Chad Burdette
Comic books are not only a chance to escape reality, but can be used to help those who have suffered trauma begin to heal. Heroes, Villains & Healing: Marvel Edition, is a deeply meaningful new book by author, speaker, teacher, and male survivor of childhood sexual abuse Kenneth Rogers Jr, who provides a guide for male survivors of childhood sexual abuse that employs Marvel comic superheroes and villains as tools and avenues for overcoming their incredible trauma. The book is a follow to his Heroes, Villains, & Healing series which focused on the DC Universe
Kenneth Rogers is an active member of the Rape Incest National Network (RAINN) Speaker’s Bureau, working with male survivors of child sexual abuse through the healing process. He has written extensively on treatment for and recovery from traumatic male childhood sexual assault, and has found that viewing recovery through the prism of super heroes can be extremely effective. Heroes, Villains, and Healing uses these comics as a foundation, providing the tools to identify cognitive distortions and change their automatic thoughts to no longer view themselves as either a hero or a villain.
Instead, they learn to view themselves as individuals capable of overcoming the impact of their traumatic past to become the best version of themselves.
Heroes, Villains, and Healing Marvel Edition allows survivors to view their thoughts and actions through the lens of Marvel heroes and villains they love and hate. Characters such as Wolverine demonstrate how trauma can cause the strongest to forget and block out the pain of the past, while powerful characters such as the Hulk and Thing view themselves as monsters, using their anger and strength to mask their pain, fear, and sense of loneliness.
While filled with fantastic radioactive mutations, arch-nemesis, and super soldiers, the realm of superheroes and villains provides survivors the ability to safely explore the theories and applications of cognitive behavior therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and internal family systems therapy to heal their cognitive distortions and become complete individuals.
Comics, while designed to be read through the lens of good vs. evil and hero vs. villain, can cause survivors to view their reality, their actions, and the actions of others in the same black-and-white terms. However, reality is more complex, containing contrasting colors and shades of grey.
Kenneth sat down with Comic Watch to discuss his book and how is book can be used as a therapy method for survivors of sexual abuse:
To learn more about Kenneth and his work and where to find it check out his website: Lost Imaginations
