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

Psychologist Dr. Emilia Brown provides her Recruitment Assessment for the Avengers Initiative on Thor, God of Thunder. Perhaps the Avenger with the most personal growth in the MCU, how might Thor be different in Avengers: Doomsday? And what is it that makes someone worthy to wield the hammer Mjölnir?

Psychologist Dr. Emilia Brown provides her Recruitment Assessment for the Avengers Initiative on Steve Rogers. What character traits are relevant when considering him for the Avengers? How might his becoming a father affect his ability to self-sacrifice? Can he maintain a sense of identity without being the one called Captain America?

In preparation for Doomsday, we use psychology to explore the team dynamics of the MCU’s Avengers. We look at what makes this team so hard to keep together and why not every superhero is the best teammate. Bonus: hear us argue about whether Tony Stark is Marvel’s version of Bruce Wayne.Psychology Source: https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/teamwork

We introduce our season, a series of psychological case studies of the MCU characters who will return in Avengers: Doomsday. Keeden shares what he’s found out about the upcoming movie while Dr. Emilia Brown talks about what a ‘case study’ is and why case studies can help us love the MCU even more.

Journalist Jacob Ward joins us as we use Tony Stark and Ozymandias to explore the psychological dangers of when technology is created and distributed without limits. Bonus: stick around until the end to find out Jake’s perspective on how journalists are portrayed in comics!Jacob Ward has a background in technology journalism and behavioral science with experiences that include 6 years as technology correspondent for NBC News and hosting "Hacking Your Mind" (NSF-funded PBS documentary series). He wrote the book "The Loop: How A.I is Creating a World without Choices and How to Fight Back” and hosts his weekly podcast, The Rip Current, about the invisible forces driving tech, money, and politics.https://www.jacobward.com/Psychology sources: Protecting Our Children Online and Examining the Harm of AI Chatbots

Keeden brings the comic book knowledge and Dr. Emilia Brown brings the psychology research to help us figure out if Bruce Wayne can truly be a superhero when he has so much money. We also explore whether psychology can answer the age-old question: Is Batman’s superpower his wealth?Source: https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/wealth-empathy

We use the Fantastic Four’s Mister Fantastic to explore the similarities and differences between high intellect and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Dr. Brown shares information on autism and the importance of finding good sources when trying to self-diagnose.Source: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/autism-spectrum-disorder

This episode has SPOILERS about the newest Fantastic Four movie. We share our thoughts on the movie, including Keeden’s annoyance at enjoying the movie. Dr. Brown explores if people’s reaction to Mister Fantastic’s directness and honesty in this multiverse would be an expected psychological reaction in our own.

For our Halloween episode we went with one of Keeden’s favorites, Van Helsing. We explore how Van Helsing’s personal experiences help to overcome prejudice and the struggle we all have in trying to overcome our initial reactions to a “monster” like Frankenstein’s who may be the most human of them all.

Since the beginning, comics have been a way to explore a variety of social injustices. We talk with Michael Miller, a justice-oriented theological consultant. Michael designed and taught a private high school class called MARVELous Justice that looked at the intersection of comics with social justice. Listen to this episode to find out why the school’s Catholic Sisters approving content on Black Panther, Squirrel Girl, and Harley Quinn isn’t as surprising as you might think.Michael Miller: mycomicrelief.wordpress.com & https://www.michaeljmillerconsulting.com/X: @My_ComicReliefInstagram: @consultingtheologianThreads: consultingtheologianBluesky: @mycomicrelief.bsky.social

We use last week’s episode on the Super/Bat storyline to explore if Batman’s stubborn resolve, attention to details, and perfectionism are part of Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder. Dr. Brown also describes the differences between this personality disorder and OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder).Learn more about OCPD at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK597372/

If you have wanted to see what Batman would be like with Superman’s powers, then we highly recommend this 4-part comic book series, Super/Bat (Superman/Batman Vol 1 #53-56 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman/Batman). We provide a psychological breakdown of how getting superpowers may not be as much of a gift for Batman as one might think.

With a background in rehabilitation for mental health disability, Dr. Emilia Brown uses Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood to talk about how hard it can be to recognize and correct ableism in our society. Fullmetal does not shy away from characters who have physical disabilities. Still, creating empowering and respectful representations of disability is complicated - - so how did Fullmetal do?

How can we possibly begin to move on from tragedies like death, war, torture, and loss? Hear a clinical psychologist and her nerdy counterpart explore the ways Edward and Alphonse Elrich, Scar, Colonel Mustang and others try to move on in life after the violence they have experienced and, in some cases, participated in themselves.

In this engaging conversation, Dr. Emilia Brown and Keeden Hopkins explore the complexities of therapy for magic users, discussing the ethical dilemmas, coping mechanisms, and emotional well-being of characters like Agatha, Loki, and Dr. Strange. They delve into how magic influences therapy dynamics, the philosophical implications of using magic in therapy, and the unique challenges therapists face when working with clients who possess magical abilities.

Despite how this movie differs from the comics, it is an enjoyable watch. We explore Constantine’s understandable cynicism and how his focus on what is most important helps to keep him going in the face of going to hell.

How would Dr. Brown adapt psychotherapy for a vampire? We answer the questions you didn’t know you had. Why might a vampire go to therapy? Does a vampire need a therapist who is also a vampire, or are there advantages to finding someone warm-blooded? Would vampires have mental health disorders and, if so, would they be like the human versions? Does vampirism involve its own unique version of moral injury? And more!

Nothing like using your lifelong resilience in the face of extreme violence and racism to help prepare you for a sudden realization: vampires are real. Is becoming a vampire the solution to life’s problems?