Most people report that they are not comfortable asking their loved ones for help when they are going through a bout of depression and/or are having suicidal thoughts. Some people report that they are afraid that their loved ones will judge them for reaching out, while others report that they don’t know how to ask for the support that they need. Continue reading How an emoji can save a life
Tag: anxiety
EuroTour and Pay-It-Forward
Next month I will set off on my first official Europe book tour during which I will be presenting workshops to mental health professionals on Superhero Therapy and Therapy Quest.
Here are the tour details:
Why Women Get Excluded in Online Gaming
Ever heard the expression “sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me”? Chances are that there is at least one name that someone called you, at least one rejection that you faced that stayed with you for years. You might have stayed up at night wondering what you could have done differently, wondering how you will be able to recover from the devastating emotional pain you are feeling.
2018 – The Year of Hope
The past two years have been extremely challenging for many people. Year 2016 can be categorized as the Year of Death – we saw more celebrity deaths than we normally do, having lost such inspirational people as David Bowie, Prince, Alan Rickman, Carrie Fisher, and many others.
Then 2017 happened. We saw drastic political changes and political unrest. We saw violence and the uprising and vocalization of white supremacy and a rapid increase in hate crimes and hate expression.
But we also saw love. And we saw hope. And justice.
Therapy Quest
Did you ever feel like you don’t belong? Like you are somehow different from the people around you? Did you ever wish you could escape to Hogwarts and find connection like Harry Potter did? I did.
I spent most of my life feeling like an outsider and wanting so badly to belong. Not fit in. But to truly belong. To be a part of something that was bigger than myself. Loneliness has been my biggest tormentor and my closest friend. I remember trying to explain to my family that I was feeling lonely even when I was around my friends. I remember feeling more connected to the characters in the fantasy books I was reading than to the kids around me on the playground. Continue reading Therapy Quest
Superhero Therapy Podcast Ep. 1: Psychology of Harry Potter
ST Podcast Ep. 1: Harry Potter Therapy
In this first episode of Superhero Therapy, Dr. Janina Scarlet & Dustin McGinnis talk about the psychological meanings depicted in Harry Potter’s life. Did he suffer from PTSD? What do the boggarts represent? What are the pros and cons of house placement? They’ll discuss all of these questions and more.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
The Guide to Battling Inner Dragons for the Modern Geek
Some people get up and go to work. Other people have to fight a dragon to get there. Or a series of dragons. Not real dragons, of course. Metaphoric ones – the dragons of despairing depression and agonizing anxiety, the dragons that burn us with shame about our supposed “not-good-enoughness” at the pit of our stomach. Those dragons.
Continue reading The Guide to Battling Inner Dragons for the Modern Geek
Superhero Therapy book signing
Last week I was able to attend the Book Expo and Book Con in New York City. I was asked to give a talk at Book Expo and did a book signing at Book Con. It went better than I ever imagined. The book signing was only supposed to last an hour but people kept lining up, with the line weaving around several rows. It ended up lasting over an hour and a half. I wanted to stay as long as possible to sign everyone’s book and give everyone hugs who wanted them. It was such a moving experience, which left me in happy tears. Thank you so much for all your support, my heroes!
Announcing my new book!
Hello, my heroes,
I am thrilled and excited to tell you that I can now officially announce the upcoming title of my next book:
Have an Amazing Con!
There is always a comic con going on somewhere in the country and June 23-25 will showcase the Amazing Vegas Comic Con. Whether you’re going there or to another convention altogether, there are some tips you might want to consider, especially if it is your first comic con.