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

When you date Superman / The Blur and your anti-vigilante dad and boyfriend-kissing sister surprise you for Thanksgiving, things will get a bit complicated. We discuss Smallville Season 10 Episode 7 Ambush and how Lois Lane struggles to change old family habits and set some boundaries with the people she loves. Meanwhile, we look at how Oliver Queen and Tess find a path to emotional maturity, high...

You did what you were taught – you have prepared for battle, studied the enemy, and now you are sharing what you know with mankind’s wartime leaders. But they look at you with shock and horror. They tell you to be quiet. They tell you to leave, because women don’t belong here. You are confused. You are angry. You are Wonder Woman.

Psychologist shares research on how men and women communicate with each other. Interestingly, Wonder Woman’s complete lack of awareness of a world centered around men gives her an advantage in overcoming the men who question her competency.

We discuss Wonder Woman’s jarring transition when she goes from Themyscira to World War I and early 1900s violence and sexism. To be a superhero that lasts for generations, she must break away from her naïve understanding of humanity and find a way to embrace the imperfections.

After a long week of fighting demons and monsters, it’s nice to get back behind the wheel of the Impala. Life is complicated and hard, but every now and then you can take a moment to put on some 70s rock and just drive.

We continue to explore Supernatural ’s Dean Winchester in Season 4 as he teeters on the edge of having posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). What are his treatment options, and how likely are they to help? What about the fact that most therapists wouldn’t believe him if he told them his traumatic event was about being in Hell? For more information: https://www.ptsd.va.gov/

It’s about time our dynamic duo crossed over into one of our favorite shows, Supernatural . What better excuse than Halloween? Emilia shares a clinical psychologist’s perspective on Dean’s return to ‘normal’ life after literally going through hell, discussing the difference between acute stress disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as relating Dean’s experiences to military lif...

It’s been a tense night of Gotham crime fighting. Bruce has been particularly ‘Batman’ about everything, critiquing and correcting your every move. Sure, you’re Dick Grayson so you laugh most of it off, but you are getting tired of it. You take a few deep breaths to recenter yourself.

Is there anything more intimidating than being a superhero without superpowers? Oh, that’s right, you could ALSO be Batman’s sidekick, constantly comparing yourself to the very best and getting a lot of… “constructive” criticism. Talk about a situation that would leave most anybody feeling like a fraud. We delve into Dick Grayson’s experience as the first Robin and how he overcomes the inevitable...

Remember when we talked about Batgirl: Year One? One of the authors listened and loved it! We talked with Scott Beatty about another comic he co-authored, Nightwing: Year One. Scott Beatty has written several hundred comic book stories for DC Comics and other publishers including CrossGen Entertainment, Dark Horse Comics, Dynamite Entertainment, and IDW Publishing. His most notable releases includ...

You’re walking down a random street in New York City thinking about a great save you made as Spider-Man today. Suddenly, you notice Mary Jane sitting at a table for two in a nearby restaurant. She’s not alone. Your heart drops as you realize she is on a date. You rush around the corner before she can see you, but the image sticks with you and it hurts. With great power comes a great need for mindf...

We delve into the research on how much a person’s income affects their happiness. Hear why our friendly neighborhood clinical psychologist believes that Tobey Maguire’s version of Peter Parker wouldn’t be a happy billionaire. And why she thinks Bruce Wayne would be just as happy if he earned $100,000 a year. To learn more: Money & Happiness Studies

What’s it like to be a superhero…and be poor? How similar are the effects of Venom to a manic episode (bipolar disorder)? Is it really possible that a superhero could lose their powers because of a psychological struggle? Who is worse / more annoying, Mary Jane or Peter Parker? Listen to find out!

It’s dawn after a long night of fighting crime in Gotham. You are tired and you need to rest, but first it’s time to clean the Batmobile. You grab your hazmat suit, a bucket of suds, and a sponge, and you start washing away the Ace Chemicals.

As a clinical psychologist specializing in severe and persistent mental illness, Emilia has a lot to say about what Arkham Asylum should be. We explore the complicated history of United States psychiatric hospitals and deinstitutionalization through the fictional representation of Gotham and its superpowered criminals. Want to learn more? https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510377/lost-patients

We nerd out with Dr. Schirripa about Bruce Wayne’s path to Batman and answer questions like… Do certain Gotham criminals really belong in Arkham Asylum? How can someone do treatment with the Joker and avoid falling for him like Dr. Harleen Quinzel? Dr. Michael Schirripa is a distinguished Adelaide-based psychiatrist with over two decades of experience, in both forensic and private practice setting...

Another universe, another failure. You look at your siblings and you feel sad, angry, desperate – you want to keep fighting. You try to find a way to accept that you did your best and sometimes your best just isn’t enough.

Tom King’s Batman #12 explores a whole new perspective on Bruce Wayne, age 10 and struggling with the pain of seeing his parents’ deaths. We explore this version of Bruce Wayne as a way to talk about Suicide Prevention Month.

We talk about existential dread, the imperfect (and at times abusive) realities of the Umbrella Academy’s family dynamics, and what the difference is between adapting / acceptance and giving up. Bonus: Hear why Keeden was not a fan of the ending of the TV series.

It’s one of those times when you just want to listen to NSYNC’s Bye Bye Bye and dance. But you would die from embarrassment if you forgot the dance moves in front of all these people. Then you realize, you can’t die, you’re Deadpool. Plus, you’ll be killing these people pretty soon anyway. So, you smile, turn up the volume of the music in your head, and dance your heart out.

A YouTube channel made famous by interviewing people while having them eat hotter and hotter wings. Hear a psychologist’s point of view on what makes the combination of spicy foods and interviewer Sean Evans a long-lasting (and psychologically genius) success.

Listen in as we talk about our favorite parts of this new movie. Hear our thoughts on if it was fair for Deadpool to get turned down by the Avengers. We also explore the loss of purpose many of the characters are struggling with, including Wolverine and his path to processing his trauma (with a little help from a Professor X style villain).

Wait times, human error, variability in the quality of care…there are issues with current mental health therapy treatments. Are Artificial Intelligence and Chatbots the answer? https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mental-health-chatbots-powered-by-artificial-intelligence-providing-support-60-minutes-transcript/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10242473/

We talk to Carolyn about her graphic novel in which she writes the text and uses Artificial Intelligence to create the images, exploring how technology may change art, psychotherapy, and life as we know it. Stand-up comedian turned writer, Carolyn Cohagan has published five novels and two children’s activity books, including The Lost Children (2011 Scholastic Book Club) and her Time Zero Young Adu...

Going out into public can be hard work. Putting on the mask of being Bruce Wayne means pretending to be happy and easy going. Being the broody Batman that you are, you are dreading it. You use mindfulness to help. Instead of the common strategy Clouds in the Sky / Leaves on a Stream, Batman imagines Batwings in the Sky.