Playing video games allows Rob Hamilton, Westmoreland County’s director of human services, to disconnect from the stress and anxiety of everyday life.
“It challenges my mind differently than maybe my everyday stressors might,” he said.
He and licensed professional counselor Steve Kuniak are hoping to create a pilot program for local students that would combine mental health counseling with gaming. But until that gets up and running, Kuniak’s nonprofit Experience Points is holding a free meet-and-greet event in Greensburg to gather support and gauge interest in gaming-based mental health counseling, while talking with community leaders and families.
The meet-and-greet is set for 3 to 6 p.m. Friday at The White Rabbit Cafe and Patisserie, 113 N. Main St. There will be Minecraft demonstrations and other games, activities and giveaways.
The Entertainment Software Association estimates 61% of Americans play video games for at least an hour weekly, which can include activities on cellphones and traditional video game consoles. Hamilton said he thinks gaming-based mental health counseling could have benefits.
“We believe that gaming could make a huge difference in young adults in the mental health system,” he said. “We are committed to exploring that and hope to commit to have funding in the future.”
During recovery from a serious injury in a car crash while working on his master’s degree, Kuniak said he turned to video games and comic books to keep his mind off the pain.
Afterward, Kuniak started using video games as a way to connect with clients. For some, it became a useful tool during their sessions, he said. Kuniak is an assistant professor at Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania Lock Haven’s online clinical mental health counseling program and a past president of the Pennsylvania Counseling Association.
If the pilot program gets off the ground, Kuniak said he likely would use Minecraft to lead school-based clients through a series of tasks and therapeutic conversations. It would be moving traditional methods of counseling into a virtual space, he said.
To find out more about Experience Points, visit experiencepts.org.
