Movie House Sport Psychology

“Big men get punched more than little men. Did you know that?” I sit down with friend of the show Braun Inslee, LMHC, to discuss episode one of HBO's A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms , "The Hedge Knight." We explore Dunk's grief after the sudden loss of Ser Arlan and follow the big man's journey as he picks up the sword and takes his first steps as Ser Duncan the Tall. We also...

“...tiny acts of service to your fellow cadets—a single stitch and another and another, until you have devoted yourself to something greater than you ever imagined, a tapestry that is Starfleet.” I’m joined by fellow Trekkies and hosts of Dice in Mind , a podcast about RPGs, pop culture, and life. Bradley Browne, MBA, is an executive strategist and possible Ferengi, while Jason Kaufman, PhD, is a...

“I will leave at my leisure, but I am flattered by your desire to trap me.” I talk with former athlete and current mental health startup founder Emily Huston about the film Poor Things. Although the movie contains multitudes, we focused on how Bella Baxter’s (Emma Stone) journey as a reanimated corpse with a baby brain mirrors the journey of an athlete. (I know what you’re thinking, but hear us ou...

“I don’t know the right words. Ought to be a septon here. You were a true knight.” I talk with athletic mental health and performance counselor and lifelong nerd, Braun Inslee, LMHC, about the HBO series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms . We meander through our shared history of loving fantasy (and confirm that, yes, wizards are cool). We explore the difference between the image of a knight and what...

“Oak and iron, guard me well.” I talk with psychologist and certified mental performance consultant Dr. Tim Herzog about the first season of the HBO series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms . We tackle important questions like whether Dunk was actually knighted and whether the lords at the tournament were lying about not remembering Ser Arlen. Then, we turn to a case conceptualization and treatment p...

“I told you to bring tights.” “Do I look like I own tights?” I talk with friend of the show, Caitlin Broadwell, APCC, the Athletic Case Manager at Long Beach State, who helps student-athletes connect to resources and, when the time comes, transition out of sport. We dive into the early-aughts dance cult classic Step Up (2006). This movie is about more than Channing Tatum’s character, Tyler, and hi...

“We’re not in the office anymore, Bradley.” I sit down with the Doctor of Horror herself, Dr. Taylor Neff, to discuss the Sam Raimi vehicle Send Help . As both a psychologist and an admitted White Lady, she is uniquely qualified to weigh in on Rachel McAdams–related moral dilemmas. We dive into office politics and corporate dynamics, including tuna sandwich etiquette. We tackle age-old questions l...

“Every wedding needs a singer, and every tourney needs a mystery knight.” The Blackfyre Rebellion is long over—so put your differences aside, grab some salt beef and ale, and take a seat by the fire. We hedge knights stick together. Our literary journey concludes as we discuss The Mystery Knight , the third novella in George R. R. Martin’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms . An older and slightly wis...

“A hedge knight could ride bare naked if he chose; he had no one to shame but himself. It was different when your sword was sworn. When you accept a lord’s meat and mead, all you do reflects on him, Ser Arlan used to say. Always do more than he expects of you, never less. Never flinch at any task or hardship. And above all, never shame the lord you serve.” The Movie House Book Club continues! Kick...

“Oak and iron guard me well Or else I’m dead and doomed to hell.” Today, I do the unthinkable and talk about a book. Remember those? Follow along as I dive into The Hedge Knight , George R. R. Martin’s first novella from A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms . I explore the story of Dunk the Lunk as he sets out on a new life as Ser Duncan the Tall, and how he soon meets a cheeky, bald-headed orphan named...

“Father, I want to confess.” “What have you done?” “Nothing, Father. I haven't sinned. But I intend to commit all the evil I can.” Today we crusade against the Antichrist with the Christmas horror classic The Day of the Beast ( El día de la bestia , 1995). I discuss how a ragtag group of misfits — a priest, a metalhead, and a TV psychic — team up to try to save the world. Father Angel believes...

“You said you trust Ping. Why is Mulan any different?” In this episode, I talk with licensed professional counselor, basketball coach, and certified geek Desiree Nunez, LPC, about the 1998 Disney classic Mulan . Think a woman could never pose as a man and charge into battle? Think again. We explore one of several real historical examples from the U.S. Civil War and discuss how they mirror themes i...

“Who do you play for?” “I play for the United States of America!” Today, my guest is a Certified Mental Performance Coach, the Director of Sport & Performance Psychology at the University of Western States, and the person responsible for introducing me to using improv comedy as a tool for mental skills development with athletes (may God have mercy on her soul). My guest is Sarah Castillo, PhD,...

“When is a machine not a machine?” I chat  with clinical psychologist, comic book character, and OG pop culture psychology expert, Dr. Drea Letamendi as we geek out about the first half of Alien: Earth (2025). We wouldn’t dare talk about the series without celebrating the greatness of Ellen Ripley. We talk about the show’s ragtag cast of cyborgs, synthetics, hybrids, and humans. We discuss the psy...

“If any man dared take on an Owens woman, he would live briefly in the euphoria of her love… before meeting an untimely death.” In this episode, I sit down with multimedia artist, educator, and fellow Indo Elizabeth Coert Souza, MFA, to explore the 1998 cult classic Practical Magic. We discuss how Elizabeth uses her art as activism—shining a light on the comfort women of the Dutch East Indies duri...

“Hi there, you on the table. I wonder if you’d mind taking a brief survey?” Today, I’m joined by Shaina Siber, LCSW, to discuss Apple TV+’s Severance (2022), Season One, Episode One: “The Good News About Hell.” Don’t be alarmed by the disembodied voices you’re hearing—that’s just Shaina and me chatting about our mutual admiration for Adam Scott! In this episode, we explore: The show’s unique premi...

Today, I’m joined by two amazing psychologists, Dr. Kristin Szuhany and Dr. Simon Rego. We’ve presented together at conferences on the use of pop culture metaphors in therapy—and now, we’re having fun diving into the 2024 Disney movie The Wild Robot . In the words of our favorite beaver, Paddler: “The process is the art.” We explore Roz’s transformation from a standard bucket of bolts into a mothe...

"On your left!" In today’s episode, I talk to prolific author, professor, expert of pop culture psychology, and Wheel of Fortune champion, Dr. Travis Langley. We geeked out about Avengers Infinity War and Endgame as well as pretty much all superhero movies. We’re like Steve Rogers, we can do this all day. We discussed the very real grief experienced by Thor Lebowski (Thorbowski), Tony Stark’s ment...

“Hey! They laughed at Louis Armstrong when he said he was gonna go to the moon. Now he's up there, laughing at them” Today, I talk to Dr. Lina Chmiel about a figure skating classic from 2007, Blades of Glory. We talk about identity and loss experienced by our stories heroes Chazz: Michael Michaels (Will Ferrell) and Jimmy MacElroy (John Heder). We talked about their journey from rivals to part...

"Please do not leave a message. That's what texts are for." Today, I talk to mental performance coach Brianna Antillon, M.S. about the hit show 911. We talked about Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewit) and Chim (Kenneth Choi) tolerating discomfort and accepting what they can't control dealing with pregnancy issues. We talked about the importance of teamwork between Sergeant Grant (Angela Bassett) and Capt...

"If you don't fall, how you gon' know what gettin' up feels like?" Today, I talk to Caitlin Broadwell, APCC about the 2005 roller skating classic, Roll Bounce. We skate down memory lane As Caitlin talks about all the laughs she had with her family watching this movie. We talked about the portrayal of grief and loss, the cultural and societal context of the late 70's, father/son dynamics, and the r...

"If you put your effort and concentration into playing to your potential, to be the best that you can be, I don't care what the scoreboard says at the end of the game, in my book we're gonna be winners." In today's episode, I talked to sport psychology pioneer and mentor to many, Dr. Michael Sachs. We paid a very timely tribute to Gene Hackman and his 1986 classic Hoosiers. W...

"Pop quiz, A-hole!" David Smith, MSc and I talk about the 1994 classic- starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock- Speed. We talk about managing pressure, solving problems, teamwork, and most importantly, public transportation and Los Angeles traffic! "Guts will get you so far, then they'll get you killed." Be smart. Listen to this episode! Follow David Smith, MSc on social...

"l came to coach basketball players, and you became students. l came to teach boys, and you became men." Sport psychology trainee Emma Biggin, MSc joins the podcast to talk about the 2005 classic Coach Carter. I geek out over the Bad Mother F-er Samuel L. Jackson. We talk about the differences between high school sports in the U.S. and Emma's home, the United Kingdom. We discussed Co...

"This is what I learned at the hospital. You have to do everything you can, you have to work your hardest, and if you do, if you stay positive, you have a shot at a silver lining." I talk to fellow psychologist Dr. Brian Licuanan about the 2012 hit movie- starring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Robert De Niro- Silver Linings Playbook. We talked about cinema therapy, family crisis intervent...