Mental Mages Podcast

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 jus...

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...

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-     ...

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
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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). <...

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 ...

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 ...

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...

**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 ...

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 V...

Finally- the second part to episode 45! Shayna and Kathy discuss even more psychology terms and concepts that you may be misusing or overusing. Today we tackle "toxic", triggers and trigger warnings, and the much maligned "safe spaces".

Citations and credits

A meta-analysis of the efficacy of trigger warnings, content warnings and content notes

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

Shayna and Kathy had to call an emergency meeting of The Tortured Swiftie Department by bringing back several return guests to discuss Taylor Swift's new album, The Tortured Poets Department. You might remember Kayla and Melody from our first Taylor Swift Episode (ep 32), and Melissa from our episode on using music to help with emotional regulation (ep 22). We go through a roller coaster of emotions discussing this epic double...

Gaslight, narcissist, anti-social, toxic, triggering.... these are just a few of the psychology related terms that you just might be using incorrectly! Shayna and Kathy actually watched the 1944 movie, Gaslight, so we could talk about the genesis of the term that is  overused and misused today. Gaslighting is a real and insidious thing... but it's not just when people lie to you or have a different perception. We also go into ...

It can be really confusing trying to figure out which mental health professionals do what, especially given that depictions of therapists in pop culture don't offer a realistic depiction of therapy or who provides therapy.
Shayna and Kathy break down the differences and similarities in different mental health providers and different mental health treatments and services.

Citations and credits

Types of m...

Amanda Jacobson of Wine and Crime Podcast joins Shayna and Kathy to talk about everyone's obsession about true crime. We see it EVERYWHERE. On podcasts, the news, on social media, on cute shirts. But an interest in true crime is anything but new. We talk about why people are drawn to true crime. How it impacts us. When to take a step back. What we can learn from it.

Citations and credits

Kathy gave her 2 cen...

A returning guest, Manami (from episode 5 about Superstitions), joins Shayna and Kathy to talk about the Candyman movies. We will be thoroughly discussing Candyman (1992) and Candyman (2021), with brief references to Candyman 2 & 3- so SPOILER ALERT for the franchise. 

 Candyman is based off a Clive Barker short story and draws inspiration from urban legends. And like many horror movies, it's not just about murder and mayhe...

Girl Scouts is a rite of passage for many girls. It has always been girl led and centered on making friends, having fun, meeting goals, and serving community. Recently Girl Scouts has been making even greater efforts to address mental health issues. Shayna and Kathy are joined by Nicole, who is a troop leader and volunteer with Girl Scouts for 10 years. She is also a social worker and all around terrific person. 

 Special thanks to ...

Cat's Café is a delightful web comic that has provided joy to millions of people. Shayna and Kathy are so grateful for the opportunity to talk to Cat's Café creator, Maxx Tarpley for this episode. With Cat's Café, Maxx is able to explore universal struggles and joys in a way that is at once so simple, yet so profound. Plus- all of the characters are adorable. Maxx discussed her inspiration for the comic, the characte...