272: The Psychology of Storytelling & Connecting with Fictional Characters - with Dr. Drea Letamendi, Clinician Psychologist & Media Consultant

Dr. Drea Letamendi (she/her/ella) is a clinical psychologist, media consultant, and TEDx speaker with degrees and training from Cornell University, UCSD, and UCLA. Dr. Drea is a practitioner-educator based in Los Angeles and holds a Masters and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. 

At UCLA, she serves as a campus mental health and wellbeing consultant leading resilience, crisis-response, and suicide prevention initiatives. She manages a private practice as a behavioral health advisor for the gaming, visual effects, and entertainment media industries (with clients including Warner Bros., Marvel/Disney, and Lionsgate). 

By way of social media and podcasting, Dr. Drea uses storytelling in film, television, gaming, and comics to teach audiences about resilience, cultural healing and liberation psychology. She created and hosts The Arkham Sessions, a podcast about the psychology of superheroes and other pop culture narratives.She has written publications about the positive impacts of media storytelling on mental health, and her latest publication is titled, The Force Awakens: Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Using Star Wars. 

In this episode, we explore the world of fictional characters and the connection to psychology and mental health. From superheroes to villains, we uncover how these characters can offer a sense of belonging, a mirror to our own struggles, and a way to process personal trauma. 

We discuss how storytelling allows us to confront our own experiences and how these characters often reflect the most vulnerable parts of ourselves. We also also touch on why horror stories can bring comfort and a sense of cathartic relief for certain people, and the psychology behind rewatching our favorite comfort shows and movies as a way to ease anxiety. Overall, we share an insightful conversation about the psychological impact of fiction and how connecting with these characters can be a powerful tool for healing and self-discovery. 

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