Welcome back to Therapy Chat! This week host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C speaks with friend and colleague Charlene MacPherson, LCSW-C about Charlene's work bringing therapeutic gaming to adults in Linthicum, Maryland.   Laura and Charlene discuss how embracing one's authentic self as a therapist helps clients who are looking for what is unique about us to feel seen and understood in therapy settings. Charlene talks about her journey to acceptance as a self-proclaimed nerd and how she learned to embrace her gifts and use them to help her clients. This is a beautiful conversation that will inspire you to embrace the parts of you that might be hidden when wearing your therapist hat. Additionally, Charlene talks about how Role Playing Games can be used therapeutically and what a therapeutic RPG looks like.   Self-proclaimed nerd and licensed psychotherapist, Charlene MacPherson uses nerd culture to create a safe and fun environment to explore the therapy process. She's also a mother, wife, Lutheran, podcaster, and owner of Nerd Adventure Therapy 2.0 (NAT20). Charlene's been playing Role Playing games for 15 years and Game Mastering for 3 years. She's been in the mental health field as a Licensed Certified Social Worker- Clinical for 12 years. Charlene offers Therapeutically Applied Role Playing Game social skills therapy groups for adults age 25 and up as a part of her therapy services in Linthicum, Maryland. She's a certified Therapeutic Game Master in the Game to Grow method of TTRPG therapy. She's also in the process of completing certification with Geek Therapeutics. And she has a podcast called Mental Health Quest which is about demystifying and destigmatizing therapy.   Resources:   Find NAT20Therapy on Facebook and Twitter Check out Charlene's website here! (it's very cool)   Find Charlene's podcast, Mental Health Quest, here. Thank you to TherapyNotes for sponsoring this week's episode! TherapyNotes makes billing, scheduling, notetaking, and telehealth incredibly easy.  And now, for all you prescribers out there, TherapyNotes is proudly introducing E-prescribe! Find out what more than 100,000 mental health professionals already know, and try TherapyNotes for 2 months, absolutely free.  Try it today with no strings attached, and see why everyone is switching to TherapyNotes.  Now featuring E-prescribe. Click here or use promo code "chat" at www.therapynotes.com to receive 2 FREE months of TherapyNotes!  This episode is also sponsored by Trauma Therapist Network. Learn about trauma, connect with resources and find a trauma therapist near you at www.traumatherapistnetwork.com. We believe that trauma is real, healing is possible and help is available. Podcast produced by Pete Bailey - https://petebailey.net/audio