I’ve got a Roll for Growth group that’ve only recently come together. We play Dungeons & Dragons, and the participants play as characters they’ve created; adventurers who have come into ownership of a pirate’s ship, and are seeking to foil an evil plan involving zombies, a villainous baron, and magic-users unknown.
In a recent session, we hardly did any of that. Dice were rolled, and an epic sea battle was won, but the adventure was put on hold in favour of something else. Something way cooler than a longship full of ogre pirates.
A group of neurodivergent teenagers sharing their stories, struggles and experiences at school, the things that frustrate them and how they help manage it. For many young people, school has a considerable variety of stressors; neurotypical standards and expectations, tests, assignments and of course, NAPLAN. But it was awesome to sit at a table and listen to this rad group of young people share strategies and advice on how to deal with stress – with some ideas and guidance from yours truly.
And I’m sitting there listening to this group support each other and chat ideas, and that’s the goal. Help bring young folks together, learn about themselves, help each other and hopefully, make a group of friends.
Counselling with Mike 