Game helps children cope with divorce and separation

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By Derek Boiko-Weyrauch Dec 28, 2006, 21:02 GMT

Gaming is not all about fun and... games. A group of child psychiatrists and therapists have recently introduced a game to help children of separated and divorced parents cope with this traumatic experience. The result of years of research, Earthquake in Zipland deals with the many issues that arise with a divorce or separation, and allows children to deal with these issues indirectly through fantasy-like scenarios and their on-screen avatar, Moose.

"The benefits and advantages of this sort of game are numerous", says Hazel Zemel M.S.W., a family therapist involved in supervising the psychological aspects of the project. "For the children, it is the first attempt at talking to them in their own "language", dealing with a severe subject through humor and wit. For the parents, the game broadens their understanding of the impact of the separation on their child, and offers a way to communicate and talk about painful issues the child might be otherwise reluctant to express. For therapists, this game can be used a strategy to get children to participate more actively in the therapy process, by discussing their feelings and thoughts through playing the game."The game is designed to be played with parents, allowing them to interact with and guide their child and answer their questions. This is an interesting approach, and doesn't make the game the only thing that the child interacts with - which is a good thing in a world where parents are increasingly willing to foist their responsibilities on technology, and blame it once it doesn't prove to be a silver bullet. You can find out more about the game at www.ziplandinteractive.com.

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"Earthquake in Zipland" is the first computer game designed to help children of separated or divorced parents cope with their new reality. With the help of its main character, Moose, ...more

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