One of Shayna's favorite games to play in therapy is a card game called, FLUXX. It is a unique and fun game with ever changing rules. And what makes it even better is that there are many different versions, so anyone can find a version they love! In this episode, Shayna and Kathy interviewed the creators of FLUXX, Andy and Kristin Looney. Learn more about them, their games, how they can be used in therapy, and how they are just plain fun to play for everyone. 

Looney Labs was founded in 1996 by two former NASA engineers named Looney. The husband and wife team have been creating fun ever since, with Andy inventing the games, and Kristin running the company. Along with the help of four other full-time employees, several part-timers, and an army of fans, the Looneys are changing the way you play! Their most popular game is FLUXX, and other hit games include Loonacy, Chrononauts, Just Desserts, Get the MacGuffin, Aquarius, TimeBreaker, and Pyramid Arcade. If you can beat Andy at his favorite game, Homeworlds, he will give you a medal. Just released: WORD FLUXX and MYSTERY FLUXX -- What's coming next?  CAT FLUXX

You can find Looney Games here!

Citations, resources and credits

Artwork by Matthew Gwaltney- https://www.bdbumblebee.com

Editing by Ryan Merrill-     https://www.instagram.com/the_nerdyeditor

Intro Music is "Call to Adventure" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)-Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

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Age of Ultron, Terminator, I, Robot, The Matrix, and R2D2. What do they all have in common? Yup- they are all movies about AI. Most of the books, movies, and television shows about AI seem to be about machines rising up to take over the world. Well, except R2. Having an R2 may just be worth the risk. 

But the fact is, AI is here and touches on almost every aspect of modern life. Shayna and Kathy touch on how AI is already being used related to mental health. They explore the history, the potential benefits, and also the huge potential for harm. 

Citations, resources and credits

Types of AI- American University

Enhancing mental health with Artificial Intelligence: Current trends and future prospects

AI as a Mental Health Therapist for Adolescents

Is AI the future of mental health care?

The Unseen Dilemma of AI in Mental Health Care

Regulating AI in mental health care: Ethics of Care Perspective 

Artwork by Matthew Gwaltney- https://www.bdbumblebee.com

Editing by Ryan Merrill-     https://www.instagram.com/the_nerdyeditor

Intro Music is "Call to Adventure" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)-Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

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Shayna and Kathy are joined by Ana, a clinical social worker who you may remember from the Steven Universe episode (7). Ana discusses what it was like growing up with Percy Jackson and with ADHD, and how those two things are related. Her cat, Percy, also provides some entertainment. 

Citations, resources and credits

Percy and ADHD

Artwork by Matthew Gwaltney- https://www.bdbumblebee.com

Editing by Ryan Merrill-     https://www.instagram.com/the_nerdyeditor

Intro Music is "Call to Adventure" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)-Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

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Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a celebration of life, death, and family that is typically celebrated in Mexico and other parts of Latin America. Shayna and Kathy are joined by Jose, a Mexican American mental health therapist, and Yessica, a Mexican American student intern studying to become a mental health therapist, as they discuss this holiday. 

Citations, resources and credits

Day of the Dead Traditions

Artwork by Matthew Gwaltney- https://www.bdbumblebee.com

Editing by Ryan Merrill-     https://www.instagram.com/the_nerdyeditor

Intro Music is "Call to Adventure" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)-Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

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Shayna and Kathy talk with Kaitlyn, a Florida based artist, cosplayer, and convention meetup host, who is better known as NerdyNostalgia. Kaitlyn talks about how she got into cosplaying, making the it more accessible to beginners like herself, social media, mental health and, of course, Critical Role. Kaitlyn first caught Shayna's eye when they were both at a convention cosplaying characters from Vox Machina (Critical Role). 

Citations, resources and credits

Artwork by Matthew Gwaltney- https://www.bdbumblebee.com

Editing by Ryan Merrill-     https://www.instagram.com/the_nerdyeditor

Intro Music is "Call to Adventure" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)-Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

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Shayna and Kathy visit another dimension and discuss the classic television show, The Twilight Zone. The Twilight Zone debuted in 1959 and still influences much of the culture today. The creator, Rod Serling, developed the show in part to explore social issues in a way that could buck the censors. His trauma symptoms from his experiences in WWII also played a part in his writing. The Twilight Zone was an anthology sci-fi show that at times delved into horror, fantasy, and the absurd. Many of the themes are shockingly relevant today and it remains absolutely watchable. 

Citations, resources and credits

Disablilities Studies Quarterly Entering "the Dimension of Imagination": The Twilight Zone's Tales of Madness 

How Rod Serling Used ‘The Twilight Zone’ For His Own Mental Health 

The Enduring Legacy of The Twilight Zone

EW Ranked the best episodes 

Artwork by Matthew Gwaltney- https://www.bdbumblebee.com

Editing by Ryan Merrill-     https://www.instagram.com/the_nerdyeditor

Intro Music is "Call to Adventure" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)-Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

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On this episode Shayna and Kathy talk to Angel- a pediatric mental health expert, and Kayla- a Bluey expert, to talk about the immensely popular children's television show, Bluey. Bluey is a cartoon focusing on an anthropomorphic family of dogs. This show is beloved by children and parents alike- for good reasons! It is relatable and heartwarming and funny. We delve into some of the ways that Bluey supports healthy attachment and social-emotional development in young children. 

You also get to hear Kathy snort like Daddy Pig.

Citations, resources and credits

Bandit's Battle: Men's mental health is Bluey 

Beloved 'Bluey' character may be neurodivergent with ADHD 

10 times Bluey tackled serious issues 

Parent-recommended: Developmental psychologist speaks on the cartoon ‘Bluey’ 

Artwork by Matthew Gwaltney- https://www.bdbumblebee.com

Editing by Ryan Merrill-     https://www.instagram.com/the_nerdyeditor

Intro Music is "Call to Adventure" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)-Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

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Shayna shares her top 10 favorite therapy interventions that integrate pop culture references. From Steven Universe to The Twighlight Zone to SpongeBob and more, get a glimpse into how geeky therapists like us integrate pop culture into our work with clients.

Plus- WE STARTED A PATREON!!

Citations, resources and credits

Steven Universe- Here Comes a Thought video

Spongebob- Procrastination video

Steven Universe- Kiki's Pizza Delivery Service clip

Home- "You are Sad Mad" scene

Steven Universe Future- Growing Pains clip

Artwork by Matthew Gwaltney- https://www.bdbumblebee.com

Editing by Ryan Merrill-     https://www.instagram.com/the_nerdyeditor

Intro Music is "Call to Adventure" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)-Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

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**Spoiler alert for Inside Out and Inside Out 2.
Inside out 2 has already crossed the billion dollar mark at the box office. This is pretty incredible for a sequel released 9 years after the first movie. And there's a reason these movies are so popular. The movies enlisted psychologists, as well as teenaged girls, to literally get into the mind of our protagonist, Riley. The result is a really touching exploration of our emotions and what drives us. Shayna and Kathy are joined by Alyssa, a Marriage and Family Therapy intern, and Inside Out Superfan, to discuss the movies. Don't forget to listen to the after credit scene to hear reactions from some adolescents immediately after viewing Inside Out 2. Special thanks to Mary, Timmy, Journey, Alene, Sarah, Abby and Brianna. And to moms, Sue and Shari! 

Citations, resources and credits

Article from research journal PNAS- Self report captures 27 distinct categories of emotion bridged by continuous gradients

Interactive emotion map with video clips- VERY cool

Buzzfeed article- "Inside Out 2" is a box office hit, so here are 14 genuinely fascinating facts about the film.

Time Magazine article- The Real Science Behind the Animated Emotions of Inside Out 2

Popular Science article- The science of awkward puberty brain from 'Inside Out 2"

Artwork by Matthew Gwaltney- https://www.bdbumblebee.com

Editing by Ryan Merrill-     https://www.instagram.com/the_nerdyeditor

Intro Music is "Call to Adventure" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)-Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

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In honor of Pride month, Shayna and Kathy explore the "A" in LGBTQIA+. And no, it does not stand for "ally". We are talking all about asexuality. We tackle myths and misunderstandings. We try to see if we can identify any good representation of asexuality in media. And, of course, we discuss mental health issues related to the asexuality spectrum.

Citations, resources and credits

The Asexual Visibility and Education Network

Why is absent/low sexual desire a mental disorder (except when patients identify as asexual)?

Trevor Project research on Asexual youth- 

 Mental Health America- Asexuality and Mental health 

Artwork by Matthew Gwaltney- https://www.bdbumblebee.com

Editing by Ryan Merrill-     https://www.instagram.com/the_nerdyeditor

Intro Music is "Call to Adventure" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)-Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

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