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

The only reason you are considering this insipid activity is because you respect Alfred, despite his obsession with you “missing out on childhood”. That, and you already tried to go into the Batcave, and you’ve been locked out. So here you are at the playground, getting ready to see what is so special about the swing set, using mindfulness to try and overcome your belief that this will be an utter...

You take 11-year-olds, divide them into different teams, force them to compete for points, and then you watch them fight. Eventually, you bring them back together through a common enemy (an enemy that is probably more appropriate for the adults to handle…). Are we talking about Harry Potter or a social psychology experiment from the 1950s? Listen in to find out.

We discuss the animated films: Son of Batman, Batman vs Robin, Bad Blood, Justice League vs Teen Titans. Get a glimpse of what 10-year-old Bruce Wayne would have looked like if he grew up being trained to lead the League of Shadows. We explore Damian’s difficulty befriending others and how, if looked at from a certain angle, his abrasiveness can actually be an endearing trait…sometimes.

Sometimes, if we want to do something really important to us, then we have to be willing to experience something unpleasant. If Clark wants to talk to his crush, Lana, then he has to be willing to feel really sick because she wears a kryptonite necklace. So we practice being Clark and using mindfulness so that he can talk to Lana despite the kryptonite.

Smallville is a lot like social media: pretty on the outside with a lot going on out of view. We explore if Clark’s crush on Lana Lang is caused by anticipatory nausea / anxiety about her kryptonite necklace. And we discuss when might be the best time in someone’s life to get superpowers based on what we know about brain development and causes of disability.

Mindfulness is about stepping back and being an observer of yourself. What better way to practice this than as Deadpool stepping out of his comic book to gain some knowledge and perspective.

“Doing the right thing is sometimes messy and f**ed up, and not particularly convenient.” We talk about the conundrum that is Deadpool and why, despite his erratic killer ways, the X-Men keep trying to turn him into a hero. We also talk about how to approach therapy with a client like Wade Wilson.

Earth, air, fire, water…choose an element to practice bending by using the wisdom the monks shared with Aang. “…bending is about energy and balance. By feeling the energy around you, you can find balance. By finding balance, you can feel the energy.”

Keeden’s wife, Colleen Hopkins, and Sam Leggett from Team JVS join us to talk about the heroes-in-training that appear in Avatar: The Last Airbender the 2024 TV show. We have a great range from Emilia (brand new to the franchise) to Colleen (knows literally everything there is to know). We talk about favorite characters, the struggle to be a child while also having the responsibilities of the worl...

When you have powers like Poseidon, you have to take advantage of your ability to breathe underwater to take a much-deserved break from godly quests.

Percy had a tough start to life. He was different and struggled to fit in, bullied and left unprotected by many of the adults in his life. And then all of a sudden, he was a powerful demigod on a quest of mythological proportions. We talk about teaching, parenting, and what it might take to get a bunch of teenage demigods to get along.

It isn’t easy trying to make your way as a superhero when you have Superman swooping in and taking out your villains. You’re invincible, Superman, we get it. When the Justice League teamwork isn’t making the dream work, mindfulness can help deal with the frustration.

Being a hero-in-training takes on a whole different context when you are talking about expert superheroes who are training to work together as a team. Emilia has brushed up on some I/O Psychology so we can talk about team dynamics and what seems to complicate the Justice League’s attempts to be a well-oiled machine.

It’s been a long night of crimefighting and there is a lot more to do, but the sun is rising so you have begrudgingly returned to the Batcave. Before you shower off the dirt and grit from being out in Gotham, you decide to find a spot in the Batcave to lie down and check in with your body to see how it is doing.

We delve into the many skills of Bruce Wayne and how he honed his natural abilities (and financial privilege). We also explore how he maneuvers through his anger and emotional turmoil to become a crimefighter dressed up as a … bat, what seems to be a comic book version of harm reduction.

You are Tim Drake. You know who Batman is and you know how important it is for Batman to have a Robin. But Batman is hurting…and stubborn… Even though his rejection of your offer to be Robin hurts, you use cognitive diffusion to step back and remember that it isn’t personal.

Tim Drake’s start to being the Boy Wonder was very different from his predecessors, showing detective prowess much like the Dark Knight’s. We explore what it must have been like to try to connect with Bruce Wayne after the death of Jason Todd. And find out if Keeden convinces Emilia to no longer see Tim Drake as her ‘least favorite Robin’!

Dr. Harrison Wells has a wonderful monologue in The Flash 1.17 that uses mindfulness to help Barry Allen phase for the first time. We imagine ourselves as The Flash, needing to phase or we will meet an explosive end. So, we focus on Dr. Wells’ words as he helps us connect with the speed force. “Listen to me, Barry. Breathe…breathe…”

We contrast Barry Allen and Oliver Queen’s journeys to becoming heroes in the Arrowverse. Barry is refreshingly light-hearted despite his family struggles, but even he is affected by the weight of keeping secrets and the repercussions of broken trust. And…what about that secret prison with no legal oversite?

Archery is an excellent way to practice meditation and mindfulness. We imagine ourselves as Green Arrow / Oliver Queen, bouncing tennis balls and shooting them with arrows.

Arrow is a show that really highlights the struggles of adjusting to life after trauma and the importance of social support to be able to have a life beyond that trauma. After all, who would Oliver Queen (and the Green Arrow) be without John Diggle and Felicity Smoak? We also explore when this version of Green Arrow goes from vigilante and anti-hero to superhero status.

You’re wearing your new Ms. Marvel uniform, and you are excited. It’s the perfect day to take your powers out for a run. You open the bedroom window, embrace the Jersey City sky, and focus your mind on creating that first energy beam ...

Kamala Khan has such a compelling story of teenage struggles, culture clashes, and the strength of family and friendship. In this episode, Emilia shares her theory on how adversity and marginalization result in more easily adapting to a life with superpowers. We also can’t help ourselves and take a few pokes at the terrible lies superheroes often make when they keep their secret more tightlipped....

When Psycho-Pirate overcomes you with fear, you are reminded of what Batman always says – “EVERYONE gets scared. But remember, all that means is everyone gets the opportunity to fight that fear. Everyone gets the chance to be BRAVE.” And so you take every ounce of willpower you have and you find a way to embrace the fear.

We talk about the tragic story of two young superhero hopefuls introduced in Tom King’s Batman: Rebirth storyline. Some of the topics include the terrible name “Psycho-Pirate”, humanizing the experience of psychosis, and ways to manage feelings fear and anger. Source(s): Batman: Rebirth series