Episodes

Spoiler alert for ALL episodes of Stranger Things. Shayna and Kathy are joined by Megan, a social worker, and Erika, a student pursuing her MSW. The Netflix show, Stranger Things, that took the world by storm almost 10 years ago has come to an end and we talked about our love of the show and many of the mental health themes. We touch on grief and trauma and the importance of supportive relationships and, of course, DnD. Citations, resources and credits Artwork by Matthew Gwaltney- https...

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 b...

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 potenti...

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 ...

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 M...

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...

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...

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 h...

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 Unive...

**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 Marri...

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 patient...

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.bdbumblebee.com Editing by Ryan Merrill- https://www.instagram.com/the_nerdyeditor Intro Music is "Call to Ad...

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 album, and touch on things such as relationships, why people tend to ...

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 other terms and phrases that are misused. This is part one of this topi...

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 mental health professionals Human Resources and Services Administration Behavioral Healthcare...

WE ARE BACK!! After taking several months hiatus, Shayna and Kathy are back to talk about all things related to mental health and pop culture. This week, we update everyone with some pretty big life changes! Shayna discusses her journey with adoption and her new role supervising student interns at work, and Kathy discusses managing her medical condition, lymphedema and also the Bride of Frankenstein.

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 cents about why people like true crime, and why she likes Wine & Crime, in this piece from...

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 mayhem, it explores deeper social and psychological issues, and we get into s...

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 Ani, Mallory and Samantha. You will hear directly from them and...

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 characters, and also delved into some of her most touching and personal works, namely th...

Shayna and Kathy are joined by Isabella Suttle, a 2nd year veterinary student with a degree in Integrative Animal Biology with a criminology minor, as well as a masters in Veterinary Forensic Sciences. She also has 5 fur babies. We talk all about our own animals, but delve into why we love animals, how they are good for our mental health, but also considerations before you get a pet. We also discuss the difference between service animals, emotional support animals and therapy animals. Credits ...

Cricket Leigh (Alexander) is a voice actress, who is best known for voicing Mai in Avatar: The Last Airbender. She is also a Licensed Master Clinical Social Worker (LMSW) for individuals, couples & families. She works with all ages on a variety of issues including anxiety, mood disorders, family conflict, trauma, PTSD and personal growth. Cricket joins Shayna and Kathy to talk about all of these things, and her innovative new adventure merging her knowledge of mental health and her beloved ch...

Abby Gangelhoff is a mental health therapist, podcaster (catch her on Book Baddies), and dancer. She joins Shayna and Kathy to talk about mental health and dance. From dancing in your kitchen, to competitive dancing, to conscious dancing, to teaching dance, to being a dance mom- we've got you covered. You may also learn some surprising information about Shayna and our favorite editor, Ryan. Credits and Citations Millman, LSM, Terhune, DB, Hunter, ECM, Orgs, G. Towards a neurocognitive app...

We are back after a brief break!! Today Shayna and Kathy talk about signs and symbols. What function do they have? How do they relate to mental health? How do they come up in pop culture? We discuss the origin of our logo and the difference between a Caduceus and the Rod of Asclepius and which one REALLY relates to healthcare. You will also discover which one of us is team snake and which one is team butterfly. Credits and Sources Rod of Asclepius Wiki The Psychology of Shapes- Understanding t...