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

Whether it’s for cosplay or you are the real McCoy, today we take in every moment of putting on the cowl before you go out to fight for justice.

Greg Burrow is a Batman Cosplayer who does a variety of charity and community service events and has been a cosplay guest at multiple conventions in Texas. He is a manager at Dragon’s Lair Comics and Fantasy in Austin, Texas, as well as a member of the 501st Legion Star Wars Costuming Group, Austin Ghostbusters, the Fighting 788th GI Joe Costuming Group, and others. If you are in Austin, don’t miss out on the 2023 CASA Superhero Run on September 17th, 2023! Sources: Check out https://www.facebook.com/GbCosplay and https://www.facebook.com/HeroesOfTexas/ !

You have trained your body. Honed your mind. And it all comes down to this. Silk Spectre has shot at your heart. Now you must go against every human instinct and catch that bullet.

Watchmen does an excellent job of asking the question – what makes something villainous? Ozymandias is always the smartest person in the room. Does this make the death and destruction he brings heroic or the stuff of villains? Hear what we think!

You have been dreaming of this your entire life and the moment is finally here. You walk slowly toward the iron throne, taking in every detail. You turn, you sit, you feel the iron against your back and you feel its power.

Cersei Lannister is a compelling villain. Some love her, some love to hate her. We talk about how her growing refusal to acknowledge any vulnerability results in the very mistrust and disloyalty she fears.

Deep breathing is a great mindfulness technique. How would it look to deep breathe through Bane’s mask? Listen in to find out!

Arguably stronger and tactically smarter than Batman, Bane falls short because of his inability to see other people as assets rather than vulnerabilities. We also explore his addiction to Venom and the question of when someone is or is not past the point of redemption.

You are Wolverine about to get injected with adamantium. The doctor/scientist looks down at you and says, “Whatever the reason is for doing this, focus on that. Maybe it’ll help.” You reply, “I’ve been through worse.” She says back, “No you haven’t.” Sounds like a good time for some mindfulness and meditation.

Whether it’s the films’ Colonel or the comics’ Sergeant/Reverend, William Stryker has an ability to compel others to do his bidding. We discuss red flags that suggest someone is trying to coerce you. And we also throw in a random discussion of why shooting Wolverine in the head would not be the best plan for making him lose his memories.

Batman has left you for the authorities, there is nothing you can do but wait…might as well take in the experience of being tied up and hanging upside down. (It beats ruminating about what got you here in the first place.)

Batman villains? Obviously, we have to talk about The Joker. First up is Heath Ledger’s phenomenal performance. We discuss psychopathy and this Joker’s ability to be a master manipulator. We explore the psychology behind why people respond to the Joker the way they do, including when things don’t go the Joker’s way when he pits two ferryboats against each other.

Remember November 2022 when we talked about the real-life psychologist written into The New 52 as Barbara Gordon’s therapist? That psychologist agreed to chat with us! We nerd out about the journey to becoming a superhero podcasting/consulting psychologist. True to our season 4 topic, we also discuss Dr. Letamendi’s favorite DC villains and why.

We follow up our One Bad Day: The Riddler episode with practicing mindfulness as The Riddler by adapting Leaves on a Stream, putting all our thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, (and riddles) on a question mark and watching them float by.

We talk about what happens when The Riddler struggles to cope with his traumatic childhood and, as a result, changes the pattern of his crimes. Bonus content – Keeden complains about a teacher’s bad testing policies.

It can be hard to let go of the past or what could have been. Now imagine being Barry Allen, The Flash, someone who actually has the ability to change the past. In The Flash, this takes Barry down a difficult path, but mindfulness can help! <p>This is NOT a way to receive mental health treatment, services, or personal advice. If you are needing help, consider taking a look at the resource page on our website.

We explore this portrayal of Barry Allen and his attention to detail that makes him both good at his job and perhaps more likely to struggle with leaving the past behind him. We also talk about how The Flash becomes a personification of everyday struggles some people have with the ‘what ifs’ in life. (Naturally, we also touch on Michael Keaton’s Batman.)

It is a bit of an understatement that Homelander could benefit from some anger management strategies. When you have body tension from all that pent up (or not so pent up) aggression and you also have super strength that could destroy everything around you, there’s nothing better than some Progressive Muscle Relaxation! <p>This is NOT a way to receive mental health treatment, services, or personal advice. If you are needing help, consider taking a look at the resource page on our website.

This Independence Day, we celebrate by talking about Homelander! We explore where the responsibility lies when someone’s violent and manipulative actions may be a result of living in a community where those actions are normalized. Also, is it narcissistic personality disorder if you really are more physically powerful than everyone else? We discuss how there may be a better way to define Homelander’s struggles.

Introducing our Season 4 theme…Summer of Infamy! We talk about why we love villains and why we are excited to delve into them even more than before. Also listen for other ideas and updates for the podcast.

We take one last look at Season 3 and our focus on Elseworlds and Alternate Realities.

This TV series is chockful of goodies. We talk about Dr. Strange’s locus of control and the dangers of trying to control what is not within your power. We explore what might lead us to accept the past rather than dwell on the ‘what ifs’. And we, of course, could not pass up talking about The Watcher and his embodiment of mindfulness, to watch multiverses without “exerting his will”.

This HP Lovecraftian version of Batman is an odd one. We share our thoughts about the general Elseworlds approach and also delve into Oliver Queen’s character and his struggle to atone for killer family secrets.

The Bat Therapy co-hosts love this movie and all the Spider-Folk across the multiverse. We talk about how there will always be great excuses to stay stuck in life like multiverse Peter Parker as well as how Miles Morales can finally use his superpowers when he stops thinking about the expectations of others and finds his own path.

What if Superman landed in the Soviet Union? We talk about the delicate balance between free will and safety, the power of perception, and the benefit of Lex Luthor having a country supporting his Superman obsession.

In this alternative world’s future, Logan/Wolverine’s life seems pretty grim. (Not that it was ever sunshine and rainbows.) We explore how Logan navigates Professor X’s degenerating cognitive abilities and other drawbacks of having ‘eternal life’. And interestingly, we discuss how his harsh exterior is likely exactly what young Laura needs to manage her selective mutism.

The Joker spends one day gunning for Superman and the world is changed forever. We talk about the ethical gray areas of Superman’s decision to remove all violence from the world (unless he decides to put Atlantis in the middle of a desert) and the psychological underpinnings of the superheroes who join Superman’s initiative.

Humor. It can be a great coping mechanism, but it can also be a way to deflect. Despite his ADHD (and potentially some other mental health diagnoses) and persistent joking, Deadpool has found his support network and is able to move beyond his own pain to help a kid in need.

It can be hard to go back to reality after the bloodshed of being super-powered, brotherly dictators. We discuss Superman and Batman’s management of cognitive dissonance, when one’s beliefs do not match one’s actions, and explore how guilt can be an important part of the process.

This movie is chockful of goodies. We take the opportunity to explore the psychological struggles of different versions of Peter Parker, leading to a discussion of the importance of treating even the villains in our lives like people.

We never pass up the opportunity to talk Batman: The Animated Series! This episode explores how Bruce Wayne and his support network might respond to him potentially having psychosis – after all, he is a billionaire who thinks he’s Batman. Also, tune in to hear Dr. Brown touch on one of her pet peeves about Dr. Leslie Thompkins.

Different people have different responses to trauma. What would happen if Bruce Wayne and Kal-El were one in the same? What if this version of Bruce Wayne had to cope with the brutal murder of his adoptive parents while also juggling the isolation and superpowered abilities of being a Kryptonian?

Great Scott! This episode isn’t about superheroes! We just couldn’t resist having our own Doc Brown make like a tree and record this episode. We talk bullying and self-esteem issues, a theme seen throughout the time traveling antics of Marty McFly.

Goals are important. But what if we become hyper-focused, forgetting that one success rarely solves everything? What if we achieve our goals but it is at great cost…is it worth it? Hear us explore these and other psychological questions as we discuss the interesting world of Flashpoint.

We take a break from our regularly scheduled season to celebrate Black History Month with our FIRST BAT-GUEST! In this episode, we talk Isaiah Bradley and the complexities of race-based trauma with clinical psychologist Dr. Jordan Layne.

Warning: in this one we talk about suicide prevention. If you are up for it, this is a great story that mixes serious topics with goofball plot devices in ways only Booster Gold can accomplish.

We love this movie! And not just because it fixes the mistakes of X-Men 3 (sigh). We talk about self-fulfilling prophecies, Charles Xavier’s medication/substance use, and how wonderful it would be to be able to reach out and comfort your younger self during those times you needed it the most.

How would the death of a Justice Leaguer affect the Justice League? We talk about the history of lobotomies as well as the delicate societal balance between maintaining safety and freedom.

Hear us talk about our upcoming theme - Elseworlds & Alternate Realities! We share some of our favorites and talk about updates for the new season.

Keeden fires off a variety of suggested New Year’s resolutions for our superheroes, sidekicks, and villains while Dr. Brown shares psychology knowledge about the fallacies of resolutions and how to make new habits stick.

Who doesn’t love a good ol’ Batman: The Animated Series episode? We walk through the 4 storylines in this episode, highlighting the difficulty of maintaining two identities, Batman’s sentimentality (despite his best efforts, of course), and other fun tidbits.

The Penguin’s fight for acceptance, Selina Kyle’s creation of Catwoman as response to a trauma and low self-esteem, Bruce Wayne brooding in the dark for no apparent reason, duck-shaped modes of transportation. This movie has it all.

Somebody saaaaaave meeee…from bad representations of current inpatient facilities and electroconvulsive therapy (both legitimate treatment options that many find helpful). We talk Dr. Claire Foster, Lex Luthor’s psychiatrist as he struggles with psychosis, and Dr. Evans, a therapist Lois Lane sees for some dream interpretation.

The New 52 allowed Barbara Gordon to transition from Oracle back to Batgirl. But despite regaining the use of her legs, Batgirl is left with “pain and darkness”. Hear our thoughts on her therapist who is based on a real-life clinical psychologist!

We take a break from our regularly scheduled programming to talk about Marvel’s recently released Wakanda Forever. We discuss grief, anger, and the delicate balance between justice and mutual assured destruction.

What is a therapist to do when Lucifer himself walks into their office? We explore Dr. Linda Martin’s approach to Lucifer’s treatment and answer other questions like how a therapist deals with the pressures of the job (whether they treat godlike creatures or mere mortals).

Not too much is known about the professional life of Dr. Chase Meridian, Gotham PD consultant and expert in “abnormal psychology and multiple personality disorder.” We talk about her professional work and the question of if this Two-Face truly represents Dissociative Identify Disorder. For your listening pleasure, we also may get a little sidetracked into talking about the silly quirks of this Batman film.

Dr. Ellie Staple is a psychiatrist specializing in treating clients who believe they are superheroes. Hear us explore Keeden’s new phobia brought on by the twist in this final movie of the Unbreakable Series as well as Dr. Brown’s thoughts on how to unfold the layers and get to the truth with someone like Mr. Glass.

A psychiatrist specializing in Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) who lives in M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable universe. What could go wrong? We discuss the benefits of Dr. Fletcher’s approach to her clients while also hitting on the issues with the popular choice to use DID as a movie/TV/book plot point.

Billy Russo (Jigsaw) ‘s psychologist in The Punisher TV show, Dr. Krista Dumont, uses a lot of effective therapeutic skills to help him cope with his trauma and physical rehabilitation. She is also a reminder that therapists are people too, she is both a healer and someone attempting to find her own way to heal.