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Janina Scarlet: Superhero Therapy: A Hero’s Journey Through Acceptance and
Commitment Therapy
Article in Journal of Youth and Adolescence · March 2017
DOI: 10.1007/s10964-017-0658-8
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J Youth Adolescence (2017) 46:1629–1632
DOI 10.1007/s10964-017-0658-8
BOOK REVIEW
Janina Scarlet: Superhero Therapy: A Hero’s Journey Through
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
London: Little, Brown Book Group, 2016, 111 pp, ISBN: 978-1-47213-641-1
Chris Fradkin
1
Received: 4 March 2017 / Accepted: 6 March 2017 / Published online: 17 March 2017
© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2017
In Superhero Therapy: A Hero’s Journey Through Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Janina Scarlet outlines a
do-it-your-self-help program aimed at adolescent and young
adult readers. The program is designed for readers dealing
with anxiety- or trauma-based disorders. Based on the core
principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT;
Hayes et al. 1999), the author leads the reader through eight
weekly chapters. These chapters hone the skillsets of:
defusion, engagement with emotions, articulation of life
values, self-compassion, mindful gratitude, and stepwise
movement in accord with one’s life values. Illustrated by
Wellinton Alves, the book’s content is delivered in a semigraphic-novel format. In the closing section of each chapter
(except for Chapter 1), the author offers Superhero Steps—
suggestions for the reader to practice in the week, based on
contents of the chapter.
The first chapter acquaints the reader with the author’s
backstory. This includes the health, emotional, and social
challenges endured in her emigration from the Soviet Union
to the US. The author describes her turning point (Rutter
1987), or moment of empowerment, as sparked by the
viewing of a superhero film when she was 12. As a victim
of the Chernobyl radiation spill, the author found connection with the Super Mutants on the screen; she was
emboldened by their strength and superpowers. As with
many youths her age, the author found connection, through
the adversities she shared with on-screen superheroes
(Fradkin 2016). That experience was key to the author’s
* Chris Fradkin
chrisfradkin@gmail.com
1
Psychological Sciences, University of California, Merced, 5200 N.
Lake Road, Merced, CA 95343, USA
core belief that the hardships that we face can give us
power. The author describes the path to this empowerment
as a superhero path, with the traveler on a superhero
journey. This framing is very much in keeping with
mythologist Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey (Campbell
2008), a universal template for redemption and salvation.
The author then outlines the book’s Superhero Program: a
program based on ACT, and other empirically-validated
programs. The author introduces six fictional characters she
will be using—derived from patients she has treated in her
practice. The reader completes a seven-item self-assessment
survey, including questions: “My symptoms overwhelm
me…” True or False?/“I spend a lot of my time fixating on
the past…” True or False?.
Chapter 2 sets the reader on their superhero path, where
they meet Monica Mercury, Doctor Semper, and Neil Scott
—all victims of anxiety and self-loathing. Through depictions of these characters’ destructive behaviors, the author
brings to life the concept of avoidance (Hayes et al. 1996).
While avoidance may shield us from our demons in the
short term, over time its presence is destructive (Hayes et al.
1996; Lee et al. 2010; Wegner 2011). The author stresses
that, in fact, avoidance maintains many mental health disorders, including obsessive compulsive disorder (Abramowitz et al. 2013), specific phobias (Singh and Singh 2016),
substance abuse disorders (Worden et al. 2015), eating
disorders (Rawal et al. 2010), as well as anxiety-related
disorders (Drake et al. 2015). The Superhero Steps consist
of: noticing avoidance.
Chapter 3 introduces the reader to mindfulness, one of
the components of ACT. Research shows that mindfulness,
or awareness training—i.e., awareness of one’s body, of
one’s breathing, the environment—has been successful in
reducing stress, anxiety, and depression (Bluth et al. 2016;
1630
Borquist-Conlon et al. 2017). It has also been successful in
treating PTSD (Gordon et al. 2008), and eating and
substance-use disorders (Barnes et al. 2016; Himelstein and
Saul 2015). The author brings to life the concept through
the story of two characters—Katrina Quest and Shadow
Gray—whose lives are compromised by PTSD. Once more,
the concept of avoidance is brought in: To attain recovery,
the patient must move forward, which is hindered by the
burden of one’s past. The author presents the reader with
several options for this movement. Superhero Steps:
implementing daily mindfulness, through: (1) attention to
one’s body and input from the senses; (2) mindful savoring
(e.g., music, food, or tea); (3) breathing exercises; and/or (4)
the expression of gratitude.
Chapter 4 addresses self-assessment. The author differentiates between the self-perceived self and what she calls the
superhero self. In contrast to the self-perceived self, which
places undue spotlight on our faults and our shortcomings,
the superhero self embodies the positive, nurturing, and
altruistic self that youth with mental illness frequently lose
touch with. These youth frequently indulge in maladaptive
thoughts, or cognitive distortions, which if not neutralized,
exacerbate an illness (Shirk et al. 2013). The notion of cognitive distortions is core to Beck’s defining work on depression (Beck 1976; Beck and Steer 1987). Beck’s negative triad
plots these self-destructive thoughts in terms of: self, world,
and future. The author illustrates this concept through the
stories of two characters—Drovin and Dr. Semper—who are
trapped within their negative schemata. The author aims to
neutralize these thoughts, and replace them with their healthy
counterparts. To facilitate, a grounding meditation is prescribed, with the goal of empowering the superhero self.
Superhero Steps: identifying likeable qualities of oneself; and
logging them in a superhero journal.
Chapter 5 continues with cognitive restructuring: work
based upon the notion of core values. These superhero
values are: “the most meaningful activities, life-paths and
practices we have” (Scarlet 2016, p. 53). They define the
person that we are; and for the troubled teen cry out for
reinforcement. The author argues that avoidance of these
values—these self-defining traits—is destructive to the
person we could be. And conversely: reinforcement of these
values is extremely beneficial, especially for youth struggling with illness. Superhero Steps: (1) identifying core
values; (2) choosing one superhero value to address; (3)
taking the first steps to address it; and (4) continuing the
practice of mindful gratitude.
Continuing along the path of cognitive restructuring,
Chapter 6 looks at catastrophizing thoughts. These
assumptions of negative outcomes occur disproportionately
among youths suffering from anxiety and trauma (Legerstee
et al. 2011). Whether thoughts about the future or thoughts
about one’s self, these cognitions fuel a negative
J Youth Adolescence (2017) 46:1629–1632
momentum. Cognitive fusion describes “the extent to which
we are psychologically tangled with and dominated by the
form or content of our thoughts” (Romero-Moreno et al.
2014, p. 117). The author’s response to this is cognitive
defusion. The reader is provided with two defusion charms:
defusion repetition and gratitude defusion. Defusion repetition has the reader repeating their distressing thought out
loud. Over the course of several minutes, the author claims
this will reduce the power and the meaning of the thought.
Gratitude defusion involves expressing gratitude toward
oneself: “Thanks Self, I’ll be OK…” The author claims
this reassurance can shift catastrophizing thoughts to a
level where their voice is barely heard. Superhero
Steps: practicing defusion charms and gratitude: both on a
daily basis.
Chapter 7 focuses on willingness. In the context of this
program, willingness entails the willingness to experience
such emotions as anxiety, insecurity, and depression.
It involves the willingness to be vulnerable, to take chances,
to reach out, while knowing that the outcome might be
failure. It involves courage and commitment, to walk a path
unknown. Joseph Campbell calls this notion “following
your bliss” (Campbell 1988). Superhero Steps: expressing
willingness to experience something critically important;
and gratitude: both on a daily basis.
Chapter 8 presents the reader with the tool of selfcompassion. The author notes that many people, in response
to personal setbacks, berate themselves with shame and
guilt. The author argues that these moments scream out for
self-compassion; at these times we need to still the inner
critic. Suggestions are presented, including: (1) placing
one’s hands upon one’s heart; (2) employing breathing
exercises; (3) hugging a pillow or a pet; (4) taking a oneminute break (for a stretch or a short walk); (5) using
reaffirming self-talk—“It’s OK; I’ll make it through…”; or
(5) indulging in a pleasurable activity. Expressive writing is
presented as an option at this point, through a variation on
James Pennebaker’s work (Pennebaker 1997; Pennebaker
et al. 1988). Superhero Steps: (1) practicing selfcompassion; (2) writing a self-compassionate letter to
oneself; and (3) practicing gratitude.
Chapter 9 sets the reader on their superhero path. Using
the practices of defusion, mindfulness, self-compassion,
willingness, and connecting with one’s superhero self, the
author primes the reader for the first steps on their path to
their recovery. These superhero action steps move the
reader toward embracing their core values—values they
explored in Chapter 5. Whether these be friendship, health,
service, or forgiveness, at this point the reader starts their
movement forward. Superhero Steps: (1) taking small steps
daily in one’s valued life direction; (2) logging progress;
and (3) practicing gratitude (e.g., a letter to someone who
has supported you).
J Youth Adolescence (2017) 46:1629–1632
In Chapter 10, the reader takes count of their progress.
Specific areas are assessed, through a retake of the
Chapter 1 survey. Skillsets are reviewed (e.g., willingness,
defusion, mindfulness) to assist the reader with their journey, as their steps move toward embracing their core values.
Nonetheless, the author foresees problem-solving setbacks,
and suggests being realistic with self-improvement goals.
This caveat reprises the role of self-compassion, as a means
to counteract the inner critic. As with most programs of its
sort, review is recommended, to keep the skillsets available
and sharp. Superhero Steps: a weekly reread, and reimplementation, of one of the chapters in the book.
Superhero Therapy: A Hero’s Journey Through Acceptance and Commitment Therapy provides the adolescent
with tools for doing battle with their demons. Based on the
principles of ACT, the author’s program is constructed on
an empirically-supported base; but the author goes well
beyond that base. First and foremost is the choice of semigraphic-novel format: a format rich with colored illustrations. Studies show that visual formats are more engaging
for adolescents, than presentations based on text alone
(Bolton-Gary 2012; Cook 2017; Schwarz 2002; Spiegel
et al. 2013). Next, there is the makeup of the cast within the
book. Unlike the demographic of the most popular superheroes (e.g., Spider-Man, Iron Man, Batman), 90% of
which are male (Fradkin et al. 2016), the cast within this
book is gender balanced (50/50). One would assume these
female heroes (Monica Mercury, Katrina Quest, Shadow
Gray) would engage the female reader, in a way that Batman and Iron Man fail to do. In addition, there are other
aspects of diversity. Early in the read, the reader is informed
that one of the characters is gay. As with the female heroes,
one would assume an LGBT hero would engage the LGBT
reader, in a way that Batman and Iron Man fail to do. While
previous books on superhero therapy (see Langley 2012,
2016; Rubin 2006) have based their methods on commercial
superheroes, this book pursues a different path. Through its
diversity of characters, it spans demographic bounds.
Through its inclusion, it challenges the mainstream. While
Spider-Man and Superman will always serve as inspirations, this book may better serve a wider market.
Compliance with Ethical Standards
Conflict of Interest
interests.
The author declares that he has no competing
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