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Psychoanalysis: A Horror Therapy Podcast

Psychoanalysis: A Horror Therapy Podcast

By Psychoanalysis: A Horror Therapy Podcast

Ever wonder why anxious people love horror movies? Curious about how having the daylights scared out of you can help you feel better? Hosts Jenn Adams, Lara Unnerstall, and therapist Mike Snoonian break it down (and back it up with academic research) on Psychoanalysis: A Horror Therapy Podcast.

Each month, we’ll take an in-depth look at a topic in the mental health field like anxiety, PTSD, and toxic relationships. For our bi-weekly episodes, we’ll pair topics with a horror film and analyze its plot and characters through the lens of mental health. We’ll also discuss our own mental health exp
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PTSD / Sidney Prescott in Scream 1-3 (1996-2000)

Psychoanalysis: A Horror Therapy PodcastOct 15, 2020

00:00
02:13:34
Attachment Theory / M3GAN (2023) with Rachel Reeves and Sally Hourigan

Attachment Theory / M3GAN (2023) with Rachel Reeves and Sally Hourigan

This week Mike is joined by Rachel Reeves (the Losers’ Club, The Pod & The Pendulum) and voice actor Sally Hourigan to talk about the viral sensation that danced into our hearts, M3GAN. We discuss how attachments formed in infancy influence our relationships throughout life, and how this film handles the sticky AI questions. Plus, the challenges of unexpected caregiving and Mike’s random thoughts when stuffed with cold medicine. It’s a rollicking good time. 

Apr 06, 202301:50:42
Movies for Life / Rocky (1976)
Mar 30, 202301:58:01
A Conversation with Kay Lynch (Salem Horror Fest)
Mar 23, 202357:43
Sibling Rivalry / Basket Case (1982) with Nichole Goble
Mar 16, 202301:49:20
Comfort Horror / You Are Not My Mother (2021) with Ygraine Hackett-Cantabara

Comfort Horror / You Are Not My Mother (2021) with Ygraine Hackett-Cantabara

This week Mike is joined by Ygraine Hackett-Cantabrana (Ghouls’ magazine, What A Scream pod, Moving Pictures Film Club) to talk about the 2022 psychological horror from Ireland “You Are Not My Mother.” Ygraine Discusses the deep roots in Irish folklore that this film contains as well as the effects of colonization in terms of how the world perceives Ireland in cinema and the arts. We explore the ways Irish traditions influence modern life. We discuss the difficulties that mental health challenges can have when it comes to motherhood and the fear that comes with knowing a parent or caregiver is not well. It's a wide-ranging discussion about one of the best unheralded gems of the horror genre over the past few years.

Mar 09, 202301:11:21
Sibling Rivalry / What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) with Taffeta V
Mar 02, 202302:16:43
Comfort Horror / The Wolf Man (1941) with Lindsay Moore
Feb 23, 202301:41:21
Aging and Relationships / X (2022) with Dan Pfleegor and Nichole Goble

Aging and Relationships / X (2022) with Dan Pfleegor and Nichole Goble

This week Mike is joined by Dan Pfleegor (Losers’ Club) and Nichole Goble (Bodies of Horror) to talk To West’s X. This mashup of Boogie Nights And The Texas Chain Saw Massacre gifts the world with two head turning performances from Mia Goth, while offering a surprisingly tender look at sex work and sexuality as we age. That it does so while also delivering a nasty slasher experience filled with gore and carnage just makes it all the better. We explore everything above and also discuss how rewatching this movie after checking out its surprise follow up Pearl helps deepen our experience and understanding of this one. 


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Music notes:

"Infinite Perspective" by Kevin MacLeod

"Long Note Three" by Kevin MacLeod

"Emotion Picture" by Bill Ironfield

Logo artwork by Jess Snively


Feb 16, 202301:57:18
New Relationship Energy / An American Werewolf in London (1981) with Rebecca McCallum

New Relationship Energy / An American Werewolf in London (1981) with Rebecca McCallum

Feb 09, 202302:04:38
Bad Romance / Possession (1981) with Jessica Scott and Taffeta V.

Bad Romance / Possession (1981) with Jessica Scott and Taffeta V.

We’re kicking off bad romance and couples issues month with one of the greatest stories about a marriage going up in flames ever told. To try to relay the events of this movie is to grab madness itself by the horns. Rooted in his own acrimonious divorce, Polish director Andrez Zulawski’s POSSESSION tells the volatile, violent, and disturbing breakup of the marriage between Mark and Anna, played in spectacular fashion by Sam Neil and Isabelle Adjani respectively. But it's also so much more than that. It dives into cosmic horror in ways that are shocking and thrilling. Through the deployment of doppelgangers it explores how we try to excise the parts of our loved ones we dislike in order to mold a more perfect union. It mirrors the tensions of its setting-Cold War era West Berlin-while also incorporating modern dance into the movements of its characters in a way that adds depth and nuance to the story.

There’s no way Mike could talk about this one on his own, so he’s brought out two good friends and great podcasters: Jessica Scott (We Who Walk Here) and TaffetaV (Late podcast). We get down and dirty with the details of this one, while also discussing the common factors in divorce and relationships ending.

If you’ve enjoyed the show, please take a moment to rate, review and subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.

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Music notes:

"Infinite Perspective" by Kevin MacLeod

"Long Note Three" by Kevin MacLeod

"Emotion Picture" by Bill Ironfield

Logo artwork by Jess Snively

Feb 02, 202302:13:08
Discomfort Horror / Eden Lake (2008) with Joe Lipsett
Jan 26, 202301:44:58
COVID / Host (2020) with Gena Radcliffe, Nichole Goble, and Terry Mesnard
Jan 19, 202301:33:43
Comfort Horror / Friday the 13th Part 2 w Andy Mitton

Comfort Horror / Friday the 13th Part 2 w Andy Mitton

This week we have a very special episode as Mike is joined by director Andy Mitton (The Harbinger, yellowbrickroad, The Witch in the Window) to talk about his go-to slasher movie, Friday the 13th part 2. We talk about the gory days of renting R-rated movies and feeling like we were pulling fast ones on our parents, the joy and terror of Baghead Jason, ponder where Ginny lies in the pantheon of Final Girls and more. Andy also discusses his new movie, the absolutely terrifying THE HARBINGER. We discuss the challenges of filmmaking during COVID restrictions, the existential terror of the Plague Demon, and how to make nightmares feel unique and scary in modern horror.

Jan 12, 202301:25:32
COVID / The Harbinger (2022) with Jessica Scott and Rachel Reeves

COVID / The Harbinger (2022) with Jessica Scott and Rachel Reeves

It’s a new month and a new year, which means a brand new topic. As we enter the third year of living through the pandemic, Mike is joined by Jessica Scott and Rachel Reeves to talk about THE HARBINGER, the latest genre film written and directed by Andy Mitton (YellowBrickRoad, The Witch In The Window). We look at the earliest stages of living through COVID, back in 2020 when we were locked down due to shelter in place orders, and the fear and uncertainty of living through this unprecedented event. The Harbinger recreates the sadness, loneliness, and uncertainty of those times while adding new layers of terror with its plague demon. A warning to listeners, we get as personal as we can with this episode with our discussions on loved ones we’ve lost.

Jan 05, 202301:41:30
Good For Her Horror / Dolores Claiborne (1995) and Gerald’s Game (2017)
Dec 29, 202202:04:44
Archetypes / The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
Dec 22, 202202:00:37
Agoraphobia / The Battery (2012)
Dec 15, 202202:04:07
Grief and Suicide / The Night House (2020)
Dec 08, 202201:40:19
Comfort Horror / Barbarian (2022)
Dec 01, 202201:24:25
Comfort Horror / Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006)
Nov 17, 202201:31:22
Kink / Hellraiser (1987)
Nov 10, 202201:51:11
Self-Harm / The Loved Ones (2009)
Nov 03, 202201:42:06
Halloween Comfort Horror / Hell House LLC (2015) with Jon Grilz
Oct 27, 202201:34:24
Childhood Fears / It Chapter 2 (2019) with Stephen Foxworthy
Oct 20, 202202:05:36
Comfort Horror / Shaun of the Dead (2004) with Kyle Orozovich
Oct 13, 202201:30:41
Childhood Fears / It (2017) with Stephen Foxworthy
Oct 06, 202202:21:55
Cults, Fundamentalism, and Religious Fanaticism / Saint Maud (2019)
Sep 29, 202202:17:26
Cults, Fundamentalism, and Religious Fanaticism / Noriko's Dinner Table (2005)
Sep 22, 202201:57:60
Comfort Horror / Blade (1998) with DeVaughn Taylor
Sep 08, 202201:47:24
Cults, Fundamentalism, and Religious Fanaticism / The Wicker Man (1973)
Sep 01, 202201:58:21
Comfort Horror / Possessor (2020) with Zoë Rose Smith
Aug 26, 202202:23:51
Toxic Fandom / Perfect Blue (1997)
Aug 18, 202201:42:26
Comfort Horror / The Gate (1987) with Krystle Ratticus
Aug 11, 202201:12:25
Toxic Fandom / Misery (1990) PART 2
Aug 08, 202201:09:03
Toxic Fandom / Misery (1990) PART 1
Aug 04, 202201:29:22
Comfort Horror / House of Wax (2005) with Stephanie Gagnon
Jul 28, 202201:28:18
Comfort Horror / Phantoms (1998) with Ashley Casseday
Jul 21, 202201:34:15
Discomfort Horror / 100th Episode
Jul 14, 202201:40:08
Combat PTSD / VFW (2019) with Ben Stark

Combat PTSD / VFW (2019) with Ben Stark

Right about now, we’re feeling real eager. So grab your machete and your brick of Hype and meet us at the bar as we discuss Combat PTSD with Joe Begos’ VFW.

Veterans of Foreign Wars

Resources:

Rethinking Suicide: Why Prevention Fails, and How We Can Do Better by Craig J. Bryan

Abourtionfunds.org

IWrising.org

Confidential Crisis Support for Veterans and their Loved Ones:

Call: 1-800-273-8255 and press 1

Text: 838255

VA - Homeless Vet Hotline

Call: 877-4AID-VET / (877)424-3838

va.gov/homeless


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Psychoanalysis Patreon

Music notes:

"Infinite Perspective" by Kevin MacLeod

"Long Note Three" by Kevin MacLeod

"Emotion Picture" by Bill Ironfield

Logo artwork by Jess Snively

Jul 07, 202201:47:21
The Pod and Pendulum Crossover / The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
Jun 30, 202204:32:32
Comfort Horror / House of 1000 Corpses (2003) with Sarah Stubbs
Jun 23, 202202:00:08
Suicide / Pulse (2001)
Jun 16, 202201:47:04
Comfort Horror / Blue Velvet (1986) with Andrew
Jun 09, 202201:38:29
Suicide / Flatliners (1990) PART 2
Jun 06, 202201:07:44
Suicide / Flatliners (1990) PART 1
Jun 02, 202201:08:04
Comfort Horror / Dolls (1986) with Zena Dixon
May 26, 202201:35:20
 Mothers / Goodnight Mommy (2014)
May 19, 202201:41:49
Comfort Horror / Angel Heart (1987) with Scott Woods
May 12, 202201:48:07
Mothers / Carrie (1976) PART 2
May 09, 202201:34:25
Bad Mothers / Carrie (1976) PART 1
May 05, 202201:04:09