An Introduction to Wizards On The Couch

Welcome to #WizardsOnTheCouch.

Inviting fictional wizards to enter my office and sit on the imaginary couch is an idea that came out of my own experience as an avid reader of sci-fi and fantasy. I started reading the Harry Potter series at age 20 – the same time that I was beginning my training as a therapist. With each reading I find myself screaming internally, “Can I please be this character’s therapist?” So, I’m going to use my own training, as well as my active imagination, to fulfill that dream. Perhaps this will also offer some techniques you can try for your own mental wellbeing. Maybe I can even make therapy seem more approachable (for those who haven’t tried it yet) by showing what sessions might look like for characters you know and love.

But first, let’s start by addressing what I feel is the most important thing at the moment – J*anne R*wl*ng’s blatant and misguided transphobia. Out of all the humans and other creatures involved in the Harry Potter universe that could benefit from therapy, she is the one I would most like to see get help. I’ll say this and then let it go: my impression is that she has a lot of pain and anger she hasn’t fully processed, and it shows up in her writing as characters who have the same. That’s okay, but it’s not okay to be hurtful to others.

That is where I’m leaving her behind. I don’t plan on addressing authorial intent, supporting her in any way, or mentioning her further than this on my blog. I’m just going to continue living in this magical world where Love rules… as a wizarding therapist.

Here’s the point: when reading and rereading these books, the thing that brings me most joy is imagining the potential of these characters if they were to get the mental health support they need. I’ve learned from many great teachers within the fandom that the magical thing about these books is what I bring to them as the reader. I highly recommend reading statements from the team behind my favorite podcast Harry Potter and the Sacred Text and transgender author and YouTuber Jackson Bird. (Also please look at his website and book!)

So, now I think we can get to work.

I thought about spending a post on each character, and then I realized there’s no reason to do that when that’s now how therapy works.

As a therapist, I don’t learn a client’s entire life story in one session. I don’t feel comfortable giving these characters a diagnosis or full treatment plan when I’ve never actually met them. I have to take what client’s say in the session at face value, contain it, and respond with unconditional positive regard.

My personal approach to therapy is a humanistic one, which means I strive to be “in the moment” with my clients, validate their perceptions of the world, and actively listen and reflect. I also lean towards an existential mindset, so I love to guide clients to find or create their own meaning from what they do or experience.

This thought process led me to realize I shouldn’t be the one dictating how the sessions will go, just like I don’t dictate the real-life sessions I conduct. So the best practice here seems to be:

1. Flip to an arbitrary page.

2. Swirl my finger (wand?) around with my eyes closed.

3. Read whatever passage

I land on and respond to it as though my client is recounting this scene to me in a session.

Let’s be real for a second – we all know our favorite sci-fi and fantasy books wouldn’t be nearly as exciting or interesting or heart-wrenching if all the characters we encountered had already exorcised their mental and emotional demons. And to that, I say something my internship supervisor said to me years ago: “A good therapist puts herself out of business.”

Do with that what you will.

This is essentially me fantasizing about my dream job – a therapist in the wizarding world. I can’t wait for our first appointment. And I can’t wait for us to see what we’ll learn about these wizards while they sit on the couch.