Wright State counseling alum makes therapy fun for young clients

Zach Webber, who earned a master’s degree in counseling from Wright State, uses video and board games, movies, TV shows, anime and comic books to get his clients, particularly neurodivergent children, to open up during counseling sessions. (Photos by Erin Pence)

2024 Wright State University graduate Zach Webber acknowledges that therapy can be boring for children. Therefore, they may not pay attention. A licensed professional counselor, Webber discovered there was one way to reach young people during sessions.

So Webber decided to make therapy fun, particularly to reach neurodivergent children.

Webber, who opened Dragons Den Counseling, his Kettering-based private practice, last May, integrates Geek Therapy, which leverages themes, characters and stories from video and board games, movies and TV shows, anime and comic books into counseling sessions. He also draws from his own experience.

“I have severe ADHD as do my two children. We are almost certain that my son is on the autism spectrum, so I draw on experiences of what has helped my family,” he said. “I really like thinking outside the box and utilizing narrative approaches to help people feel secure, open up and share.”

Webber became familiar with Geek Therapy and participated in training. A self-proclaimed “lifelong nerd and geek” with a strong passion for helping others, Webber aims to put his clients at ease immediately. His office décor offers a gaming environment that makes clients feel right at home.

The Dragons Den features a Dungeons and Dragons theme. It also includes various game setups and figurines further fostering a festive environment.

When kids see fun items on display in his office, Webber said they almost immediately identify with him and are not as intimidated. They start talking about their favorite shows and characters.

“Kids are much more likely to open up and build that rapport when they are having fun and doing things they are interested in,” Webber said. “They walk in and see these random items in my office and their reaction is, ‘OK, this guy gets me. This place is cool.’ They look forward to coming here and want to talk.”

Webber incorporates creative scenarios into therapy sessions. For instance, if a patient has anger issues or struggles with failing, Webber will ask how their favorite character would handle a situation.

“It empowers young people to externalize their problems onto the character and consider the consequences of their actions,” Webber said. “I try to use creative wording to get them thinking. They conclude that their character would respond appropriately so I try to urge the kids to believe that they can do the same.

“Then we may watch some clips where a character overcomes a challenge to which they can relate. It works and is a lot of fun,” he said.

The office décor at Zach Webber’s practice, Dragons Den Counseling, offers a gaming environment that makes clients feel right at home.

The Wilmington native also enjoyed pursuing his master’s degree through the graduate program in mental health counseling at Wright State.

“I perceived it as a big, fancy school during my teenage years. So, when I completed my military service, I decided to attend Wright State and it made sense because my family is here,” he said. “It always seemed homey to me because everyone was so pleasant and caring.”

Webber valued this culture at Wright State because as a youth, he went out of his way to offer support to students perceived as outcasts. He said being genuinely nice can go a long way.

“Some people reached out to make me feel better, and I wanted to return the favor,” he said. “That is why I became a therapist. I want to help people — and I have discovered a fun way of doing it.”