Can a video game help in therapy? For some children and teens, meeting them in a world they love — like Minecraft — can open the door to real therapeutic work. Here is an honest look at how, and what the evidence says.
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‘Minecraft therapy’ refers to using the popular game Minecraft as an engagement tool within therapy — most often with children, teenagers, and neurodivergent young people. Rather than being a therapy in its own right, it is a shared, enjoyable medium a psychologist can use to build rapport and do meaningful therapeutic work.
For a young person who finds traditional face-to-face talking difficult, building and exploring together in a familiar game can lower anxiety, spark conversation, and create natural opportunities to practise social skills, problem-solving, collaboration, and managing frustration — in the moment, as it happens.
It is important to be clear: Minecraft itself is not an evidence-based treatment. Research into game-assisted therapy is still emerging and looks promising for engagement, particularly with autistic young people. It works because it is paired with established, evidence-based methods, delivered by a registered psychologist.
Minecraft is a medium, not a modality. The therapy is the evidence-based work — building rapport, practising skills, and supporting emotional regulation — delivered through a medium the young person genuinely enjoys and feels safe in.
Used skilfully by a psychologist, Minecraft can support therapeutic goals in ways that feel natural and engaging for a young person:
Minecraft is always used purposefully, within a plan, by a registered psychologist — never as a substitute for therapy. A typical approach involves:
Starting in the game to build rapport, safety, and trust before deeper work begins.
Working with the young person and family on what we are building toward — social confidence, emotional regulation, or communication.
Using natural situations in the game — setbacks, teamwork, decisions — to practise coping and social skills as they arise.
Helping the young person carry those skills from the game into school, friendships, and home.
The underlying methods — play-based, cognitive-behavioural, and social-skills approaches — are well established. Minecraft simply makes them more engaging for the right young person.
We believe cost should never be a barrier to quality mental health care. There are several ways to fund your sessions at The Talk Shop:
Medicare Mental Health Care Plan — up to 10 rebated sessions per calendar year with a GP referral. Bulk billing may be available.
WorkCover & TAC — no out-of-pocket cost with an approved claim; we bill your funder directly.
NDIS — supported for plan-managed and self-managed participants.
Private Health & self-funded — extras may apply; affordable rates from $50, no referral needed.
Not sure what you are eligible for? Call 1300 224 665 and our team will help you work out your options before your first session.
Our psychologists see clients in-person at all four Melbourne clinics and via secure Telehealth Australia-wide:
Minecraft itself is an engagement tool, not a standalone evidence-based treatment. Research into game-assisted therapy is emerging and promising, especially for engaging autistic young people. It is effective when paired with established, evidence-based methods delivered by a psychologist — which is exactly how we use it.
It tends to suit children and teenagers — particularly those who find traditional talking therapy difficult, or who are autistic or neurodivergent — and who already enjoy or are curious about Minecraft.
No. The play is purposeful. Your psychologist uses the game intentionally to build rapport and work toward agreed goals, and will keep you informed about what you are working on and why.
This can often be arranged both in-person and via Telehealth, depending on the young person and the goals. Ask us and we will talk through what would work best.
The best first step is a conversation. Book an appointment and we will discuss your child’s needs and whether a Minecraft-assisted, evidence-based approach — or another approach — is the right fit. Not every psychologist here offers Minecraft-assisted sessions, so mention your interest when you book and we will match you with one who does.
No referral is needed to book. A Mental Health Care Plan from your GP lets you access Medicare rebates, and NDIS funding may also apply for eligible participants.
Stone, B. G., Mills, K. A., & Saggers, B. (2019). Online multiplayer games for the social interactions of children with autism spectrum disorder: a resource for inclusive education. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 23(2), 209–228. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2018.1426051
Ringland, K. E., Wolf, C. T., Faucett, H., Dombrowski, L., & Hayes, G. R. (2016). ‘Will I always be not social?’: Re-conceptualizing sociality in the context of a Minecraft community for autism. Proceedings of the 2016 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 1256–1269. https://doi.org/10.1145/2858036.2858038
Fleming, T. M., Bavin, L., Stasiak, K., Hermansson-Webb, E., Merry, S. N., Cheek, C., Lucassen, M., Lau, H. M., Pollmuller, B., & Hetrick, S. (2017). Serious games and gamification for mental health: Current status and promising directions. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 7, 215. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00215
Our Melbourne psychologists can talk through whether a Minecraft-assisted, evidence-based approach suits your child. Book online or call — no referral needed to start.
