For teens and adults alike, works of fiction are a powerful tool for exploring emotions and behavior. As Los Angeles-based psychotherapist and YA (Young Adult) author Matt Casper puts it, stories can “increase empathy and also imagination, allowing the reader to explore the mind of another.” With that perspective, young readers can understand themselves better as well as increase their understanding others. Annie talks with Matt about the therapeutic value of exploring fictional characters, especially characters who are flawed (like all of us!)

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About Matt Casper (@mattcaspermft)

Matt Casper, M.A., MFT, is a psychotherapist and author of more than 20 Emotes books aimed at assisting children with identifying, understanding and expressing emotion. The characters of the “Emotes” each represent a different emotion. In addition to the Emotes books, Matt has also designed and created a wide range of therapeutic resources including board games, interactive toys, and a structured classroom curriculum. Through these stories, games, and educational exercises, the Emotes characters model for children (as well as adults) healthy and fun ways of increasing emotional mindfulness and healthy emotional management. Matt is currently posting twice-weekly installments to his episodic novel for teens, The Ongoing Memoir of Coltrane P. Jones. Learn more at Emotes.com and RockAFeatherFire.com

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