Ego Check with The Id DM is an interview podcast series hosted by a licensed psychologist, Michael Mallen, Ph.D. The podcast delves into a variety of game types (e.g., tabletop roleplaying games, boardgames, videogames) from a psychological perspective. Dr. Mallen has been interviewing members of the gaming community for articles on his blog, The Id DM, since 2011 and is now posting these interviews for others to enjoy.
https://theiddm.podbean.com
episode 5: Adam Johns & Adam Davis on Using Tabletop RPGs to Teach Social Skills
My guests for Episode 5 of Ego Check with The Id DM are Adam Johns and Adam Davis from Wheelhouse Workshop, a two-man operation whose mission is to help youths in the greater Seattle area build social skills through the intentional and targeted use of tabletop role-playing games. Both Mr. Johns and Mr. Davis have graduate degrees and use tabletop roleplaying games to teach social skills to children with a variety of mental health concerns. During our conversation, they discuss their professional background and how they use games like Dungeons & Dragons to teach children perspective taking, frustration tolerance, creative problem solving, and cooperation. They demonstrate a method to increase collaborative storytelling during a RPG session, which leads to us all wearing carved-out pumpkins on our heads! They explain the business model for Wheelhouse Workshop, and their plans for expansion in the future.
If you are interested in coming on the show for an interview, or would like to become a sponsor, contact me to make arrangements.