Healing Your Mind Through Chess

Healing your mind through chess is a regular complement in my psychotherapy practice.

You may read an article on Chess Therapy written by a chess coach in India. The author quoted me in his post, describing what I do and write about it.

In my own psychotherapy practice, a creative complement I use is healing your mind through chess.

One time, I was in a veterans hospital where I do group sessions. Fabiano, a young man from Italy, joined in the group for a visit.

He remarked, “I read your post on chess therapy doc, so I decided to pay you a visit while I’m here in Manila.”

Days following, I found myself treating him online – playing chess and doing psychoanalysis to address his specific life concerns.

His mental state as well as life perspective improved and deepened by using the complement of chess in his particular case.

I remember when I was in high school and in the university as a varsity chess player. For years, I represented my school in inter school championship and national competitions.

Those were turbulent teenage years. Never did I understand then how I was using chess to heal my mind and cope with insecurities or relationships during that stage of my life.

“Chess for Life” is a hospital-based program in the United States. It’s under the auspices and partnership of Siteman Cancer Center and the famed Chess Club & Scholastic Center of St. Louis.

In that program, they use chess “clinically.” A psychoanalytic tool in the treatment of patients.

The program provides patients and staff as well as visitors a therapeutic space to heal minds and moods through chess games.

“Chess for Life” was inspired by Jim Corbett, a Siteman patient who died of stage 4 cancer of esophagus in 2008. 

During his medical treatment at the center, Corbett’s moods were lifted whenever he’d play chess games.

The “Chess for Life” patient treatment -a healing your mind through chess program – was established as a tribute to Corbett.

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