Working with Video Gamers and Games in Therapy

by Anthony M. Bean

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Author: Anthony M. Bean

Publisher: Routledge

Paperback:
ISBN 10: 1138747149
ISBN 13: 978-1138747142

Working with Video Gamers and Games in Therapy moves beyond stereotypes about video game addiction and violence to consider the role that games play in psychological experiences and mental health. Chapters examine the factors that compel individual gamers to select and identify with particular games and characters, as well as the different play styles, genres, and archetypes common in video games. For clinicians looking to understand their clients' relationships with video games or to use games as a therapeutic resource in their own practice, this is a thoughtful, comprehensive, and timely resource.

Review

"A groundbreaking and important book for clinicians who want to harness the pixelated power of video games in their therapy."
―Patrick M. Markey, PhD, professor of psychology at Villanova University and coauthor of Moral Combat: Why the War on Violent Video Games Is Wrong

"Dr. Bean's work offers a refreshing creative, scholarly, and applied contribution to exploring how the gaming experience, like all other human endeavors, reflects multiple dimensions of human development as well as emotional or relational life. The book offers insights for many audiences―for scholars, seeking to understand the impact of interactive technologies; for clinicians, working with today's kids and adults; and for parents, who are bombarded with confusing and pathologizing messages about gaming."
―Oksana Yakushko, PhD, chair of the clinical psychology program at the Pacifica Graduate Institute

"Maligned and misunderstood for decades, video games have needed a data-based book stripped of moral advocacy. They finally find it in Anthony Bean's Working with Video Gamers and Games in Therapy. This book is essential reading for anyone who works with kids or young adults, and it provides excellent resources for how to integrate video games into therapeutic environments."
―Christopher Ferguson, PhD, professor of psychology at Stetson University and coauthor of Moral Combat: Why the War on Violent Video Games is Wrong

From the Author

Video games have emerged as the number one pastime activity for the past decade, or even longer for some, overtaking extracurricular, reading, and other less pleasurable activities by storm for all ages. Everyone has heard about video games and usually are, on a basic level, familiar with the different types of video games available. With the younger generations playing for fun, the middle-aged playing for a break or passing time at home or work, and the elderly playing to keep their minds sharp to stave off dementia; video games have become a distinct part of every culture and age range.The evolving state of virtual worlds and video games creates a future where the imagination is the only limitation.The virtual worlds themselves can be exciting or have disastrous consequences, both for the real life of the video gamer or the avatar being played. This book discusses video gamers, and the worlds they play in, through an experiential and academic viewpoint.

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Working with Video Gamers and Games in Therapy