What does “gamification” mean, and what is its relevance to mental health practice? In this video of a conversation I had at University at Buffalo with Charles Syms, I take a stab at answering those questions. This is just a start, and hopefully by the end of the video you can begin to see how applying principles of game design could be therapeutic for people dealing with issues ranging from trauma to executive functioning challenges to substance abuse and beyond.
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Great discussion! I can’t wait to check out Epic Win and see how my kids like it! It definitely seems more motivating than a star chart!
I’m also inspired to learn more about gamification, and how to use it in my practice, since I specialize in working with kids and teens, this seems to be a great new way to connect with my clients.
I just downloaded Second Life since I’m taking your advice in trying gaming out yourself in order to familiarize yourself with and understand the technology better, so that we can utilize the concepts from gaming in positive ways and potential intervention strategies in our practice. Thank you for opening up new ways of connecting technology and interventions! It is an exciting new field!