Since our inception, Project Make-Believe has worked with more than 500 people, from 5-years- to 90-years-old.
Client: A middleschooler with an undiagnosed eating disorder who wouldn’t eat therapist-provided lunches, nor discuss why.
Game: Seven reasons why–with the questions posed by their peers with no prompting. Peer asked this middle-schooler why they didn’t eat with the rest of them.
Outcome: Because Project Make-Believe had created a safe, playful environment and the question was posed by a peer instead of an adult, the middle-schooler answered the question with truthful reasons why they had an eating disorder. The therapists who regularly ran the session were able to follow up with the child about the reasons they’d stated and were able to put together a plan for further work with the child.
Client: College student with severe anxiety who was considering dropping out of college due to what they considered harassment from their peers.
Game: Silent Park Bench
Outcome: The student had a breakthrough with the game in that each member playing the game made up different information about the people they observed using their own experiences and creativity. The student was able to see that strangers have their own agendas and experiences and what they think about the student isn’t real, nor is it necessarily bad. The student felt free to start making up positive stories about what others thought of them and that made them feel good about themselves.
Client: Adult was afraid to participate in any activities. They showed up for the workshop, but sat paralyzed with fear in the corner.
Game: Predator / prey
Outcome: During the game, I wandered throughout the room delivering each command to the group and stopping by this adult so they could tell me in my ear what they were. I encouraged them and kept stopping by. About three-quarters of the way through the game, they stopped hovering at the edge and joined in the rest of the group with enthusiasm. Every time I saw this adult after that game, they told me how transformational my support and the game were to them.
Client: Adult in anti-racism workshop who found it difficult to empathize with others.
Game: Exaggerated Response
Outcome: Through the absurdity of exaggerated responses, and supported by the ideas that mistakes are gifts that let us know we’re working hard, this adult saw that their ability to empathize was not as far off as they thought–and they didn’t realize they could be playful with the attempts at empathy even in a real situation. They realized that their attempts to connect meant so much more than the accuracy of their attempt.