Bat Therapy: Mental Health through the Lens of Comics and Film

We talk about what it is like to watch a show where the main character is a huge … witch. Unlikable main characters, no clear villains, and a host of loners who manage to find connection with each other. What’s not to love?

It is normal and natural for someone to feel resistant to the psychotherapy process. Wolverine’s stubbornness? Batman never prioritizing his sessions? Spiderman fearing his therapist could turn into a villain? Mind readers???? Find out how a therapist would respond. Read More: https://positivepsychology.com/resistance-to-change/

What better way to talk about the developing brain than with kid-versions of Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, and Green Lantern! As a bonus, find out a psychologist’s thoughts on reverse psychology. If you haven’t watched this JLU episode in a while, we definitely recommend it.

Before we jump into the new season, we had to talk about James Gunn’s Superman movie. SPOILERS! We share our reactions, including our thoughts on whether this movie is political or if our reactions to Superman have changed over time. Hear a psychologist’s thoughts on this version of Lex Luthor, Superman’s ability to train a dog, the realities of having a Superman Complex, and the luxury Superman h...

Welcome to another season of Bat Therapy! This prologue delves into how we decided on this season’s theme of monsters and magic. We also talk about some of the characters and storylines we want to cover.

Fisk becomes mayor while Matt Murdock struggles to avoid being Daredevil. Being a comics meets mental health type of podcast, we are particularly excited to talk about Matt dating a psychiatrist. Hear a psychologist’s thoughts on Dr. Heather Glenn (and why the doctor becomes more annoying in the end) and the show’s portrayal of couples therapy. And who better than Daredevil, Kingpin/Fisk, and The...

Spoiler alert for this new MCU movie! Find out why a therapist finds the start of the movie to be a hilarious representation of depression with Yelena, a gun for hire. Trauma, depression, some hints at dissociative identity disorder and bipolar disorder, then add a dash of good ol' fashioned team bonding. A lot of great mental health related content in this movie, including a great message about w...

We reminisce about Val Kilmer's portrayal of Bruce Wayne and Batman in Batman Forever .

Behind the Scenes of our Brave New World Episode! Toxic Masculinity, DVD Players, and Keeden's first DVDs, just some of the topics in this episode! We'll be back soon with Season 7!

With Season 6 wrapping up, we're busy setting up Season 7! We have some special behind the scenes content to share with you this week. Enjoy some extra content from our guest episode with Dr. Michael Schirripa!

With Season 6 wrapping up, we're busy setting up Season 7! We have some special behind the scenes content to share with you this week. Enjoy some extra content from our guest episode with Scott Beatty!

Dr. Emilia Brown introduces Keeden to one of her favorite comics, Venom (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight 16-20). When being Batman isn’t enough to save someone, Bruce Wayne begins using a drug to give himself superstrength. Sadly, the drug is highly addictive, and soon Batman becomes a mere shadow of his former self. This comic explores his struggle to leave the pills behind.

Dr. Emilia Brown introduces Keeden to one of her favorite comics, Venom (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight 16-20). When being Batman isn’t enough to save someone, Bruce Wayne begins using a drug to give himself superstrength. Sadly, the drug is highly addictive, and soon Batman becomes a mere shadow of his former self. This comic explores his struggle to leave the pills behind.

SPOILER ALERT! Keeden and Dr. Emilia Brown delve into the psyche of a variety of heroes and villains in the new movie Captain America: Brave New World .

Last week we talked about She-Hulk and Daredevil, lawyers turned vigilante. This week Dr. Emilia Brown shares about how life in the United States is imitating art, highlighting efforts by psychologists and other scientists & healthcare professionals to continue their work amidst numerous data removals and executive orders. How can psychologists embody She-Hulk when the ethics and purpose behin...

We explore two examples of lawyers who become superhero vigilantes. On the surface, She-Hulk and Daredevil have a lot in common, but one is a reluctant superhero while the other sometimes seems more comfortable throwing punches than working within the legal system.

Bat Therapy talks with Manami Yamamoto about why she uses Baymax as a model for how to be a therapist. We explore the importance of seeing all types of families as “normal” and Hiro’s struggle to not let his trauma hurt the people he loves. Manami Yamamoto is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Expressive Arts Therapist, as well as the Founder and President of Blue Humming Therapy. She is...

You fought against Killmonger and won back Wakanda for King T’Challa, but you had to fight against people you love – your friends, your family. The battle is over and now that there is time for your mind to settle, you find yourself struggling to sleep because you cannot understand the world you live in now. You feel more and more overwhelmed, not knowing what comes next with so much betrayal and...

Starting right before Captain America: Civil War , Wakanda gets hit with trauma after trauma after trauma. Hear a licensed clinical psychologist talk about the best ways to support someone like these Wakandans in the hours, days, and weeks after a traumatic event. Sources : https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/txessentials/tx_survivors_trauma.asp https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/helplines/di...

We use Captain America: Civil War and Black Panther to explore the impossible juggle of being the leader of your country while also being a superhero. And being the leader of Wakanda? King T’Challa has multiple secret identities to maintain with the outside world. We look at the cracks in Wakanda’s façade and wonder how the country would have felt toward its leader if the snap had not happened.

The Bat Therapy co-hosts reflect on the past year. Hear a psychologist’s suggestions for maintaining those New Year’s Resolutions as we compare ourselves to our favorite superheroes. We also share our most listened to episodes during 2024!

Time for a holiday episode! We explore the emotional complexities of the holiday season, watching as Superman, J’onn the Martian Manhunter, Hawkgirl, Green Lantern, The Flash, and Ultra-Humanite find their own ways to ‘celebrate’. Keeden shares how holiday nostalgia helped him realize that the best gift he could give himself was getting mental health help.

Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle’s relationship during Tom King’s comic run had some rocky times, like when Selina left Bruce right before their wedding. Learn from a clinical psychologist about how couples therapy may have helped the Bat and the Cat’s relationship. Find Out More: https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/relationship-advice

We know, we know, another Tom King related podcast episode. But who can resist talking about Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle going on a double date with Clark Kent and Lois Lane? We explore what it takes to have a good, long-lasting romantic relationship, especially when your significant other is a superhero.

Look, the MCU has worn us out, we get it. Keeden hadn’t even watched this show until we decided to talk about it on the podcast! But we really recommend this 5-episode series about Maya Lopez / Echo. We talk about family dynamics, anger and forgiveness, acceptance, and ancestral power. In this (belated) Native American Heritage Month episode, Dr. Brown also shares the reasons behind the long overd...