Beyond the Looking Glass: Impact Case Study

Case Studies
Written By Ellie Finch

Embedding Minecraft into Practice

Hannah Young is a Certified Play Therapist and founder of Beyond the Looking Glass, a play therapy service based in the UK.

In 2024, Hannah completed both Level 1 and Level 2 of the Using Minecraft as a Therapeutic Tool training programme.

Since completing the training, Hannah has integrated Minecraft into her play therapy work. She explains:

“Engaging through Minecraft in a therapeutic way offers clients a safe boundaried space, on a physical and an emotional level, where they can be the expert in their world, an experience which might be contrary to their lived experience.

Acting as a virtual sand tray, a central part of any Play Therapist's toolkit, in Minecraft the client sets the pace and can access an inventory or mine objects to create scenes that might symbolise their thoughts, feelings, social interactions or people in their life. I have found that this process can help a client to work through and integrate their lived reality, including any difficult experiences and challenges.”


Source: https://www.beyondthelookingglass.org/minecraft-as-a-therapeutic-tool

Sharing Practice Insights

Hannah has contributed to wider professional learning by publishing her reflections. Her article, ‘Unlocking the Potential of Minecraft as a Therapeutic Tool’, was published in the Summer 2024 edition of Play for Life, offering concrete examples of therapeutic journeys undertaken within Minecraft.

In 2025, she expanded on this work in an article for the British Journal of Play Therapy, further demonstrating how Minecraft can offer a creative therapeutic alternative grounded in play therapy principles.

A Reflective, Research-Informed Practitioner

Hannah’s work exemplifies the values at the heart of PlayMode Academy: ethical, imaginative, and child-led use of digital tools to enhance therapeutic accessibility.

We’re proud to have supported Hannah on her journey, and we’re inspired by the thoughtful, research-informed practice she continues to develop through Beyond the Looking Glass.

Ellie Finch

Ellie Finch, MA MBACP (Accred), is a clinical supervisor, counsellor, and social worker specialising in support for neurodivergent clients and families of children with additional needs or complex conditions.

Her work is rooted in a neurodiversity-affirming approach, which values neurodivergence as a natural variation in human experience and focuses on building supportive, respectful environments rather than 'fixing' difference.

Ellie is known for her innovative use of creative digital tools and videogames like Minecraft in therapy to create accessible, engaging support. She is founder of PlayMode Academy, a non-profit social venture that trains professionals in the therapeutic use of creative digital tools.

PlayMode Academy is part of Ellie Finch Counselling, Consultancy and Training Ltd, a non-profit company limited by guarantee (a structure often used by social ventures in the UK).

Ellie is also part of the University of Cambridge research team behind Bridging the ChASM: Creating Accessible Services using Minecraft - a project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) that explores the therapeutic potential of videogames and how they can be used to create more inclusive mental health support.

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

https://www.playmodeacademy.org
Previous

HealGame Ukraine: Impact Case Study
Next

Upcoming Training: Using Minecraft as a Digital Sand Tray