Counselling using Minecraft

NOT AN OFFICIAL MINECRAFT SERVICE. NOT APPROVED BY OR ASSOCIATED WITH MOJANG OR MICROSOFT.

Image source: Minecraft

What is Minecraft?

  • Minecraft is one of the world’s most popular video games, first launched in 2009.

  • It’s a creative sandbox world where players can mine materials, build structures, explore landscapes, and go on adventures.

  • You can play solo or with others, interacting with animals, villagers, and occasional creatures like zombies and skeletons.

  • In Survival Mode, players gather resources to stay safe and nourished, while avoiding threats.

  • In Creative Mode, there are no limits – you can fly, you can’t be hurt, and you have every building block at your fingertips.

Why Use Minecraft in Counselling?

  • Minecraft can be a powerful therapeutic tool – especially when traditional talk therapy doesn’t offer a space that feels accessible or engaging for a child or young person.

  • Like LEGO or a sandtray, Minecraft offers a creative environment where children can explore emotions, relationships, and problem-solving.

  • It supports therapeutic goals while meeting children in a familiar and comfortable online space – their own home.

  • As we play together, I get to know how your child responds to challenges, collaborates, solves problems, and expresses themselves. We then work together to build on these strengths.

  • The skills your child practises in Minecraft – like emotional regulation, confidence, or communication – can be explored and developed in ways that transfer to real life.

What Will It Be Like?

  • Sessions take place over Zoom, so your child and I can talk while we play Minecraft together.

  • Each child has their own unique Minecraft world, which they can use however they choose during therapy – building, adventuring, farming, exploring, or just being.

  • We co-create a space that feels safe, playful, and led by their interests – whether that’s finding hidden caves or building a base filled with meaning.

How I use Minecraft in counselling sessions with children