Batman visits Dr. Scarlet and reconnects with his core values.
Tag: PTSD
Mental Health Representation Matters
Many of us like talking about pop culture, whether it’s comics, TV shows, movies, books, or video games. For those of us in the mental health field (and for many outside of this field), it may be fun to occasionally speculate about a fictional character’s psychological perspective. Perspective taking can actually help foster empathy building and compassion toward others. However, diagnosing characters or people whom therapists have not evaluated in a session can be risky. Continue reading Mental Health Representation Matters
Becoming Incredible in the Face of Evil
The world in which children are ripped apart from their parents for running away from war and torture, a world in which the US pulls out of the UN Human Rights Council, a world in which children are being put into concentration camps and workers aren’t allowed to comfort them needs Superheroes now more than ever.
Around the world in 16 days
I am so incredibly grateful to each and everyone of you for all your support and for believing in me and in Superhero Therapy.
This past month has been magical. I have been able to visit four different countries in 16 days – Germany, Italy, Ireland, and England, in order to train mental health professionals in how to conduct Superhero Therapy and advocate for mental health destigmatization via pop culture.
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:
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
The Kilgrave Effect: Why people don’t report their rapists
*Parts of this post previously appeared on the Legion of Leia
Jessica Jones, a popular Marvel superhero is known not only for her physical strength but also for her psychological resilience. Years after she gains her superpowers, Jessica is psychologically manipulated by an evil villain, Kilgrave (A.K.A. Purple Man). Kilgrave uses his influence over Jessica to force her into a sexual relationship with him, as well as to force her to do things she normally would not do. Continue reading The Kilgrave Effect: Why people don’t report their rapists
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
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!