Annette Williams | PhD, LPC, RPT, CAS and Game Developer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Annette Williams and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Annette, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The thought process behind starting S.T.A.L.K. Development Group was not mine. It is God sent! S.T.A.L.K. stands for Scriptural Teachings About the Lord’s Kingdom. One day, I was sitting in my car thinking about how to reach young people as professionally, I’m a Mental Health Counselor who primarily works with teens and children. I am also a children’s Bible study teacher. The stories the young people share are almost reflective in terms of the nature and content of their experiences. Pre-marital sex, teen pregnancies, vaping, skipping school, negative social media influences, drug use, suicidal thoughts, you name it. I didn’t have an answer to my question, but God did. He spoke to me and said, “I want you to reach young people through games.”

I thought about this, hemmed and hawed as I’m not a game developer nor did I have a clue as to what the games would be about. But I recalled saying to God earlier last year that I would not delay my obedience as delayed obedience is disobedience. I secured a pencil and paper and began jotting ideas. One idea led to another and by the time I finished reading God’s word and extrapolating ideas, I created 43 games. These games are a culmination of tabletop, card, virtual, religious, and mental health games. I sought a gaming conference, attended, and gained a wealth of information pertaining to game development and the gaming industry.

After attending the conference, I felt confident in creating games and using them in my Bible lessons and therapy sessions. To assess need, I searched religious and mental health materials/lessons online and I did not see anything comparable to what I had developed in terms of the depth and insight God breathed into this project.  After completing prototypes, I had a few friends and family members vet them and they were ecstatic! They encouraged me to take my works to the next level, thus encouraging me to start a business.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I have two businesses under my belt. One business, Williams Counseling and Play Therapy, PLLC, is a sole proprietorship mental health practice. The second business is S.T.A.L.K. Development Group. S.T.A.L.K. stands for Scriptural Teachings About the Lord’s Kingdom and this is a Christian gaming and Bible lesson development company.

I started Williams Counseling and Play Therapy, PLLC in 2021 and started S.T.A.L.K. in late 2022. I enjoy both entities very much as through both, I meet people from different walks of life.  I’m learning the gaming industry and the mechanics of gaming and am merging mental health theory and practice with gaming to create a new niche in gaming and the mental arena.

In terms of what sets me apart from others, I believe I am on the cutting edge of what will become a new way of teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and helping patients with their mental health needs through gaming. Additionally, I am bridging mental health practice with religion by creating games that take us from taboo in terms of discussion to transparency and vulnerability. Adding to this, I have developed games to help prepare perspective foster care and adoptive parents for child placement. But even before placement, some games help interested parties determine if they are suited for fostering or adopting by challenging what they think they know through role play and realistic scenarios.

What I am most proud of and excited about is my new gaming endeavors and my upcoming summer gaming tour. And although the ideas for these games are not mine (God given), I am blessed, nonetheless, to be the vessel by which these games have come to fruition. To date, I have developed 43 games, half for religious purposes and the other half for mental health purposes. Adding to this, I completed my first infomercial shoot April 22, 2023, and am excited to use it for commerce and fundraising.

Regarding how I got to the place where I am today? Simply said, God’s grace, the care and instruction of other mental health professionals who trained me in this field, hard work, dedication, and through the support of my family.

Has this journey been easy? Absolutely not, but it has been rewarding! First, the mental health journey. When I decided to open my practice, I was still new to mental health counseling in terms of completing the requirements for licensure. I made a lot of business mistakes and sometimes felt ill prepared to meet patients needs. However, I was determined to be successful and therefore committed myself to reading articles related to mental health practice, and I attended workshops and seminars to increase my knowledge and skill set.

Regarding the gaming journey, because I know who blessed me with this venture, there is no backing out. I’ve dedicated myself to researching the gaming industry including reading articles regarding the psychology of gaming and using statistics in gaming. While reading, I jotted my ideas on paper; developed game mechanics, created cards and boards, and eventually attended a gaming conference in California to increase my knowledge of gaming. A culmination of research, prototype development and workshops built my confidence around game design and mechanics. Now, I am equipped to expand my gaming development into virtual reality and digital gaming.

Lessons learned are that there are no limits in life. Create a plan and stick to it no matter what because you never know where the road will lead you.  Were there bumps along the way? Yes indeed, but I learned from my mistakes and wouldn’t change my journey for anything in the world. Adding to this, fulfilling God’s purpose of teaching Jesus through gaming and helping patients with their mental health needs is an honor.  The lesson in this is that God chooses people to complete assignments and when HE calls, don’t delay.

What I want the world to know about me and my story is that I never stop! I’m always seeking ways to improve the lives of others.  I enjoy a challenge and I walk by faith. This faith walk has brought forth good fruit; fruit I could have never imagined, but I am thankful that God chose me to do this work!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If a friend was visiting my area, I would venture from the city and journey west to Burton, Texas, and surrounding West Texas towns. These areas host a plethora of flea markets, town squares and farmers markets just waiting for city folks to browse and purchase goods. The ride west is relaxing and off the beaten path. I would continue my journey south to Palacios, Texas. This is the best kept secret for beach goers. And although there isn’t a ton of beach front, the beach where Hwy 35 ends is where the Gulf of Mexico begins. Downtown Palacios has several abandoned buildings built in the late 1800’s. They are graced with high street curbs that accommodated riders who traveled by horse and buggy. A quaint flower garden sits directly west of the downtown area, and it is a stone’s throw away from the beautiful gulf. Although there are a few mom-and-pop restaurants in Palacios, this area is a place where a nice basket lunch is a welcomed treat. There is nothing exciting there to see, but if you want to relax away from rowdy beach goers, this is the place to be!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
This shoutout goes to all of the people who helped make my first S.T.A.L.K. infomercial a success! Special thanks to Judith Johnson, Eric Johnson and Jeremy Johnson. Also, a special thanks to Deja Williams and LaZanee Miller for assisting me with the first stop of my game tour in Austin, Texas.

Website: https://williamscounselingplaytherapy.com

Facebook: STALK Development Group

Image Credits
Deana Walls-Photographer Benita Hodges-Photographer Annette Williams-Photographer