Ep 34: Mital Salia: Game therapist and unschooling mom

In this episode, Mital Salia, game therapist and founder of Khel Khel Mein talks about how she prescribes games to teach life skills and for mental wellbeing. A counselling psychologist and educator, she started by curating game nights at home, which were a huge hit. Certain games, whether solo or multiplayer, teach dexterity, stimulate brain function and raise EQ, she informs. 

Playing also releases feel good hormones dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin, while reducing cortisol, the stress hormone. Games, like physical sports, also teach children to deal with failure gracefully and bounce back for the next round, says Mital. 

The Mumbai-based therapist talks about travelling through India, particularly villages in south India, coming across ancient games etched on temple floors. In one Madurai household, she discovered the mathematical game Pallanguzhi (an Indian version of Mancala) being played by generations of women. 

Mital also pulled her son, now 21, out of school at the age of 14 as it was not giving him any real life skills. She talks about sending him to live on a Bengaluru farm to explore his interest in reptiles, besides pursuing scuba diving and snowboarding.

Mital is the author of Game Your Mind - All about Game Therapy: Reshape Your Skills and Emotions; Become a Better Version of Yourself by Playing Games as well as Practical Handbook on Brain Fitness: Ways to Reverse The Age of The Brain. 

Here are some of her all-time favourite games:
Find it First or Spot It, Top That, Dr Eureka, Marble Solitaire, the Hide and Seek series, Traffic Hour or Rush Hour, Brainvita, Nine Men Morris, Splendour, Seven Wonders, Wingspan, Century: Spice Road and Coup. She recommends neuroscience-based online portals such as Lumosity, Brain HQ and Einstein Riddle.

Listen in!

Timestamps:
00:40 What is a game therapist?
03:25 From counselling psychologist to education and game therapy
07:43 Organising game nights at home
13:15 Getting to know people’s social and emotional intelligence through games
16:00 Happy hormones released through playing games
18:53 Games for families
22:50 Impact of game therapy workshops
27:00 Board games for strategizing, warfare, entrepreneurship
30:30 Pallanghuzhi, the mathematical game from the villages of Tamil Nadu
33:39 Travelling through south India to research ancient games
38:47 Pros and cons of video games
42:35 Decision to unschool her son
50:52 Message for adults and kids on board games

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