Ashley Jangro, LPCC • 6 min read • Innovative Therapy
What if, instead of sitting on a couch being asked to talk about feelings, your child could walk into a world they love? A world where they feel safe, confident, and in control?
That's exactly what TherapyCraft offers.
Hi, I'm Ashley Jangro, therapist, certified coach, and part of a blended family with six kids. I've seen firsthand how hard it can be to get kids and teens to open up. But I've also seen what happens when you meet them where they are... even if where they are happens to be inside Minecraft.
What Is TherapyCraft?
TherapyCraft is a Minecraft-based therapy model designed for kids and teens who struggle with traditional talk therapy. Using a private, secure Minecraft Realm, I guide therapeutic sessions that help kids process emotions, build coping skills, and gain confidence through in-game experiences.
Whether we're building a "Safe Place" together in Creative Mode or navigating challenge-based goals in Survival Mode, each session is grounded in research-backed methods and tailored to your child's emotional needs.
It's not just play. It's therapy, designed with intention.
Who Is TherapyCraft For?
TherapyCraft is ideal for kids and teens who:
- • Feel anxious, overwhelmed, or shut down in traditional therapy
- • Struggle with emotional regulation, confidence, or social connection
- • Love Minecraft and feel at ease in virtual environments
- • Need a more engaging, creative way to explore their inner world
And honestly? It's perfect for parents who are tired of feeling helpless and just want something that finally clicks.
Why Minecraft?
Because kids already get it.
Minecraft is open-ended and imaginative, but also structured enough to use therapeutically. The game's building mechanics, storytelling potential, and challenge-based survival modes allow for rich emotional work when guided by a trained therapist.
In this space, your child isn't just talking about their feelings. They're building them. Exploring them. Rehearsing real-life coping skills through virtual experiences that feel both safe and real.
What Happens in a TherapyCraft Session?
That depends on your child's needs.
In some sessions, we might create a Memory Garden and talk about people your child misses. In others, we might role-play frustrating situations using in-game "mobs" to represent people in their life. Sometimes, we just build something together, and in that shared creative space, big feelings start to surface.
All sessions are:
🛡️ Emotionally Safe
Developmentally appropriate and trauma-informed
👤 One-on-One
Never group or shared Realms
📹 Video-Guided
I'm on a secure call with your child the entire time
🧠 Clinically Informed
Based in DBT, ACT, and play therapy principles
The Benefits of Minecraft Therapy
🎮 Natural Engagement
Kids who shut down in traditional therapy often open up naturally when they're in a familiar, comfortable environment.
- • Reduces therapy anxiety
- • Increases session engagement
- • Makes emotional work feel accessible
🏗️ Creative Expression
Building in Minecraft becomes a metaphor for building emotional skills, confidence, and coping strategies.
- • Processes emotions through creation
- • Builds problem-solving skills
- • Encourages emotional expression
🗣️ Side-by-Side Communication
Working together on in-game projects creates natural opportunities for conversation without the pressure of direct eye contact.
- • Reduces social pressure
- • Encourages natural dialogue
- • Makes difficult topics approachable
⚡ Skill Practice
In-game challenges become opportunities to practice real-world emotional regulation and coping skills.
- • Rehearses coping strategies
- • Builds emotional resilience
- • Transfers skills to real life
Common TherapyCraft Activities
Building Safe Spaces
We create virtual representations of places where your child feels calm and secure, then discuss what makes them feel safe in real life.
Emotion Regulation Challenges
Using survival mode scenarios to practice staying calm under pressure, problem-solving, and bouncing back from setbacks.
Social Skills Practice
Role-playing difficult social situations with in-game characters, practicing conversation skills and boundary-setting.
Story Building
Creating structures that represent personal experiences, family dynamics, or future goals while processing related emotions.
Is TherapyCraft Right for Your Child?
Consider TherapyCraft if your child:
Shows These Signs:
- • Resists traditional therapy
- • Gets anxious in face-to-face conversations about feelings
- • Expresses themselves better through activities than words
- • Feels more confident in digital environments
- • Struggles with social anxiety or isolation
And Needs Help With:
- • Emotional regulation
- • Building confidence
- • Processing difficult experiences
- • Developing coping strategies
- • Social skills development
Getting Started with TherapyCraft
Whether your child is already in therapy, resistant to starting, or simply needs a new approach, TherapyCraft might be the connection point you've been searching for.
Ready to explore if TherapyCraft could help your child?
I offer Minecraft therapy as part of my teen and family counseling services. We can discuss whether this innovative approach might be the right fit for your child's needs.
TherapyCraft sessions are available for clients in Colorado and can be combined with traditional therapy approaches as needed.
Explore Innovative Teen Support
Curious about TherapyCraft? Discover how innovative approaches like Minecraft therapy can help teens who struggle with traditional counseling methods.
Want to understand the foundation? Learn the AERO Method, the emotional regulation framework that underlies all therapeutic work with teens and families.
Ashley Jangro, LPCC
Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate specializing in innovative therapy approaches for teens and families. Based in Castle Rock, Colorado, Ashley combines traditional therapeutic methods with creative approaches like Minecraft therapy to meet young people where they are.