a group of people sit at a table with tablets playing the game minecraft

Supporting Young People Through Minecraft Therapy

16th April 2026

Supporting Children & Young People through Minecraft Therapy Groups. Find out how this innovative peer support makes a difference.

Last spring, the counselling team at KEMP introduced group support sessions using Minecraft for children and young people. The initiative was created to provide a fun, relaxed and engaging environment through a platform that many young people already know and enjoy as part of their everyday lives.

Using Minecraft therapeutically allows us to connect with young people in a more accessible and creative way than traditional talking therapy. This approach can help encourage engagement from children who may not otherwise feel comfortable accessing support services.

Building Connections Through Shared Experiences

Providing peer support for bereaved children and young people can help reduce the feelings of loneliness many experience following the death of a family member.

By bringing together young people who share both the experience of bereavement and a love of Minecraft, we have created meaningful opportunities for connection and understanding. This shared bond has helped our young people build relationships in ways not previously possible, with some group members even forming friendships outside of the sessions.

focus on a computer tablet with the back of a child's head infront with their hands on the keyboard and cuddly toys in the background

Exploring Grief in a Creative and Safe Space

During each session, children enter the same Minecraft world together where they build their own safe spaces, create links between their worlds using imaginative features such as rail tracks and rollercoasters, and explore therapeutic grief resources in an interactive way.

Activities include navigating through our body-mind map, travelling down the river of life, and exploring the whirlpool of grief resource. These tools have helped spark valuable conversations around grief and loss, allowing children to share their experiences in a unique and supportive environment.

The support that KEMP have given my daughter has been incredible. KEMP came into our lives when my daughter lost her Granny and was struggling to come to terms with the loss. She started sessions with KEMP where they introduced her to therapy through Minecraft. The things they have been able to do with her around her emotions and coping strategies using Minecraft as a platform has been brilliant and helped her get her smiles back.

I’m so grateful to KEMP and truly can’t thank them enough for their support and compassion.

Mum of Children's Minecraft Group Attendee

No two groups are ever the same, and each session presents new therapeutic opportunities depending on where the young people’s creativity takes them.