Harness the Therapeutic Power of the Superhero! Application of the Star Wars Adoption Narrative Emotional Literacy and the Incredible Hulk Batman and Trauma What Would Superman Do--An Adlerian Approach? With an incisive historical foreword by John Shelton Lawrence and insight from contributors such as Michael Brody, Patty Scanlon, and Roger Kaufman, Lawrence Rubin takes us on a dynamic tour of the benefits of using these icons of popular culture and fantasy in counseling and play therapy. Not only can superheroes assist in clinical work with children, but Rubin demonstrates how they can facilitate growth and change with teen and adults. Early childhood memories of how we felt pretending to have the power to save the world or our families in the face of impending danger still resonate in our adult lives, making the use of superheroes attractive as well, to the creative counselor. In presenting case studies and wisdom gleaned from practicing therapists' experience, Lawrence Rubin shows how it is possible to uncover children's secret identities, assist treatment of adolescents with sexual behavior problems, and inspire the journey of individuation for gay and lesbian clients, all by paying attention to our intrinsic social need for superhero fantasy and play.

Originally published: Roleplaying in psychotherapy. Chicago: Aldine, c1966, in series: Modern applications of psychology.

This handbook collects, for the first time, the state of research on role-playing games (RPGs) across disciplines, cultures, and media in a single, accessible volume. Collaboratively authored by more than 50 key scholars, it traces the history of RPGs, from wargaming precursors to tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons to the rise of live action role-play and contemporary computer RPG and massively multiplayer online RPG franchises, like Fallout and World of Warcraft. Individual chapters survey the perspectives, concepts, and findings on RPGs from key disciplines, like performance studies, sociology, psychology, education, economics, game design, literary studies, and more. Other chapters integrate insights from RPG studies around broadly significant topics, like transmedia worldbuilding, immersion, transgressive play, or player–character relations. Each chapter includes definitions of key terms and recommended readings to help fans, students, and scholars new to RPG studies find their way into this new interdisciplinary field.

This classic study still provides one of the most acute descriptions available of an often misunderstood subculture: that of fantasy role playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. Gary Alan Fine immerses himself in several different gaming systems, offering insightful details on the nature of the games and the patterns of interaction among players—as well as their reasons for playing.

Despite the rise of computer gaming, millions of adults still play face to face role playing games, which rely in part on social interaction to create stories. This work explores tabletop role playing game (TRPG) as a genre separate from computer role playing games. The relationship of TRPGs to other games is examined, as well as the interaction among the tabletop module, computer game, and novel versions of Dungeons & Dragons. Given particular attention are the narrative and linguistic structures of the gaming session, and the ways that players and gamemasters work together to construct narratives. The text also explores wider cultural influences that surround tabletop gamers.

This book offers an accessible, comprehensive resource to practitioners who wish to incorporate RPGs into their client-work. Tabletop role-playing games, RPGs, have long been associated with various unique emotional, cognitive, and social benefits, but only recently has the term 'RPG Therapy' entered into the mental-health lexicon. Presenting simple game- and storytelling mechanics, and demonstrating how they may be utilized in accordance with specific professional modalities, this supportive guide explores every step of the implementation process, from underlying therapeutic principles to initial creative exercises to actual in-session play, and encourages readers to have confidence in their own imaginative abilities. Written for practitioners of all levels of client- and RPG experience, this groundbreaking and authoritative book provides case examples and practical tools, along with pragmatic and straightforward advice on how to implement this exciting new form of intervention.

This book offers an accessible, comprehensive resource to practitioners who wish to incorporate RPGs into their client-work. Tabletop role-playing games, RPGs, have long been associated with various unique emotional, cognitive, and social benefits, but only recently has the term 'RPG Therapy' entered into the mental-health lexicon. Presenting simple game- and storytelling mechanics, and demonstrating how they may be utilized in accordance with specific professional modalities, this supportive guide explores every step of the implementation process, from underlying therapeutic principles to initial creative exercises to actual in-session play, and encourages readers to have confidence in their own imaginative abilities. Written for practitioners of all levels of client- and RPG experience, this groundbreaking and authoritative book provides case examples and practical tools, along with pragmatic and straightforward advice on how to implement this exciting new form of intervention.