organisations who wish to use digital tools and videogames within their own practice. She has been supported by Cambridge Social Ventures and won an award from Unltd to create a social venture to train practitioners to use digital tools therapeutically. She is also part of the research team at the University of Cambridge who founded the ‘Bridging the ChASM: Creating Accessible Service using Minecraft’ project within the Faculty of Education.
