Call for Papers- Overview

 

Game Therapy UK invites proposals for presentations, panels, workshops, and research spotlights at the  GTUK’s first academic conference dedicated to therapeutic gaming.

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We’re seeking a rich mix of voices and perspectives — including mental health professionals, academics, game designers, educators, youth workers, lived-experience experts, and community organisers — to share insights, spark discussion, and help shape the future of game-based therapeutic practice.

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We are especially keen to include:

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• Practitioners from therapy, education, healthcare, and youth work using games in real-world settings

• Researchers and academics from fields including psychology, sociology, education, game design, and neuroscience

• Game developers exploring evidence-based therapeutic or accessible design

• Lived-experience voices, especially those from marginalised or underrepresented communities

• International contributors — online delivery is welcome for co-presenters abroad

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Suggested Themes and Topics

Submissions can be academic, practice-based, or exploratory.

 

We're looking for sessions that encourage debate, learning, and creative dialogue.  Topics may include (but are not limited to):

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• Role-playing games in therapeutic or educational settings

• Games and neurodivergence, trauma, or disability

• Case studies or outcomes from group or individual interventions

• Game design for mental health, accessibility, and inclusion

• Digital vs tabletop modalities: strengths and challenges

• Community gaming spaces and grassroots projects

• Ethics, risk, and safeguarding in therapeutic gaming

• Cultural or international perspectives on games and wellbeing

• Co-production and peer-led play programmes

• Evaluating impact: qualitative and quantitative approaches

• Power, identity, and belonging in game-based spaces

• Play as resistance, imagination, and social healing

• Practitioner wellbeing and reflective practice through games

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Format

We welcome sessions in a range of formats, including:

• Research paper presentations

• Practice-based case studies or showcases

• Panel discussions or debates

• Interactive workshops or live demos

• Roundtable conversations or facilitated dialogue

 

Sessions will be 60 minutes long, including approx 10-15 minutes for audience Q&A.

 

To allow variety and a multiplicity of voices most sessions will include multiple papers.

 

Some sessions may be recorded or streamed.

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Hybrid/virtual delivery is possible for international or remote speakers, though at least one in-person co-presenter is preferred where possible.

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Proposal Submission

Please submit a 200-word summary outlining your proposed session.

 

This should include:

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• Title of your session

• Session format (e.g. paper, workshop, panel)

• Target audience and assumed knowledge level

• Key takeaways or learning outcomes for attendees

• Background context, such as recent research, pilot results, or ongoing work

• Names, organisations, and contact details of all presenters

 

Selected titles and abstracts will appear in the printed conference programme. All accepted presenters will be asked to submit slides (or equivalent) in advance for peer review and accessibility checking.

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Deadline for Submissions

 

Submit by: 24th February 2026 although early submission is advised as draft programming has already begun. 

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Any problems contact us via submissions.conference@game-therapy.co.uk