hot take that should be a lukewarm take: i don't think your average player should be treating tabletop rpgs as literal therapy, and i think encouraging people to do that on purpose is irresponsible and potentially very dangerous.
of course there can be therapeutic benefits to ttrpgs. i'm not denying that. but there's a difference between experiencing a therapeutic benefit from a hobby or group activity, and actively treating your hobby as literal therapy, especially when it becomes the responsibility of untrained people (the person running the game primarily, but also the others at the table) to facilitate that therapy.
trained therapists using ttrpgs in clinical settings is one thing. i can see how there could be positive outcomes there. but please don't expect your friend katie to create a therapeutic space for you where you can process and work through your trauma. all respect in the world to katie but she doesn't know what she's doing.
