In anticipation of The Force Awakens, I rewatched all of the Star Wars movies over the last few months. I noticed a number of quotes that I believe exemplify therapeutic concepts and have listed my top 10 below. If you’re trying to build rapport with a Star Wars-loving client, engage students with pop culture examples, or just love psychotherapy and Star Wars, this post is for you. If you’re not interested in any of the above, stay tuned for the next post, which will focus on tips for becoming a disciplined writer!

1. Acceptance

Anakin Skywalker: I don’t want things to change.

Shmi Skywalker: But you can’t stop change any more than you can stop the suns from setting.

2. All-or-Nothing Thinking (Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy)

Darth Vader: If you’re not with me, then you’re my enemy.

3. Autonomy (Self-Determination Theory)

Princess Leia: He’s got to follow his own path. No one can choose it for him.

4. Doing What Works (Dialectical Behavior Therapy)

Anakin Skywalker: Sometimes we must let go of our pride and do what is requested of us.

5. Easy Manner (Dialectical Behavior Therapy)

Han Solo: Fly casual.

6. Mental Filter, Jumping to Conclusions (Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy)

Anakin Skywalker: She hardly even recognized me. I’ve thought about her every day since we parted. And she’s forgotten me completely.

Obi-Wan Kenobi: You’re focusing on the negative, Anakin. Be mindful of your thoughts. She was pleased to see us.

7. Mindfulness

Qui-Gon Jinn: Don’t center on your anxieties, Obi-Wan. Keep your concentration here and now, where it belongs.

Obi-Wan Kenobi: But Master Yoda said I should be mindful of the future.

Qui-Gon Jinn: But not at the expense of the moment.

8. Normalizing Difficult Emotions (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy)

Padmé Amidala: To be angry is to be human.

9. Reframing (Motivational Interviewing)

Padmé Amidala: All mentors have a way of seeing more of our faults than we would like. It’s the only way we grow.

10. Wise Mind (Dialectical Behavior Therapy)

Luke Skywalker: How am I to know the good side from the bad?

Yoda: You will know when you are calm. At peace, passive.