Unravelling Adventure!: Real Play D&D/CRIT Demo (Pt 1)

Unravelling Adventure!: Real Play D&D/CRIT Demo (Pt 1)

Author: Charts & Leisure May 8, 2026 Duration: 58:11

In this very special episode of Unravellling, hosts Kurt and Mary step into the world of Table Top Role Playing Group Therapy (Collaborative Role-playing Integrative Therapy) using the world of Dungeons & Dragons, they explored in the previous episode. Guided by therapists and dungeon masters Vinny and E, and joined by producers Andrew and Hans, they create their own D&D characters, each tied to a personal interpersonal growth goal. I reflect on the tension between choosing traits that feel familiar versus ones that stretch them, and how imagination, storytelling, and role play can open up new possibilities for understanding and changing real‑life patterns. This is the first of a two-part adventure inviting listeners to witness, and maybe try for themselves, how tabletop role playing games can become a powerful tool for mental health and self-discovery.

Also, congratulations to Unravelling as this is episode 50!!!


Links

Create your own D&D character
Change the Narrative Therapy - Vinny Dehili
Advance Psychotherapy Practice - E. Merten
Subscribe to Vinny and E's Substack


There’s a thread that connects our inner lives to the culture we live in, and Unravelling pulls on it to see what emerges. This isn’t a lecture series, but a conversation guided by therapist Kurt White and journalist Mary Wilson, who bring their distinct perspectives to every discussion. They explore how mental health is woven into everything from our daily fitness routines and societal pressures to the art we consume and the relationships we keep. In each episode, you’ll hear from experts who study the mind alongside individuals sharing their personal, lived experiences, creating a dialogue that feels both intellectually rigorous and deeply human. The aim is to move beyond simple definitions, examining how anxiety, resilience, joy, and struggle shape our collective reality. Produced by Charts & Leisure, this podcast provides a space for nuance, challenging the idea that our psychological worlds exist in a vacuum. It’s for anyone who has ever felt the tension between their private thoughts and the public world, offering not easy answers but a more textured understanding. By listening, you become part of a broader exploration into how compassion, for ourselves and our society, can actually be built from a place of genuine curiosity.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Unravelling
Podcast Episodes
Soundtracks of the self: Protection and expression in (unsafe) spaces [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:55
In this episode of Unravelling, host Kurt speaks with Evelyn Lee, a music therapist based in Singapore, about how music can be a powerful tool for identity, healing, and connection, especially within the LGBTQ+ community…
Queering the self: Finding the space to show up as you are [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:34
In this episode of Unravelling, Kurt White sits down with poet, playwright, and social worker Britt Billmeyer-Finn to unpack the ideas and impact of queer theory. Far from being just an academic concept, queer theory is…
The space between us: Healing in groups across difference [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:34
In this episode of Unraveling, Mary Wilson talks with psychotherapist and group facilitator Donna Harris, LCSW, CGP, about the challenging work of healing across lines of difference. Donna explains that real connection i…
Group therapy: The room that reflects you back [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:23
What makes a therapy group more than just a room full of people? In this episode, group psychotherapist J. Scott Rutan, Ph.D. joins Kurt to explore the transformative power of group therapy. Drawing on Dr. Rutan's decade…
Creativity as a lifeline: Healing trauma through expression [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:47
In this episode of Unravelling, Mary sits down with Lane Gardner, musician, educator, and founder of Thread, a nonprofit using collaborative songwriting to help communities heal from trauma. Lane shares the story of a po…
Saying "yes" to our creative impulse [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:51
In this episode of Unravelling, filmmaker and Occidental College professor Aleem Hossain joins host Kurt White for a wide-ranging conversation on the role creativity plays in both personal fulfillment and mental health.…
Finding the self online: Identity, algorithms, and the digital mirror [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:15
In this special crossover episode with Never Post, Unravelling host Kurt White joins writer and digital media expert Mike Rugnetta to explore how the internet shapes identity, self-perception, and mental health. From Tik…
AI-Generated empathy: Chatbots and the future of mental health [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:19
In this episode of Unravelling, host Mary Wilson is joined by Betsy Stade, research scientist and clinical psychologist at the Stanford Institute for Human Centered AI, to explore the profound ways AI is reshaping therap…
Intersectionality, systemic barriers, and Black women's mental health [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:56
In this episode of Unravelling, psychologist Dr. Zoeann Finzi-Adams speaks with Mary about the complexities of mental health in Black women, examining how racism and sexism intersect to shape their experiences. She chall…