Starship Therapise: Using Therapeutic Fanfiction to Rewrite Your Life

Harnessing the power of fandom--from Game of Thrones to The Legend of Zelda--to conquer anxiety, heal from depression, and reclaim balance in mental and emotional health.

Modern mythologies are everywhere--from the Avengers of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to The Wicked + The Divine. Where once geek culture was niche and hidden, fandom characters and stories have blasted their way into our cineplexes, bookstores, and consoles. They help us make sense of our daily lives--and they can also help us heal. Psychotherapists and hosts of the popular Starship Therapise podcast Larisa A. Garski and Justine Mastin offer a self-help guide to the mental health galaxy for those who have been left out of more traditional therapy spaces: geeks, nerds, gamers, cosplayers, introverts, and everyone in between.

Starship Therapise explores how narratives and play inform our lives, inviting readers to embrace radical self-care with Westworld's Maeve and Dolores, explore anxiety with Miyazaki, and leverage narrative therapy with Arya Stark. Spanning fandoms from Star Wars to The Expanse and The Legend of Zelda to Outer Wilds, readers will explore mental health and emotional wellness without conforming to mainstream social constructs.

Insights from comics like Uncanny X-Men, Black Panther, Akira, Bitch Planet, and The Wicked + The Divine offer avenues to growth and self-discovery alongside explorations of the triumphs and trials of heroes, heroines, and beloved characters from Supernatural, Wuthering Heights, The Lord of the Rings, The Broken Earth trilogy, Mass Effect, Fortnite, Minecraft, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Star Trek. Each chapter closes with a mindfulness meditation or yoga exercise to inspire reflection, growth, and the mind-body-fandom connection.

JUSTINE MASTIN, MA, LMFT, LADC, E-RYT 200, YACEP is the owner and founder of Blue Box Counseling in Minneapolis, MN. Mastin specializes in working with clients who self-identify as being outside the mainstream--such as those in the geek, secular, and LGBTQIA+ communities. Mastin is the creator of YogaQuest, an organization that blends narratives with yoga and mindfulness. Mastin also serves on the board of the Minnesota Association of Marriage and Family Therapy. She proudly takes a holistic approach to healing: mind, body, and fandom.

LARISA A. GARSKI, MA, LMFT, is a psychotherapist and the clinical director at Empowered Therapy in Chicago, IL. She specializes in working with women, families, and young adults who identify as outside the mainstream--such as those in the geek and LGBTQIA+ communities.

J.Salvador Ramos is the cartoonist behind SuperEmoFriends, an ever-growing collection of satirical paintings inspired by the tragic events of popular culture. J. worked in motion graphics and animation in Hollywood, California, prior to the success of SuperEmoFriends.