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We believe that video games can serve as tools for understanding ourselves, each other, and the world around us— and we celebrate gaming in its many contexts: as a hobby; as an art form; as therapy.

Get cozy – this is Pixel Therapy.

We believe that video games can serve as tools for understanding ourselves, each other, and the world around us— and we celebrate gaming in its many contexts: as a hobby; as an art form; as therapy.

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Latest Episodes

The Quest for a Trans Tag on Twitch (plus, Pokemon!) with The Juliancito – Pixel Therapy Pod

Hey, y'all! This week we're so excited to welcome the_juliancito to hang with us in the virtual studio! Juliancito is a queer, trans, Puerto Rican, and Jewish Twitch streamer who is a member of Radically Kind Gamers (a stream team founded by our Episode 1 guest, ZombaeKillz). He has also been a super vocal advocate for the inclusion of a trans tag on Twitch – and why it matters to have one for the trans community that's separate from the LGBTQIA+ tag that already exists. We'll let him tell you more about why, as well as about his lifelong love for Pokemon. Meanwhile, Spencer shares their Theyfriend Review of Red Dead Online, and Jamie talks about Narita Boy and hypes up some cool recent Xbox news! Game Pass looks like it's creating really interesting opportunities for indie games to get noticed and devs to get their coin. Among the titles coming to the Netflix-like gaming service are Backbone (shoutout to Alex, our Ep 15 guest!), Boyfriend Dungeon, and She Dreams Elsewhere, plus so many more! Follow the_juliancito: https://www.twitch.tv/the_juliancito Side Quest The Deaf Queer Resource Center (DQRC) is a national nonprofit that works to support, inform, empower, and bring more visibility to and awareness about marginalized Deaf LGBTQ communities through events, fundraisers, and advocacy.  Their new website is under development at deafqueer.org, but you can also find them on Facebook and Twitter @deafqueer! About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Join our little community over on Patreon! Support this podcast
  1. The Quest for a Trans Tag on Twitch (plus, Pokemon!) with The Juliancito
  2. Alternative Controls and the Importance of Touch with Designer Amanda Hudgins
  3. Facing Our Fears in Super Mario 64 with Game Critic Gameonysus aka Janet Garcia
  4. Crafting a Modern Dystopia with Backbone's Narrative Designer Alex Korabelnikova
  5. The Emotional Benefits of Gaming with Counselor Jamiere Leslie
  6. Queer Theory, Fandom, and Relationship Dynamics with Power Couple Jude and Kerey
  7. Archiving the Past and Building Black Trans Futures with Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley

Nice things folks have said about us

It’s really opened my mind thinking about how queerness and gaming can intersect.

5-Star Listener Review

This podcast is absolutely amazing. I have never heard people talk about this aspect of video games.

5-Star Listener Review
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Access monthly bonus episodes, exclusive blog posts, and more (like STICKERS) while helping us build an inclusive and friendly space that welcomes anyone who enjoys games and wants to talk about their feelings.

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Pixel Therapy in the press

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𝔼𝕡𝕚𝕤𝕠𝕕𝕖 𝟙𝟠: 𝕁𝕦𝕝𝕚á𝕟! 💞 People change, but Pokémon is forever. 𝙉𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙖 𝘽𝙤𝙮 💥 Check out our latest episode for Jamie’s take on @studio.koba’s Narita Boy, a retro-future fever dream serving us AKIRA-meets-Bladerunner-meets-Samurai Jack vibes. Hey, y'all! This week we're so excited to welcome @the_juliancito to hang with us in the virtual studio! Julián is a queer, trans, Puerto Rican, and Jewish Twitch Affiliate streamer who is a member of Radically Kind Gamers (a stream team founded by our Episode 1 guest, @ZombaeKillz). He has also been a super vocal advocate for the inclusion of a trans tag on Twitch - and why it matters to have one for the trans community that's separate from the LGBTQIA+ tag that already exists. We'll let him tell you more about why, as well as about his lifelong love for Pokemon! 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙬 𝙑𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 💐 “There will come a day when you feel crushed by the burden of modern life...” ✨ I know I’m not alone in saying this, but it’s been so comforting to come home to Stardew Valley; this enigmatic, melancholy, hopeful, anti-capitalist, peaceful, relaxing little gem of a game. ✨ I made a Forest Farm this time around, and my first two years have flown by. As I get ready for a big life change and moving to the country this summer, it’s been inspiring and exciting to play, too 😊😄 I didn’t know what alt controls design was until @merlintriss joined us on the show, and it’s opened up a whole new dimension of thinking about and approaching video games! Amanda breaks it down a bit in this quote from our latest episode✨🤯💞 The image on the second slide is of Centenntable, aka the 1000 Buttons Project, an alt control experience that Amanda designed and fabricated. Learn more at buttonsare(.)cool— and by listening to Episode 17 of @pixeltherapypod, Alternative Controls and the Importance of Touch with Designer Amanda Hudgins!! You can listen to Pixel Therapy everywhere podcasts are found - like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podchaser, and more! 🌸 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙬𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙖 𝙨𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝🍵🍓✨ Good morning! Customizing my Switch has been an unexpectedly soothing activity that’s also brought me back in touch with my inner child. 🌸 Getting new skins for my Gameboy Advance, SP, and the Nintendo DS was an early obsession I forgot about for a long time! I like to think my taste has evolved since the days of galaxy and sparkle decals, while still indulging my playful side 💖 thanks to @stickietech I was able to create this custom cream, white, and sage green combo, topped with the most adorably detailed matcha taiyaki by @huniecharms that I just can’t get over- it looks so nice docked next to the PS5🍦Once the clear soft silicone case comes in, the look will be complete! It’s been making me smile as I reunite with Stardew Valley, a game I originally played on PS4 but feels really nice to play handheld- I love the intimacy of having the experience up close. This matcha latte vibe was definitely inspired by @agirlwithaconsole_’s fresh and soothing aesthetic - def check out her profile as well as our other gaming partners! 💞 Alternative controls design is so cool! In Episode 17 we chat with Amanda Hudgins (@merlintriss), a game designer at @supersoulstudio, managing editor at @unwinnable, and artist challenging the form and function of video games. Current project: an alternative controller quilt. 𝙵𝚊𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚝 + 𝙶𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝙷𝚘𝚖𝚎 🌹What does it mean to come home? Lately, I haven’t been so sure. I have learned in my life that home is a place I make wherever I go, and my homes are also found in other people. As an adult survivor of trauma, a trans person, a 2nd-gen person, a mixed race person, home is also a place I yearn for; a place that feels mythic; something I miss but I also was never sure I had in the first place.

About the show

We’re a bi-weekly podcast bringing you new perspectives on video game culture and current events with folks who may or may not identify as gamers– from streamers and industry folks to artists and activists, everyone deserves a little pixel therapy. Launched September 2020, we have fun, we go deep, and we explore the love of games within a broader social and cultural context while challenging conventional notions of what it means to be a “gamer”— and who gets to call themselves one. Pixel Therapy Pod is independently produced and co-hosted by Spencer Icasiano (they/them), a queer and trans, mixed race Filipino writer and UX designer, and Jamie Siebenaler (she/her), a queer team and project manager with a deep passion for games.