Date: Saturday 18 May 2024
Time: 10.00am – 12.30pm
Location: In-person at the Faculty of Education, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 8PQ
About this Event
This forum will introduce the potential of the popular video game, Minecraft, as a tool for creating engaging therapeutic services for children and their families. Through the examination of real-life case studies, the presenters will illustrate how counselling sessions conducted within Minecraft can be both engaging and therapeutic, thus shifting the focus from viewing children as “hard to reach” to taking responsibility for creating services that are more accessible.
During this forum, participants will have the opportunity to achieve the following learning outcomes: understanding the advantages of incorporating video games, such as Minecraft, in therapy for children and families; acquiring practical insights into integrating video games into their own practice or service (from discussing a child’s gaming interests to potentially actively participating in a game with the child); and exploring a range of activities that can be implemented within videogames as therapeutic tools. No video gaming experience necessary!
Please note
THIS IS NOT AN OFFICIAL MINECRAFT PRODUCT OR EVENT. NOT APPROVED BY OR ASSOCIATED WITH MOJANG OR MICROSOFT.
Speakers
Ellie Finch
Ellie is a Child, Parent and Family Counsellor (registered with BACP and ACTO) and a Social Worker (registered with Social Work England). Ellie is also a Research Assistant within the Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge working on a project that recently secured university funding to highlight the value of using videogames like Minecraft therapeutically.
She provides training and consultation to professionals and organisations on the therapeutic use of videogames and other digital tools. She has a BA (Hons) from the University of Cambridge, an MA in Social Work from the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust and University of East London (UEL) and a PGDip in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy (UEL).
Ellie wrote her MA thesis in 2011 on engaging children in online mental health services. Settings she has worked in include the NHS (CAMHS), social care, private practice, charities and schools.
More about Ellie Finch
Monique Beckett
Monique is a graduate of both the Child and Adolescent Psychotherapeutic Counselling program and the Transforming Practice MEd at the Faculty of Education. Monique is also a Research Assistant within the Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge working on a project that recently secured university funding to highlight the value of using video games like Minecraft therapeutically.
Monique is a (registered BACP and UKCP) Child and Adolescent Psychotherapeutic counsellor PGDip, and completed her MEd at the University of Cambridge titled: ‘Using Minecraft to build psychotherapeutic relationships: heuristic inquiry into my psychotherapy practice with a latency age child’. In addition, Monique is engaged in supporting young people as a University of Cambridge Mentor, particularly focusing on neurodiverse students, offering tailored assistance to foster their academic and personal growth.
Monique is involved in charity-based settings and schools as a deputy lead therapist and outreach therapist. Additionally, Monique has been involved with the Tetris project, where she researched the application of Tetris as a tool to aid families and young individuals in their journey of growth and development.
More about Monique Beckett