
Superhero Therapy Conference
As human beings, we all know how crippling the loneliness and isolation of mental health struggles can be.
And as mental health professionals, we’ve seen clients in the throes of this isolation. We’ve all had a client who enters sessions closed-off and unreachable no matter how hard we try to break through.
When clients are combating feelings of shame and isolation, sharing intimate details about painful experiences to a complete stranger can feel impossible. And many have simply never learned the vocabulary to describe their emotions and explain what they’re going through.
But many clients report turning to stories – movies, TV shows, books, and video games for solace and a sense of support and connection when they are going through a hard time.
If we harness the power of such stories in therapy, we can begin to dismantle feelings of shame to build meaningful connections with clients.
And the best part is: You don’t need to be an expert in games and pop culture — your client is the expert. All you have to be is open-minded and curious.
Inside the conference
At the workshops and talks offered at this conference, you will learn from other mental health professionals about how to incorporate elements of popular culture into evidence-based therapies in order to make therapy fun, engaging, and accessible while applying powerful healing techniques in a pop culture context.
Superhero Therapy isn’t a replacement for your current therapeutic approach.
Rather, it’s a set of perspectives, strategies, and tools utilizing pop culture and stories that you can integrate into your work.
You’ll learn how to incorporate Superhero Therapy principles into evidence-based therapies, such as acceptance and commitment therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and narrative exposure therapy.
And you’ll get the chance to see how incorporating pop culture into your work can not only make therapy fun and inviting, but also enhance the effectiveness and flexibility of your approach while still staying true to the original protocol.
Each session will be led by a specialist guiding you through the intricacies and strategies they use for different populations, conditions, and situations, with topics ranging from working with inmates and offenders, to changing the trauma narrative from “broken” to “empowered,” to building consciousness and empathy through media representation. (See schedule below for a full list of training topics.)
You’ll leave this training with an approach to therapy that invites your client to pull strength from their own expertise, passions, and creativity to overcome their obstacles, learn tools for self-compassion, and build stronger relationships.
This conference will take place over 4 live online sessions, beginning on Thursday, September 22, 2022. Attendees may earn CE/CME hours if participating in the live event. Sessions must be attended in full in order to earn CE credit for individual sessions.
Each session will be recorded and offered to participants for 9 months after the conclusion of the conference. So if you are unable to attend part of the conference, or simply want to go back and review, you’ll have the chance to get the fullest experience possible from this training, but please note that CE credit will not be available for sessions that are not attended live. Please review the CE packet for complete session details. You can review the Speaker Bios by clicking here.
Thursday, September 22, 2022
11:00 am to 12:00 pm EDT
Chase Masterson (No CE Credit)
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm EDT
The Power of Storytelling: Applying Superheroes and Supervillains in Therapy (Maria Laquerre Diego and Sophia Ansari)
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm EDT
Why do we like to be scared? Mental health implications and uses of horror in treatment. (Shayna Gurvitz and Kathy Dickson)
2:00 pm to 3:00 pm EDT
SuperKids: An Interactive Comic Book to Deliver Evidence-based Skills to Youth (Sandra Pimentel, Chase Masterson, Maria Alba, Janina Scarlet and Abe Crawford)
Teaching SEL using superheroes (Abe Crawford)
Friday, September 23, 2022
11:00 am to 12:00 pm EDT
Self Processes as the Golden Key to the ACT Model (Kelly Wilson)
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm EDT
Coping with death, grief, and loss with the aid of horror, fantasy, and superhero narratives (Christa Call, Laura Vecchiolla and Casey Jones)
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm EDT
Shazam: Foster Care, System Problems and Plans (Rachel Wethers)
2:00 pm to 3:00 pm EDT
How I started to deal about OCD as a fearsome parasite, using ACT (Martina Migliore)
Saturday, September 24, 2022
11:00 am to 12:00 pm EDT
Becoming a Real-life Superhero in the Face of Global Disasters (Janina Scarlet)
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm EDT
The Oreo, the King, and the Wakandan Salute: What Black Panther Shows Us About Why Representation Matters (Mercedes Samudio)
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm EDT
Navigating the Trauma of Human Trafficking with Superheoes (Charlie Quinn Tebow and Brittany Greenbaum)
2:00 pm to 3:00 pm EDT
I have no clue what I’m doing!: Adulthood and the need to play to thrive (Charlene MacPherson, Julia Stamman, and Matthew Rickmon)
3:00 pm to 4:00 pm EDT
Gamification Therapy in Wake, Sleep, Dreams, and Exposure (Michael Herold, Isaac Taitz, and Benjamin Taitz)
Sunday, September 25, 2022
11:00 am to 12:00 pm EDT
Greg Weisman (No CE Credit)
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm EDT
The Use of Superhero Therapy with our Heroes – active duty, first responders (Sara Roldan)
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm EDT
Improving Mindfulness and Therapeutic Connection with LEGO (Yoni Sobin, Nicole Hassler, and Benjamin Taitz)
2:00 pm to 3:00 pm EDT
Behind the Mask: Exploring the Psychological Appeal of Cosplay (Joe Serrano, Edgar A. Ramos, and Samantha Ramos)
Please see the CE packet for objectives for each session.
Each session is individually reviewed for CE approvals. Below is a list of all possible CE credits offered but does not mean every session is approved by these boards. Please see the CE packet for complete information.
This live online course is sponsored by Praxis Continuing Education and Training and is approved for up to 15 CE Hours by the following listed below. There was no commercial support for this activity. None of the planners or presenters for this educational activity have relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.
Praxis CET maintains responsibility for the program with the CE approvals outlined below:
Joint Accreditation: In support of improving patient care, Praxis Continuing Education and Training, Inc is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
IPCE: This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive 1 Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credit for learning and change per hour attended.
Nursing: Praxis Continuing Education and Training, Inc designates this activity for a maximum of 1 ANCC contact hours per hour attended.
Physicians: Praxis Continuing Education and Training, Inc designates this live activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ per hour attended. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Psychologists: Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibly for the content of the programs.
Social Workers: As a Jointly Accredited Organization, Praxis Continuing Education and Training, Inc is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Praxis Continuing Education and Training, Inc maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive 1 clinical continuing education credits per hour attended.
Drug and Alcohol Counselors: This course has been approved by Praxis Continuing Education and Training, Inc, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for 1 CE hours per hour attended. NAADAC Provider #165310, Praxis Continuing Education and Training, Inc, is responsible for all aspects of its programming.
National Counselors: Praxis Continuing Education and Training, Inc. has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6759. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Praxis Continuing Education and Training, Inc. is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
NY Social Workers: Praxis Continuing Education and Training, Inc is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0467
NY Counselors: Praxis Continuing Education and Training, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0198.
NY Psychologists: Praxis Continuing Education and Training, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0002.
NOTE: Many state boards accept offerings accredited by national or other state organizations. If your state is not listed, please check with your professional licensing board to determine whether the accreditations listed are accepted.
Please see the CE packet for reference list.
We understand, sometimes things come up!
Praxis will offer a full refund to registrants of both live and live-online trainings who cancel their registration up to 14 days before the course or workshop start date, minus an administrative processing fee of $30 for a 2-day workshop or online course, and a $50 fee for a 4-day workshop. If cancelled within 14 days, no refund will be issued, however, a credit for the same amount will be applied toward another learning product, which expires within 1 year. Please email us at events@praxiscet.zendesk.com to cancel a registration.