NOTE: This episode includes frank discussion of eating

disorder symptoms, weight, body image, depression, and related struggles.

Music critic and award-winning writer, Ken Capobianco, shares his story

about recovering from anorexia nervosa after 30 years. We talked about the ways

that dieting in his teen years escalated into an eating disorder and the

painful effects it had on his life. Ken shared how his book, Call Me

Anorexic: Ballad of a Thin Man, was written to reduce stigma and help men

with eating disorders understand that they’re not alone. Therapy, humor, and

social connections were crucial to Ken’s recovery. We discussed, in depth, the

parts of therapy and relationships he found helpful (and the ones that he

didn’t). Ultimately, Ken’s story is one of hope and a passion for helping

others.

If you like our podcast, please rate and review us on iTunes, check out

our website, and follow us on Twitter. Thank you so much!

Links

Follow Ken Capobianco on Twitter,

read his book,

watch him in this video,

and read his excellent interview

with musician and writer, Dessa.

For more eating disorder information and resources, click here.

Hey folks! Thanks so much for tuning in. This week we had the absolute pleasure of doing a cross-over episode with the Head Space and Timing Podcast hosted by Duane France. Duane is an individual with the unique experience and background of having served both as a veteran as well as a mental health therapist. We had the opportunity to chat with Duane about the film Saving Private Ryan. Listen in as we discuss moral injury, posttraumatic stress, and the unique mental health experiences that veterans cope with. We hope you enjoy this fascinating discussion!

If you like our podcast, please rate and review us on iTunes, check out our website, and follow us on Twitter. Thank you so much!

Randolph Brickey is a writer, recovering attorney, struggling internet personality, and former public defender. He joined us to discuss his fantastic article comparing Batman: The Animated Series (TAS) to Christopher Nolan’s Batman Trilogy. Brandon and Randolph talked about what TAS meant to them growing up and what it means to them now. Then, we discussed the humanitarian and “obsessive redeemer” sides of Batman evident in TAS. Pulling from our therapist and attorney experiences, we delved into the roles of empathy and humility in our work and why we think some people avoid nuanced views of “villains.” We concluded with final thoughts about how current movies would be better with more compassionate superheroes (like Wonder Woman) and how everyone should watch TAS. We enjoyed making this episode, and we hope you enjoy listening to it!

If you like our podcast, please rate and review us on iTunes, check out our website, and follow us on Twitter. Thank you so much!

Links:

Follow Randolph Brickey on Twitter and read his articles They Stole My Batman and The Definition of Insanity.

Check out previous Jedi Counsel episodes and posts on Batman and Wonder Woman.

For more psychology of Batman, check out the Arkham Sessions podcast.

We spoke to Dr. Tracy Witte, an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology, about her fascinating research on suicidal behavior. First, she told us about the interesting path that led her to clinical psychology. Next, she shared how openness to new opportunities led to important interdisciplinary work with different populations (e.g., military, LGBTQ+ veterinarians and students). Veterinary professionals have elevated suicide rates compared to the general population, and Dr. Witte’s work has shed light on potential ways to address this disparity. We concluded by talking about Dr. Witte’s intriguing research on the nature of suicidal behavior and how science can help us to save lives. We learned a lot making this episode, and we hope you enjoy listening to it!

You can follow Jedi Counsel on Twitter and like us on Facebook. If you like what you hear, please rate and review us on iTunes and tell your friends! Thank you!

For more information:

Check out Dr. Witte’s faculty page and lab website.

Here’s a blog post about the taxometrics study on suicidal behavior by Dr. Witte and Dr. Holm-Denoma.

You can learn more about suicide prevention here.

Suicide theories discussed in this episode include the interpersonal theory of suicide and the three-step theory.

Learn more about lethal means safety for suicide prevention here and here.

Note from Katie: I realized after recording that I should have used the term “romantic partner selection” instead of “mate selection.” So sorry about that! Please mentally edit me throughout while listening to put my mind at ease – thank you!

In honor of Valentine’s Day, this episode is all about relationships, couples therapy, and romance in The Office with special guest, Dr. Leonardo Bobadilla! First, we talked about the factors that influence initiation of romantic relationships and whether assortative mating is real. Next, we chatted about unhealthy and healthy components of relationships. With tons of references to your favorite Office characters, we described some of the main components of couples therapy and how those skills seemed to help Pam and Jim in Season 9. This may be laughy-est episode we’ve ever done! We hope you enjoy it!

If you want to skip ahead to certain sections, here’s a guide (analyses of characters from The Office are part of every section):

* 10:01 – Romantic Partner Selection & Assortative Mating

* 45:12  – Healthy vs. Unhealthy Relationships & Longevity

* 1:08:00 – Couples Therapy Components (Communication Skills)

If you like our podcast, please rate and review us on iTunes, check out our website, and follow us on Twitter. Thank you so much!

For More Information:

* Check out Katie’s cousin’s music on SoundCloud – it’s really, really good and under the name Couples Therapy!

* Dr. Leonardo Bobadilla’s faculty webpage, blog, & SoundClown page

* Couples Therapy Information

* Dr. Samantha Joel’s Relationship Decisions Lab website

* studies about initial attraction in speed-dating

* study on gratitude, commitment, and investment in relationships

* study on similarities and differences among romantic partners over time

Geek Therapy’s Josué Cardona has hijacked this feed to make a special announcement.

The Geek Therapy Network, including Jedi Counsel, is brought to you in part by member of Geek Therapy on Patreon.

For the month of February GT is holding a special offer for all new and current members. Listen to learn more and visit patreon.com/geektherapy to become a member.

Thank you!

Content warning: This episode contains discussion of depictions of suicide and self-harm.

Hey folks! We are back this week and we decided to check out the new Netflix film Bird Box. We started off by visiting about our overall impressions of the film and some relevant background information. Following that, we dig into some of the psychological themes present in the film. This includes depictions of suicide and self-harm, the use of mental health language (words like “psychotic”, “crazy”, etc.), and categorizing people with mental health difficulties in a different and potentially problematic way. Following that, we very briefly touched upon the “Bird Box Challenges” making their way around the internet. What did you think of the film?

If you like our podcast, please rate and review us on iTunes, check out our website, and follow us on Twitter. Thank you!

Professor and clinical psychologist, Dr. Leonardo Bobadilla, joined us to discuss examples of narcissism in characters from The Office. We first discussed where the term narcissism came from and what it means to the public, therapists, and researchers. Then, we talked about different aspects of narcissism: pathological vs. adaptive and grandiose vs. vulnerable. Next, we talked about the narcissistic features that Michael Scott, Andy Bernard, and Ryan Howard express in the show, while recalling our favorite scenes and quotes. We concluded with a discussion of the need for more treatment research. We really enjoyed making this episode for you all, and we hope you enjoy listening to it!

If you like our podcast, please rate and review us on iTunes, check out our website, and follow us on Twitter. Thank you!

For More Information:

* Dr. Leonardo Bobadilla’s faculty webpage & blog* Previous Jedi Counsel podcast episodes with Dr. Bobadilla on paraphilic disorders and restorative justice* Jedi Counsel fictional diagnostic reports on Michael Scott, Kelly Kapoor, and Dwight Schrute* Pathological Narcissism and Narcissistic Personality Disorder by Pincus & Lukowitsky (2010)* The Narcissism Spectrum Model: A Synthetic View of Narcissistic Personality by Krizan & Herlache (2017)

This week’s episode is all about Aquaman, the movie. First, we talked about our overall impressions (which included some tangents about movie theater seats and movie lengths). Next, we discussed how we think Aquaman has low levels of the personality trait neuroticism, while King Orm has high levels of the personality trait narcissism. Then, we talked about why we think Queen Atlanna and Princess Mera would be considered good (but not lawful) in Dungeons and Dragons alignment terms. Finally, we talked about how one of our favorite parts of the movie was the overall message that a child born of two different worlds can act as a bridge between two cultures, and how we appreciated the director’s intentionality with that message. What did you think of the movie? Let us know on Twitter (@jedi_counsel)!

For more information:

Are Movies Getting Longer? Here’s the Data

Aquaman Owes a Lot to H.P. Lovecraft. It’s Also His Worst Nightmare.

Aquaman is the Best Star Wars Movie of the Year

Listen to our episodes that explore representation and mixed heritage, narcissism, and neuroticism in more depth.

Hey Jedi Counsel fans! This week we had the great opportunity to stop over and chat with our friends at Paradox Comics-N-Cards! They invited us on to talk a bit about Tom King’s recent comic book series called “Heroes in Crisis“. Listen in as we chat with the comic professionals about some of the themes in the series including what kind of psychological symptoms the heroes might be experiencing, what therapy looks like in real life compared to the comic, and what predictions we have about what’ll happen next. 

It is a fantastic and meaningful discussion! We hope you enjoy it. What are your thoughts about the series so far? You can let us know by messaging us on Facebook, Twitter, or emailing us at jedicounselblog (at) gmail (dot) com.