Dr. Janina Scarlet | Unlock Superhero Confidence & Slay Your Inner Dragons

In today’s episode, we cover superhero therapy with Dr. Janina Scarlet. Dr. Janina Scarlet is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, author, TEDx speaker, and a full-time geek who 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.

Effective therapy can come in many forms but superhero therapy is certainly one of the more interesting approaches we’ve come across - but what is superhero therapy, what can we learn from the heroes and adventures which inspire us, and how can you build an environment conducive to the life you want to lead?

What to Listen For

Dr. Janina Scarlet’s Origin Story and Using Stories to Heal - 0:00

How did Dr. Janina Scarlet get started using superhero stories to help patients with the mental health difficulties they’re facing?
How can we reframe challenges we face using stories and characters in order to overcome them?
How can you use fiction to gain insight into the challenges you face?
What is a stress hormone and how does one in particular make it difficult for us to get out of bed in the morning?

Building a Life that Supports Your Heroic Journey - 17:30

Why is it important to surround yourself with people who support you on your recovery journey?
How can we use superhero stories to get our friends and family excited about helping us while also opening up about the challenges they’re facing?
How do you construct an environment conducive to the life you want to lead and the person you want to become?
How can you use fictional characters like superheroes to identify your core values in order to guide your decisions to build the life you want?

What can we learn from our Heroes? - 31:28

What are the benefits to reading fictional stories and what can we all learn from the heroes of said stories?
Is it more important to fake confidence until your confident or to be comfortable with your flaws and insecurities?
What is Dark Agents about and what can it teach us about PTSD?
What are the biggest misconceptions surrounding PTSD?
How can you recognize when you or someone you know is struggling with PTSD and what can you do to seek help or get help?
Can we experience trauma in life without realizing it until years later?

The idea of finding a therapist and going to therapy can feel intimidating even though mental health is becoming less of a taboo subject. But therapy can come in many different forms and some of those forms can feel much more approachable and relatable. Superhero therapy is one because many of us grew up reading comic books and many more got hooked on the superhero movie craze that erupted two decades ago. It’s easy to be inspired by individuals who perform heroic acts yet still experience many of the same insecurities and flaws we normal people go through daily. As a result, the heroes and their stories have an incredible amount they can teach us if we’re willing to pay attention.

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Resources from this Episode

Dr. Janina Scarlet’s Website

Superhero Therapy Podcast

Harry Potter Therapy Podcast

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