A Game that is a Tool

“WordTrails is a powerful practice for self-discovery and emotional healing. Rooted in neuroscience and trauma-informed principles, it blends play with evidence-based techniques like interoception, bilateral processing, and polyvagal regulation. Each element of the game—from embodied word choice to symbolic bridging—becomes a pathway for integration, meaning- making, and flow. Whether you seek clarity, emotional release, or a creative reset, this method turns language into a living map of the Self.”

“What makes this experience truly transformative is the brain state it creates: a dynamic interplay of calm alertness, creative openness, and emotional safety. During play, the nervous system shifts toward parasympathetic regulation, while the brain enters a theta-dominant state—similar to deep meditation or creative flow. This state is optimal for memory reconsolidation, emotional processing, and new neural pathway formation. In short, WordTrails isn’t just a game; it’s a structured doorway into the neurobiology of healing and insight.”

“WordTrails unites all three modes—storytelling, trinket-based anchoring, and collaborative reflection—into a single, integrative experience that activates the brain’s social engagement system, fosters co-regulation, and cultivates narrative coherence. Across all styles of play, the dominant brain state is one of safe connection and reflective integration, engaging the prefrontal cortex and calming the amygdala to allow empathy, perspective-taking, and meaning-making to flourish.”

-From WordTrails as a Trauma-Informed Tool: A Neuropsychological Perspective Prepared by Dr. Stefanie Bennett