My name is Emma (she/they) and I am a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) based in New York City. I’m interested in creating and studying analog and digital games as mental health interventions for use in clinical (individual therapy and group work) and non-clinical (population-level public mental/behavioral health promotion) settings.

I received my M.A. in Social Work, Social Policy, and Social Administration (M.S.W. equivalency) with a specialization in School Social Work from the University of Chicago in June of 2022, where I also studied Psychology as an undergraduate (B.A.’21).

I am particularly interested in game/geek therapy approaches to mental health care – engaging with the powers of creativity, imagination, and play in service provision to increase appeal and accessibility of care to therapy-averse populations, support genuine therapeutic relationships, and deepen client insights through scaffolded learning.

My professional background at the intersections of design, mental health, and education (and years of personal experience as a nerd) uniquely positions me to pursue this work with adolescent and emerging-adult populations.

Based in existential second-wave positive psychology (PP2) and third wave cognitive-behavioral theories, my current work in applied gaming focuses on facilitating individual and collective identity and purpose development, culminating in a mature and sustainable well-being regardless of the challenges faced, through the safety of the magic circle.

If you are interested in working together (or talking about Doctor Who), please feel free to contact me at emma.j.sorkin@gmail.com.

check out my games here! (assuming I finally published them, please hold for layout) https://dinosorks.itch.io