Perspective: Counselling Simulator – a gamified tool for the development and consolidation of risk assessment skills in trainee counsellors

Purpose Risk is a core element of counselling. The training of risk detection, assessment and management is therefore essential to ensuring effective and ethical practice. This paper aims to outline an applied game for training risk assessment skills. Design/methodology/approach The gamification of education and training aims to strengthen engagement with serious material and enhance learning and consolidation by using a motivating medium. This showcase presents “Perspective: Counselling Simulator”, a gamified tool for developing and assessing risk assessment skills in trainee counsellors in the UK. Findings The authors present a showcase of the game and its development, plans for further validation and evaluation. Practical implications Following ongoing evaluation, the game is intended to be a scalable and accessible tool for trainee counsellors to develop knowledge and self-efficacy in relation to a vital professional skill. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, “Perspective: Counselling Simulator” is the first of its kind as a gamified education and training tool for risk assessment in counselling.