Introducing Geek Therapy
While historically seen as a fringe culture, comic books, video games, fantasy/sci-fi, and tabletop gaming now make up strong mainstream entertainment markets. Mental health clinicians have taken note of peoples’ innate draw towards these leisure “geeky” pursuits. Some providers now leverage clients’ geeky interests to enhance therapeutic alliance, engagement, and outcomes. This approach has been coined “geek therapy.” In this post, we’ll explore the background, purpose, and expansion of geek therapy.
Background
Geek therapy wasn’t formally named until around 2004 when the therapist team of Patrick O’Connor and Dr. Andrea Letamendi began exploring overlaps between psychology concepts and superhero media. Since then, dozens of mental health practitioners, researchers, and self-identified “geeks” have continued specializing in topics blending mental health education with examinations of pop culture, gaming, comic books, technology and more through a psychological lens.
Purpose
At its core, geek therapy aims to help clients feel deeply understood by meeting them around their intrinsic interests. Research shows matching therapeutic approaches to personal hobbies strengthens self-expression and builds trust. Geek therapy also provides unique analogies clinicians can leverage as metaphors when explaining psychological concepts like strength building, identifying irrational thoughts, overcoming complex trauma, and more through relatable fiction narratives.
Growth and Accessibility
Early geek therapy focused on niche in-person groups or individual counseling. However, the internet now allows therapists to create blogs, YouTube series, social platforms, and podcasts opening conversations about mental health through fan culture. Convention panels now examine psychology topics through cosplay or anime. Mainstream shows like the Therapistguild analyze mental health dynamics playing out on WandaVision or Cobra Kai. Ultimately, geek therapy now fosters judgment-free spaces for people to intersect mental wellness with leisure joy.
