Superhero Therapy: Helping Clients Cope with Ongoing Global Trauma

In the light of the recent global events - wars, violence, the ongoing pandemic, 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. Super...Read morehero 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 the 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 training will focus on how to use ST to help teen and adult clients manage anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms, 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 is necessary to participate in this training. Capes are optional. Less...

Learning Objectives

• List 3 psychological benefits of Superhero Therapy.
• Describe the detrimental impacts of loneliness on mental and physical health.
• Describe how to incorporate pop culture examples into treatment in order to help clients to manage their feelings of loneliness.

Target Audience

Learning Levels

• Beginner and Intermediate

Saturday, July 30, 2022

11:00 AM EDT - 02:15 PM EDT