Please note that all registrations have to be paid in full before the event takes place - otherwise you will miss out on receiving the Zoom link (this is usually sent two days before the event takes place). This event will be recorded for all those who are registered on the day. Recording is available for three weeks – the link will be sent after the event.

In the light of the recent global events - wars, violence, and the rapidly rising mental health crisis, we need to make mental health accessible and relatable. 

People all across the world are struggling with loneliness and PTSD and yet most either don’t know how to process their traumatic experiences or have been shamed for trying. Many teens and adults turn to TV shows, comic books, movies, and video games initially to escape their emotional pain, only to later form meaningful social connections through these avenues. 

This is where Superhero Therapy comes in. Superhero Therapy (ST) refers to incorporating popular culture into evidence-based therapy, such as CBT or ACT as a way to destigmatize the client’s mental health experience. ST utilizes client's passions as a way to formulate the client's strengths that can be used to practice mindfulness (e.g., mindful gaming or Spider-Man meditation), as well as the willingness to face their emotions and better understand their painful experiences. And the best part is, you don't have to be an expert in popular culture to use this approach. Your client is the expert. All you have to be is open minded and curious.

This webinar will focus on how to use ST to help teen and adult clients manage PTSD symptoms, to feel understood and supported, to expand the client’s emotional vocabulary, and to assist the client in becoming their own version of a superhero in real life (IRL), fostering posttraumatic growth. No previous experience with popular culture necessary to participate in this training. Capes are optional.

Learning objectives: 

1.  List 3 psychological benefits of Superhero Therapy

2.  Describe the detrimental impacts of loneliness on PTSD 

3.  Describe how to incorporate pop culture examples into treatment in order to help clients to reduce loneliness and manage PTSD

Presenter: Dr Janina Scarlet

Dr. Janina Scarlet is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, author, and a TEDx speaker. A Ukrainian-born refugee, she survived Chernobyl radiation and persecution. She immigrated to the United States at the age of 12 with her family and later, inspired by the X-Men, developed Superhero Therapy to help patients with anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Dr. Scarlet is the recipient of the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award by the United Nations Association for her work on Superhero Therapy. Her work has been featured on Yahoo, BBC, NPR, Sunday Times, The New York Times, Forbes, and many other outlets. She regularly consults on books and television shows, including HBO’s The Young Justice. She was also interviewed for Marvel’s MPower series and was portrayed as a comic book character in Gail Simone’s Seven Days graphic novel. Dr. Scarlet is the Lead Trauma Specialist at the Trauma and PTSD Healing Center and is the Founding Director of Divine Feminine Publishing. She authored eighteen books and has written chapters for nineteen others. Her books include Superhero Therapy, Harry Potter Therapy, Dark Agents, Super-Women,  It Shouldn’t Be This Way, Through Bullets and Thunderstorms, and many others.