Superhero Therapy

Superhero therapy is a clinical method, developed by the clinical psychologist Janina Scarlet, of using superheroes or other popular-culture figures within evidence-based therapies to help clients reshape personal narratives, build rapport, and manage a range of psychological issues; the method may also use personal or nonfictional figures as role models. It is reinforced by parasocial interaction, the connection a fan feels with a role model, using stories from films, novels and other media to help patients who otherwise struggle to open up, gain insight into their own case, and consider their own origin stories; it invites clients to bring up fictional characters as heroic role models to facilitate treatment and to help them become their own version of a superhero in real life, combining elements of cognitive behavioral therapy, narrative therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy. Though frequently used for younger patients, superhero therapy is applicable to adults as well.