THE SUPPORT TEAM
RJ HAGGERTY
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CEO & Founder of The Quest, a lover of people who has been playing and running tabletop RPGs since 2009. RJ has a passion for storytelling and character exploration that he brings to all of his endeavors. With experience in both clinical mental health counseling and many years of gaming, he’s looking forward to guiding you down the path of your very own Quest!
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Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in the state of North Carolina (LCMHC)
Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC)
Certified Therapeutic Game Master (CTGM)
Bachelors in Cinematic Arts with a screenwriting focus (120 Credit Hours)
Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CACREP Accredited, 60 Credit Hours)
EMDR Trained (40 hours)
Expertise in working with adolescent to adult human beings on issues such as trauma, ADHD/time management, stress & burnout, depression, anxiety, and more.
Committed to advocacy and accessibility in gaming & therapy for every population.
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Tea or Coffee? Coffee for sure. If I were a fish, I’d swim in an ocean of it.
Favorite Food? A nice juicy steak and potatoes!
Sunrise or Sunset? Sunrise! New day, new chances.
Favorite D&D class you’ve played as? Sorcerers! Underrated, in my book. But Bards & Paladins are fun too, anything where I get to let my little extrovert batteries recharge!
Favorite monster to fight? I fought an Aboleth back in 2015, playing as a wizard. Huge, evil, intelligent, evil, psychic, evil, aquatic mind-enslaver monster that lived in the sewers beneath a large city. Did I mention they’re evil?? That campaign forever cemented Aboleths as my favorite (read: most feared and loathed) monster to fight against!
Of course, it wasn’t so smug when it got trapped between the material and astral planes and was subsequently atomized into fishy particles, but how we managed that is a story for another day.Most memorable in-game moment? While that bit about the Aboleth is a good story, I think my most memorable in-game moment of all time has to be when I ran a murder-mystery style story beat for some of my players.
One character’s father was on trial for the murder, and they had to find clues to determine what had happened. I did not expect the Bard to have taken Raise Dead as a spell they yoinked from the Cleric spell list, so when the victim came back to life, it became a very different sort of adventure after that. Made me a better Game Master in the end, though I was gobsmacked in the moment!Your favorite quote? “…There is some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.” -Samwise Gamgee
What would you say you excel at as a game master? As a barely-reformed theater kid and film student, I’d say I excel first and foremost in providing my players with opportunities to let their character choices that they’ve made breathe. Chances to explore the world, witness its smaller moments, and participate in its giant setpiece epics, and rolling with my players’ choices so that they know the world responds to them and their stories!
What would you say you excel at as a mental health professional? I’d say my style as a counselor matches my style as a game master- relational, listening first, collaborating and always putting the player or client in the driver’s seat, chasing their own goals. I’m in the passenger’s seat with the map, ready to go at your speed!Combat, exploration, social scenes or puzzles? I prefer a focus on exploration and combat when the characters are out in the world, but it’s crucial to make time for social moments of roleplay to remind us all that these characters we play as are people too. I occasionally slip the odd puzzle in there for my players, but it’s not my typical wheelhouse, haha.
Do you prefer running detailed combat maps or theater of the mind? I have and do run battle maps when needed, but I began running games in an age where battle maps definitely weren’t online and minis were expensive. I default to theater of the mind, preferring to vividly describe and co-narrate the action alongside my players!
You suddenly gain the power to cast one cantrip and one leveled spell from the game in real life, what do you choose? I choose Prestidigitation instantly for the cantrip. No more laundry day! As for the other spell, I gotta go with Lesser Restoration. Cure poisons, diseases, blindness, paralysis? Time to hang around at my local hospital!
We’re a small team with a love for storytelling and a passion for mental health and personal growth.
AGGIE ZELVIS
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Aggie brings a blend of clinical skill and genuine curiosity to every session, supporting adolescents, adults, and anyone navigating emotional twists and turns. She’s especially passionate about walking alongside first responders and those who serve or have served in the armed forces, helping them explore their stories, build resilience, and discover new strengths through roleplay‑driven work.
Newer to D&D herself, Aggie shows up with enthusiasm, humility, and plenty of grace for the learning curve. She’s ready to meet adventurers of all experience levels—whether you’re a seasoned strategist or rolling your very first d20—and is excited to explore The Quest right alongside you.
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Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate (LCMHCA)
National Certified Counselor (NCC)
Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CACREP Accredited, 60 Credit Hours)
Advanced trainings with a focus on mental health support for armed forces and veterans
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Tea or Coffee? Tea, always with honey.
Favorite Food? Pizza! There will never be a day that it’s not the perfect way to deliver cheese.
Sunrise or Sunset? Sunsets, the time when the day quiets and reflection begins is music to my soul.
Favorite D&D class you’ve played? Warlock for sure! My first character ever was a Warlock and she will always be first in my heart.
Favorite monster to fight? So far, I’d say the wizard at the top of the tower is always a winner.
Most memorable in-game moment? In my first campaign our party faced down the darkness, in an epic ending our friendships and bonds forged across the campaign were what repelled the evil that threatened our world. As a sometimes introvert who finds friendships challenging to develop, the power of telling the story together in a fantasy world changed me for the better.
Your favorite quote? "You can’t skip chapters, that’s not how life works. You have to read every line, meet every character. You won’t enjoy all of it. . . . some chapters will make you cry for weeks. You will read things you don’t want to read, you will have moments when you don’t want the pages to end. But you have to keep going. Stories keep the world revolving. Live yours, don’t miss out". - Courtney Peppernell
What would you say you excel at as a game master? I am an avid lover of all things structure and rules as a game master I find that a good rule challenge is an adventure unto itself! I enjoy layering the specificity of the finer points of the rules with the creative nuances of player choice, it makes the epic moments heart pounding and surprising, even for me as the GM!
What would you say you excel at as a mental health professional? I love teaching humans how to engage meaningfully in their lives and with their authentic selves! One of my favorite experiences is to see my client discover where they fit in this world and to know that they matter, that no part of them is unwanted.Combat, exploration, social scenes or puzzles? I love every aspect of adventuring! I lean on my players' temperaments to see what they are most likely to enjoy and try to follow where their characters want to go. As a player, I love a good puzzle or combat!
Do you prefer running detailed combat maps or theater of the mind? I love that theater of the mind allows us all to see the world in different ways. Each player brings their own narrative and life experiences to reference! I like letting your imagination show you a world that makes sense to you and knowing that we all have our own flavor of a “local tavern house” to color the scene with!
You suddenly gain the power to cast one spell from the game in real life, what do you choose? Who doesn’t want an extra hand to hold the snacks while driving home from work?! Mage Hand for sure as a cantrip! As for a spell, Find Familiar to have a forever cat companion that could cozy up after adventuring with me would be excellent!
KELLIE SYFAN
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I have run and done research on therapeutic Dnd (and other TTRPG) groups for the past five years, although I have been playing them much longer. My style of DMing encourages deep immersion in the story and space for players to lead the narrative throughout sessions. With my behavioral and ACT background, you are sure to enjoy the adventure while making progress toward your personal goals!
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Board Certified and Licensed Behavior Analyst (BCBA, LBA)
Certified Behavioral Sexologist (CBS)
Neurodivergent affirming
Expertise in working with toddler to adult human beings on issues such as trauma, grief, communication and advocacy skills, relationship skills, compulsive behavior, anxiety, and more.
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Tea or Coffee? Both, I enjoy a fancy espresso drink as well as my collection of loose-leaf tea filled jars
Favorite Food? I love food, so many foods…let’s say salmon for today
Sunrise or Sunset? Sunsets for me
Favorite D&D class you’ve played? Druid, 100%!
Favorite monster to fight? I enjoy a multifaceted fight with lair actions and changing scenery more than one big boss, although I am a sucker for a classic dragon battle. I once DM’ed an underwater session with vampires, possessed whales, and cannon fire...and a gorilla in a floaty throwing excrement (because my players are creative chaos and I love them.)
Most memorable in-game moment? Without prior discussion, two players at the table engaged in an interrogation that was both respectful and masterfully enacted (zone of truth + subtle spell detect thoughts = some chef’s kiss beautiful role play)
Your favorite quote? If you can’t see the bright side of life, polish the dull side.
What would you say you excel at as a game master? I love when a player says something wild and we can just go with it. I had a player who was not super feeling the setting and said offhandedly “All the water should turn into sushi…” and I said “Yep, the water bubbles up and becomes sushi!” and started to describe with the players how that was affecting the giant swans swimming through it. Reengagement achieved, story now unforgettable and taking a different path to our goal that I ever could have designed. It’s not carte blanche to take over the narrative, but an invitation to explore that I really enjoy providing my players with.
What would you say you excel at as a mental health professional? I am an expert in behavior, you are the expert in you: let’s work together to meet your goals! Very similar to my GM style.Combat, exploration, social scenes or puzzles? I like about 25% combat, 20% exploration, 10% puzzles, and 45% social and role play (LOVE when this gets integrated in the rest!) I am role play heavy from a “Let the characters grow, the story is just the scaffolding” kind of perspective.
Do you prefer running detailed combat maps or theater of the mind? Theater of the mind!! Don’t get me wrong, a beautiful combat map is delightful and I love minis but I would rather the memory of the session be the visuals that one creates in their mind.
You suddenly gain the power to cast one spell from the game in real life, what do you choose? Druidcraft (I live on a farm and this would be VERY HELPFUL in day to day life) and healing word for sure
Contact Me: kellie@thequesttherapy.com
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