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

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 world on your shoulders, and how a therapist might approach someone like Zuko to help them heal.

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.