DnD Social Group Therapy.
Ages 10-13 years
Facilitated by our Clinical Psychologist, this therapeutic group offers a safe, structured and engaging space for young people to develop social skills and confidence through Dungeons & Dragons.
About the game.
Our social group is thoughtfully designed with autistic teenagers in mind and is delivered in the format of a tabletop role-playing fantasy game. The group may also be suitable for other young people who would benefit from structured, supported social skill development in a small-group setting.
Facilitated by our Clinical Psychologist as the “Dungeon Master,” participants engage in collaborative storytelling, problem-solving and character-based challenges within a structured and supportive environment. While sessions are immersive and enjoyable, the group is purposefully designed to support targeted therapeutic and social development goals. We utilise Critical Core, a modified Dungeons & Dragons framework developed by the nonprofit organisation Game to Grow. This framework is specifically designed to support young people in navigating social scenarios through thoughtfully curated missions and challenges that promote communication, perspective-taking, emotional regulation and teamwork.
To ensure sessions are supportive and effective, each group is limited to a maximum of 4–5 participants and is facilitated by the Psychologist alongside a Therapy Assistant.
"They have not yet stopped talking about the DND last night. They had an absolutely fantastic time and cannot wait for the next session. Thank you for carefully curating an incredible workshop and giving them a safe & inclusive space to be who they are. Utterly grateful & excited for the things to come!"
— Gabrielle
The details.
Time.
During SA school terms, alternate Friday evenings
5.30-7.30pm
Location.
Hosted at our clinic in O’Halloran Hill SA 5158
Shop 5, 47-57 Main South Road.
Group Size.
Small group sizes of up to 4-5 young people. We can offer a maximum of 2 groups per term, so places are limited.
Cost.
Term fees from $1090 - $1535 and claimable through NDIS capacity building supports.
How could a DnD social group help?
Critical Core takes all of the elements of traditional evidence based manualised interventions (Social scripting, graded exposure, modeling, in vivo practice etc) and present it in a fun, subtle and engaging manner.
Engagement in group activities of this nature tend to be correlated with more confidence, more comfort interacting with peers, decreased anxiety like symptoms and more effective social flexibility as well as an increased ability to negotiate and compromise.
Is this group for us?
Our social group is currently open for young people aged 10-13years however, we will look to facilitate a wider age range as the program grows. This initiative is designed with neurodiverse individuals in mind, however this not an essential criteria.
If using NDIS funding to claim the term fees, your plan would need to include an allocation for Capacity Building Supports (most do). We are not a direct NDIS provider so unfortunately, agency managed NDIS funding is not able to be used for our services.
Tell me more!
You can download our information pack which includes further details about the group, fees and payments, the game platform Critical Core, FAQ’s and more.
Download it HERE
Any further queries, please reach out, we are happy to answer any questions you may have about the group!
