Pretend you didn't know the benefits of something like exercise.

Pretend that no one knew except doctors. And they explained all about it to people who came in sick, but the general public didn't really get the memo.

That's similar to the situation of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and mental health. Psychologists have studied the ideas in CBT for over 40 years and found it extremely helpful not only for those with anxiety and depression, but also for other conditions like eating disorders, insomnia, and more.

And yet many people have never heard of CBT. 

I myself never heard about it until my late 20s, and it was a game changer for me. Growing up I had often been plagued by feelings of frustration, guilt, and indecisiveness. In college I pulled through some episodes of mental illness, but was always scared of it coming back. That's when I learned about CBT, which taught me to identify distortions, or misconceptions, in my thoughts. By unraveling these distortions, I was able to greatly improve my mood, pull out of depression and anxiety, and have tools for dealing with everyday mood swings. 

Since then, while I am not a licensed mental health professional, I have dived into CBT books, websites, and classes to deeply understand these ideas that were so influential for me. I don't want the next generation, including my own three kids, to have to wait so long to understand ideas that are so powerful, especially at a time of rising mental illness, so I wrote this book series.

In these books, kids join with Luke and Sophia as they battle negative thoughts in the magical world of their minds.

While they are engrossed in exploring a world full of giant playgrounds, monsters, and fancy superhero gadgets, kids will get exposure to key ideas of CBT, like how our thoughts create feelings and why many negative thoughts don't make a lot of sense when looked at more closely.

The story centers around Luke, a third-grader having a horrible day.

But when he magically travels to a city inside his mind, he is amazed to find out he is a superhero. The city he protects is filled with all-you-can-eat ice cream shops, dragons, and piles of hot Cheetos. But when an artist starts covering everything in a strange goo, Luke must find out how to stop him before the whole city is ruined, and in the process find a way to improve his own horrible day as well.

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*Please note, this book is not meant to prevent, treat, or cure any mental illness. It is not a replacement for talking to a mental health professional--please consult one if you or your child have any mental health concerns. I also cannot guarantee or promise any kind of positive mental health outcomes. The intent of this book is to simply expose kids to some of the key concepts of CBT.