Drawing on ACT and CBT, this guide incorporates popular culture into evidence-based therapy, offering a unique approach for mental health professionals to better support clients dealing with anxiety and trauma. With fun and engaging activities and downloadable worksheets, it aims to alleviate the shame and stigma surrounding mental health, empowering clients to discover their origin story and reframe their experiences to become real life superheroes. Covering topics such as building resilience, identifying and overcoming key challenges, and mindfulness, this book introduces familiar superheroes as characters to identify with, aiming to validate clients' experiences and encourage deeper understanding and reflection during sessions. It provides a range of activities and worksheets to use in a variety of settings with children aged 7+, teens and adults. An increasingly popular approach, this guide is an invaluable and timely resource for all mental health professionals working with those experiencing anxiety and trauma.

"Psychologist Scarlet, a childhood survivor of the Chernobyl nuclear explosion, draws on the techniques of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in this innovative approach to helping readers with emotional and psychological difficulties." —Publishers Weekly "Eye-catching art and a focus on setting simple, achievable daily goals, makes this a promising alternative to more conventional self-help programs." —Booklist Winner of the United Nations Association’s Eleonor Roosevelt Human Rights Award! A hero’s journey always begins with a struggle—what’s yours? For the first time ever, psychologist Janina Scarlet and Marvel and DC Comics illustrator Wellinton Alves join forces to create Superhero Therapy—a dynamic, illustrated introduction to acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to help you vanquish your inner monsters, explore your unique superpowers, and become a Superhero questing for what matters to you. Haven’t you ever wanted to be a Superhero? Wished that you could have amazing superpowers, such as super-strength, the ability to fly, or the ability to heal people? Or maybe you wished that you could travel through time and space, enjoying the many adventures that you would encounter along the way? Many of us wish we had special abilities to help us navigate through life—especially when super villains like anxiety, depression, anger, or shame make an appearance. This fun, unique, and “outside-the-box” self-help guide provides everything you need to begin your very own superhero training using evidence-based ACT and mindfulness skills. Within these colorful pages, you’ll team up with a group of troubled heroes—inspired by both fictional characters and real-life people—enlisted at the Superhero Training Academy. By learning to face up to their inner villains and monsters, these characters will inspire you to overcome your problems as well. When you’re finished, you’ll have a slew of new tools you can use—like mindfulness, self-compassion, and values—to help you conquer whatever life throws your way. Sometimes life is hard, and it takes super inner super strength to succeed and reach your goals. With this fun and unique guide under your belt, nothing will stand in your way.

Dear witch or wizard, Have you read and reread the "Harry Potter" books? Are you someone who can quote the movies by heart? Do you still ever wonder when you will get your acceptance letter into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? Me too.As a diehard and proud Potterhead, my heart warms every time I hear the main theme music, "Hedwig's theme." Like many of you, I have been sorted on Pottermore (House Slytherin) and I have my wand (Willow, 10-inch unicorn hair) and robes. And for me, like for so many of you, the "Harry Potter" series has been life changing.I always wanted to write a book specific to Harry Potter, my favorite fandom, and one, which undoubtedly has influenced me, the most. I decided that I would like to write a self-help book for you, my fellow Harry Potter fans to help you better manage you anxiety, depression, trauma, insecurity, and other difficulties. I hope that you will join me on an enchanting exploration how "Harry Potter" series can help us heal and find the magic in our own lives.The proceeds of this book will be donated to mental health charities, such as Crisis Text Line and RAINN, as well as Lumos and the Good Samaritan organization

This spellbinding graphic novel follows the adventures of Violet—a young witch whose parents were murdered when she was a child. As she wages war against necromancers and demons, Violet learns to overcome her internal monsters as well. In this groundbreaking comic book for teens and young adults, we meet Violet—a witch whose parents were murdered by an evil necromancer when she was only six years old. Running from country to country, as well as from herself, Violet never gets a chance to fully process her traumatic experience. When she turns 19, Violet begins training at the Underworld Intelligence Agency (UIA) in hopes of becoming a Dark Agent—someone tasked with keeping the balance between the world of the living and the world of the undead. During her training, Violet hopes to finally overcome her fear of death and take control of her emotions, but instead she finds that mindfulness, vulnerability, and acceptance are the skills most necessary to help her succeed. Blended seamlessly throughout the story are elements of a powerful and evidence-based treatment called acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Whether or not you’ve experienced a traumatic event like Violet, you’ll find valuable skills you can apply to your own life to help you conquer your demons and hone your unique superpowers. Note for therapists: Dark Agents presents the core skills of ACT in a fun, narrative format to appeal to teen readers. In this comic, teens will learn all about mindfulness, defusion, self-compassion, and values-based living. The book doesn't feel like a therapist recommendation—which is exactly what makes it perfect for your teen clients!

This latest installment in the Psychology of Popular Culture series turns its focus to superheroes. Superheroes have survived and fascinated for more than 70 years in no small part due to their psychological depth. In The Psychology of Superheroes, almost two dozen psychologists get into the heads of today's most popular and intriguing superheroes. Why do superheroes choose to be superheroes? Where does Spider-Man's altruism come from, and what does it mean? Why is there so much prejudice against the X-Men, and how could they have responded to it, other than the way they did? Why are super-villains so aggressive? The Psychology of Superheroes answers these questions, exploring the inner workings our heroes usually only share with their therapists.

Through rich and research-grounded clinical applications, Using Superheroes and Villains in Counseling and Play Therapy explores creative techniques for integrating superhero stories and metaphors in clinical work with children, adolescents, adults and families. Each chapter draws on the latest empirically supported approaches and techniques to address a wide range of clinical challenges in individual, family and group settings. The chapters also explore important contextual issues of race, gender, culture, age and ethnicity and provide case studies and practical tips that clinicians can use to support clients on their healing journey.