EyeZao Media

Episode 33: Video Game Stigma

Guest: Kelli Dunlap. Kelli talks to us about her research into video games and mental health. We discuss her findings, what they say about the most common video game stereotypes, and what mental health professionals can do to advocate for gamers and help fight stigma. We also share our own experiences with video game stigma and some of the gaming experiences that have shaped our perspectives.

Episode 32: Female Superheroes

Guests: Lara Taylor and Laura Vecchiola. We start this conversation by discussing “Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines,” a great documentary which premiered in 2012.  We discuss female superheroes in comics, TV, and movies, what they mean to us, and what we think of how many fictional female role models are available today.

Episode 31: Doctor Who is Powerful

Guest: Dr. Janina Scarlet, a fellow Geek Therapist. SPOILERS! The 11th Doctor just regenerated in this year’s Christmas special and we recently had some of the biggest Doctor Who episodes ever. Josué and Janina discuss the events of recent episodes, share their favorite moments, and talk about some of the insights we can gain from the show. The word “powerful” gets thrown around a lot as they process recent events and discuss the potential of Doctor Who on our lives.

Episode 30: I Kill Giants

Guest: Laura Vecchiolla. Josué and Laura discuss one of their favorite graphic novels, “I Kill Giants” by Joe Kelly and J. M. Ken Niimura. They talk about why it’s such a powerful story, why they love it, and the many ways it could be seen as therapeutic. The episode is probably more fun if you’ve already read the story so read it first if you can! Either way, Josué and Laura make the case for why you should read it, and then read it again.

Episode 29: SDCC vs. NYCC

Guest: Marlene from ilikecomicstoo.com. Josué and Marlene compare their experiences at the two biggest pop culture conventions in the US. They both went to San Diego Comic-Con for the first time this year and have been to New York Comic Con as well. They crown a winner but for the most part they discuss how much fun it is to go to conventions.

Episode 28: Nerd Rage

Guest: Ali Mattu, Ph.D., the Science-Fiction Psychologist. Remember how the internet reacted when Ben Affleck was announced as the new Batman? Ali wrote an article about it that sets the stage for this conversation. Josué and Ali discuss nerd rage, specifically of the “crazy online troll behavior” variety, what it looks like, why it happens, and how to deal with it.

Episode 27: Magic: The Gathering

Guest: Natasha Lewis Harrington, a PsyD student and active member of the Magic community. Natasha writes articles combining psychology and Magic: The Gathering, the popular trading card game. Natasha and Josué discuss the game, the community, parallels with positive psychology, the MTG color pie, tournament play, and Magic’s potential uses in mental health. Natasha goes into detail about running a Magic gaming group at a mental health facility and the effect the experience had on its members.

Episode 26: Victoria’s Tomb Raider Story

Guest: Victoria Cosplay. Victoria was gracious enough to come on the show and share her Tomb Raider story. It’s a very empowering story of how her experience playing a video game, Tomb Raider, helped her through a very difficult time and gave her hope. Josué and Victoria also discuss the character of Snow White and how they view her as a very positive and empowering figure, much like Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft.

Episode 25: ACT and Using Fantasy in Therapy

Guest: Dr. Janina Scarlet, psychologist and fellow Geek Therapist. Janina starts things off by providing a crash course on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a form of cognitive behavior therapy that she refers to as a “superhero manual.” Josué and Janina then talk about how to use fantasy narratives in therapy through an ACT framework. We talk Harry Potter, The Hobbit, Hunger Games, books vs. movies, and more.

Episode 24: GaymerX

Guest: Toni Rocca, Co-Founder and Community Director of GaymerConnect. Josué and Toni talk about GaymerX, the world’s first LGBT gaming convention, how amazing GaymerX was, why it matters, LGBT experiences in gaming and conventions, and the potential of safe environments for all gamers. They spend a lot of time going over online gaming experiences in general and the bias often found in video games and gaming culture.