Erika Kathryn

About Erika Kathryn

My name is Erika, and I specialize in small-group (3 players, max!) social skills focused gaming sessions. These games are not therapeutic services; rather, I create games with intentional conflict and modeled resolutions to support problem solving, compromising, and interpersonal skills. Choices are given along the way to allow players to direct where a story goes, but it is not open-ended -- by doing this, I ensure each situation that arises requires group coordination and teamwork. D&D provides a consequence free environment for individuals to try new things, work through the hard stuff, and foster connections with their peers. The goal isn't to win, but to tell an illustrative story along the way. It is incredibly important to me to provide these opportunities to children and teens alike, especially as it serves as a launching point for their own identity exploration and community connection. Offline, I provide social skills individual and group therapy to neurodiverse children and teens, including specialized therapeutic gaming cohorts, non-therapeutic facilitated teen D&D hang outs, and a week-long summer D&D program. I have presented at local, national, and international conferences on my most favorite topic of all: utilizing tabletop gaming to support social skills and emotional flexibility. I even have a workbook in development for other practitioners who want to incorporate D&D into their practice but aren’t sure where to start.

My game style

I come to each game with a plan, especially in oneshots where we have a specific narrative to follow in a condensed amount of time. No matter what, however, I follow spontaneity and doing things ‘for the plot’. If it enrichens the game, the story, the experience, or just the overall flavor, I welcome it. I use a fast-paced style of game play, in that each move we make is aligned with the story goal or outline but there is still room for independent choice and imaginative thinking. When necessary, I will direct the group forward but always with player preferences at the forefront (If a player asks to spend more time in a ‘store’ and looking at the available ‘wares’ or trying to cause a commotion, but we have already spent 10-minutes in the ‘store’ and are otherwise ready to move on, I may say something like, “our characters will follow the Shopkeep out of the store as they prepare to close up for the evening, but tell me what it looks like as you conspire with your party members? … Oooh, sounds like [player] wants to find another shop. The sun is setting, you remember your mission to [check in with character at the Inn], what does everyone else think?”). Combat will be quick, to ensure no one player is left waiting (and growing bored!) for too long. Roleplay will flavor all that we do, especially in those moments of turn-based game play. When it comes to roleplay, players are welcome to detail as much or as little as they’d like; you do not need to be a creative writing savant to succeed at my tables nor should you feel left out if imaginative thinking is not your strong suit. We are here to play, to have fun, and to enjoy the story together: *that* is the goal, always. Please note, I provide additional care to ensure that neurodivergent, LGBTQ+, and BIPOC voices are heard, elevated, and supported. There is no AI at my table. Generative or otherwise, for myself or for players. This includes image creation and note taking. I create my game images using Canva Pro, and do additional research to ensure I am not using AI-generated assets in those images. My profile banner is created by myself. Game maps are carefully sourced either from the game publisher or through independent artists. If you find or suspect generative AI material in my content, please message me so that I may correct it.