Which psychological fiction podcast follows Dr. Joan Bright as she treats patients with supernatural abilities? The answer is The Bright Sessions.
Created by Lauren Shippen, the audio drama premiered on November 1, 2015, and centers on Dr. Bright, a psychologist who specializes in treating “atypicals”—people with unusual abilities. Episodes initially unfold as recorded therapy sessions, giving the supernatural premise an intimate, character-driven structure.
The series ran for four seasons and 56 episodes before ending in 2018. Its patients include Sam Barnes, who can travel through time; Caleb Michaels, whose empathy becomes difficult to control; and Chloe Turner, who can read minds. The show gradually expands beyond the therapy room into a larger conspiracy involving the organization known as the AM.
A common mix-up is classifying it as a conventional superhero story. Its powers are important, but the defining format is psychological audio drama: conversations, diagnoses, secrets, and relationships carry as much weight as the speculative ideas.