Superheroes and Video Games

Sophia Ansari, LCPC, LPCC, RPT™ is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Registered Play Therapist™, as well as an author, international speaker, activist, and owner of the Let’s Play Therapy Institute. She brings a deep passion for mental health, education, and community empowerment.

Sophia works with schools and organizations around the world to create strength-based, inclusive learning environments. Known for her creative approach to therapy, she incorporates pop culture, video games, and storytelling into her work and has shared her insights through publications, Comic-Con panels, and global trainings.

She also co-hosts Hero Nation, a podcast on the Geek Therapy Network that explores how media and geek culture can support mental health. Sophia holds a B.S. in biology from Wright State University and an M.A. in mental health counseling from the University of Cincinnati.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Sophia Ansari is the owner of Let’s Play Therapy Institute. Sophia Ansari receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Sophia Ansari has no relevant financial relationships.

Josué Cardona, MS, earned a master’s in mental health counseling and trained in Rational Emotional Behavior Therapy (REBT) at the Albert Ellis Institute in New York City. He has worked with clients ages 4 to 84 through in-home, community, and outpatient counseling.  As an educator, Josué has designed curriculum for social-emotional skills, technology, and language learning for K-12. At the university level, he co-created the course Geek Culture in Psychotherapy, taught at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology and co-authored Gamification: A Pilot Study in a Community College. Josué also acts as a diversity and inclusion Design Researcher for the Office of the Provost at the University of Chicago.  Josué is the founder of Geek Therapy, a therapeutic approach that believes the best way to understand people is through the things they care about. He created the Geek Therapy Network and community to educate parents, teachers, and helping professionals on how to use their favorite hobbies, pastimes, and interests to connect with others. Since 2011, Josué has presented on Geek Therapy through podcasts, blogs, book chapters, and presentations around the world. For more information on Geek Therapy, visit geektherapy.com. 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Josue Cardona is the co-founder of Let's Play Therapy Institute and has an employment relationship with Accenture. Josue Cardona is the founder and president of Geek Therapy and is a freelance consultant. He receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc.
Non-financial: Josue Cardona is the founder of the Geek Therapy model.