Board Games & Mental Health
Video conversation with Jermaine Ma and Paul Steinke
This is a newer project I’ve been developing that looks at the intersection of board games and mental health. In the video we play the game Turncoats and then reflect on the psychological aspects of play that were evoked through the game. Jermaine, Paul, and I hope to develop a series of these that look at different games through the lenses of psychology, sociology, and theology. Here is a link to the post of it from the school:
https://theseattleschool.edu/blog/board-games-mental-health-1/
In this video, Dr. Jermaine Ma, Visiting Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, Paul Steinke, Vice President of Alumni & Community Relations, and Dr. Paul Hoard, Associate Professor of Counseling Psychology, begin a conversation around their shared passions for psychology and board games. Their discussion is woven around the game of Turncoats that they play while simultaneously reflecting on what is being stirred in and between each other. The conversation covers topics of shame, woundedness, nested realities, community, belonging, and more through the medium of board games. They explore the questions of what may be revealed in our play? How are we drawn together or pushed apart as we engage each other in games? This is the first part of a new project that will explore the intersection of psychology, theology, and the art form of board games through some of the unique lenses of analysis and critique at The Seattle School.
For anyone in the Pacific Northwest, Paul Steinke and I are part of the planning committee for Kitsap Con—a board game convention in the Kitsap Peninsula that is taking place Jan. 26-27. Here is the website for more information.
