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

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.

Source: Ms. Marvel TV show

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