93. Geek Therapy and Therapeutic Dungeons & Dragons with Kailah Tuttle, LPC

Apr 2, 2025

Kailah Tuttle, a Licensed Professional Counselor and certified geek therapist, dives into the world of geek therapy. They discuss how anime, video games, and Dungeons & Dragons can enhance mental health treatment. Kailah shares her approach of using character development to help clients visualize personal growth and regain control over their lives. The conversation also touches on the importance of reconnecting with one's inner child through play, emphasizing how shared interests can deepen therapeutic connections and foster meaningful dialogues.

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INSIGHT

Fandoms As A Therapeutic Lens

Geek therapy uses clients' fandoms (anime, games, comics) as a therapeutic lens to explain mental health concepts.
It creates a shared language that makes therapy more relatable and accessible.

ADVICE

Teach Skills Through Adventure

Use role-played adventures to teach skills like mindfulness and grounding in-session.
Embed therapeutic goals into game moments so clients learn while playing.

INSIGHT

Certification Keeps Clinicians Current

You can become certified in geek therapy through structured training and CEU classes.
Certification helps clinicians stay current with evolving media and fandoms.

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In this episode, Miranda interviews Kailah Tuttle, LPC, a certified geek therapist, about the innovative field of geek therapy. They discuss how incorporating elements of geek culture, such as anime, video games, roleplaying games, and superheroes, can enhance therapeutic practices.

Kayla shares her experiences with therapeutic Dungeon Master training and how geek therapy helps clients connect with their passions, process experiences, and learn skills through relatable characters and stories. They also touch on the importance of play and staying connected to one's inner child.

Whether you're a therapist looking to expand your toolkit or simply interested in the intersection of mental health and geek culture, this episode offers a fascinating insight into an emerging approach to therapy.

OUR HOST:

Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for several years. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, case manager, and the Director of Brand Content at Ellie Mental Health. Follow her on⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn.⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Therapist Thrival Guide is a podcast by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellie Mental Health⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We want to move therapists beyond surviving and into the realm of thriving by covering all the things that graduate school didn't teach you! This mental health podcast is hosted by Miranda Barker, LICSW and a rotating cast of seasoned therapists. Each episode features a therapist speaking to their areas of expertise to help us learn how to thrive as therapists.⁠⁠

Ellie is a national mental health brand organized around community-based outpatient mental health clinics. It all began with a single office in St. Paul, Minnesota back in 2015, and has expanded to an explosive number of locations nationwide after franchising our model in 2021. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:25 Diving into Geek Therapy

02:00 Therapeutic Dungeon Master Training

02:41 Play Therapy and Geek Therapy

04:36 Certification and Competency in Geek Therapy

07:27 Practical Applications of Geek Therapy

08:29 Therapeutic Dungeons and Dragons

15:59 Finding Your Niche as a Therapist

19:13 Exploring Art and Geek Therapy

19:24 Narrative Therapy and Superhero Stories

20:09 Creative Activities in Therapy

21:35 Geek Therapy in Practice

22:29 Integrating Geek Culture in Talk Therapy

23:54 Building Rapport Through Shared Interests

28:06 Geek Therapy as a Therapeutic Lens

31:02 Practical Interventions and Techniques

33:58 Connecting with the Inner Child

35:10 Final Thoughts and Resources