Are you someone who watches horror movies and thinks — that nasty old well that Samara climbs out of in The Ring is really a metaphor for her grief? Or that like…Ghostface at his core is a spectre of intergenerational trauma? Journey into the depths with Psychotherapist and all around spooky ghoul Candis Green, RP and explore how mental health themes are portrayed in the world of horror. From Carrie, to Michael Meyers, to Hill House and everywhere in between — join me each month as we discuss how horror is really a mirror into ourselves.
Candis Green | Many Moons Therapy
In this episode, I chat with tarot reader, astrologer, and teacher Kait Fowlie about The Craft (1996) and its portrayal of the paths we take to become ourselves — witchcraft, volatile teen friendships and all.Mental Health is Horrifying is hosted by Candis Green, Registered Psychotherapist and owner of Many Moons Therapy...............................................................Show Notes:About Kait FowlieKait Fowlie is a professional astrologer and tarot reader / teacher with clients all over the world. She doesn't claim to have all the answers but she is deeply devoted to serving others as a trusted guide, informed interpreter and compassionate source of cosmic insight. Website: https://www.kaitfowlie.com/IG: https://www.instagram.com/kait_fowlie/# Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4683B9KKlVS37oj1BG99T7Join Out Of The Broom Closet. If you're a witch like the girls in The Craft and have been struggling to fully embrace your identity, check out my course that just went live called Out Of The Broom Closet, where you can move from shame to pride in claiming your identity as a witch. This course includes psychoeducation about shame, trauma, and exile within our cultural context, and witch-positive exercises to connect with your authentic self including tarot, journaling, spellwork, and creative visualization. Want to work together? I offer 1:1 psychotherapy (virtually across Ontario, and in-person in Toronto), along with tarot, horror, and dreamwork services, but individually and through my group program, the Final Girls Club. Visit my website to learn more.Podcast artwork by Chloe Hurst at Contempo Mint
In this episode, I make a brave confession and explore how Terrifier (2016) reflects the psychological phenomenon of imposter syndrome.Mental Health is Horrifying is hosted by Candis Green, Registered Psychotherapist and owner of Many Moons Therapy...............................................................Show Notes:Join Out Of The Broom Closet if you would like to move from shame to pride in claiming your identity as a witch, and confidently step out of the broom closet. This course includes psychoeducation about shame, trauma, and exile within our cultural context, and witch-positive exercises to connect with your authentic self including tarot, journaling, spellwork, and creative visualization. Want to work together? I offer 1:1 psychotherapy (Ontario), along with tarot, horror, and dreamwork services, both individually and through my group program, the Final Girls Club. Podcast artwork by Chloe Hurst at Contempo MintTerrifier 2025 ConferenceHuecker MR, Shreffler J, McKeny PT, Davis D. Imposter Phenomenon. 2023 Jul 31. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan–. PMID: 36251839.
In this episode, I chat with Psychotherapist Shannon Knight from the podcast The Tarot Diagnosis about The Strangers (2008) and how the movie portrays nightmares as an emotional processing function when life does not go according to plan. We also pull some tarot cards to try and make sense of what the hell is going on in this relationship between James and Kristen. Mental Health is Horrifying is hosted by Candis Green, Registered Psychotherapist and owner of Many Moons Therapy...............................................................Show Notes:About Shannon KnightShannon Knight is a Johns Hopkins-trained psychotherapist and the host of top-ranking podcast The Tarot Diagnosis, where she explores the intersection of tarot and mental health.She is also the creator of The Symposium, an online community where tarot and psychology enthusiasts gather to deepen their tarot practice and the author of Tarot & Self-Discovery, a collection of mental health-inspired tarot spreads; The Year of The Hermit, a guided year-long journal; and the forthcoming book Dark Shadow, Golden Shadow, which explores shadow work through the lens of tarot.In addition to her writing and podcasting, Shannon is hosting The Summer Solstice Summit - a virtual tarot conference that brings together 15 tarot and astrology experts for a weekend of witchy wisdom, insight, and connection June 20th-22nd. (I, Candis, will be presenting at this conference on how to decode your dreams with tarot!)www.TheTarotDiagnosis.comwww.TheTarotDiagnosis.com/SummerSolsticewww.Instagram.com/TheTarotDiagnosisWant to work together? I offer 1:1 psychotherapy (Ontario), along with tarot, horror, and dreamwork services, but individually and through my group program, the Final Girls Club. Podcast artwork by Chloe Hurst at Contempo Mint
In this episode on Midnight Mass (2021), I explore the portrayal of the crisis of faith that accompanies a world-class existential crisis. Mental Health is Horrifying is hosted by Candis Green, Registered Psychotherapist and owner of Many Moons Therapy...............................................................Show Notes:Join Illuminative Tarot for Working With Trauma to learn creative ways to work with tarot as a supportive partner in the healing process. Want to work together? I offer 1:1 psychotherapy (Ontario), along with tarot, horror, and dreamwork services, but individually and through my group program, the Final Girls Club. Podcast artwork by Chloe Hurst at Contempo MintMike Flanagan opens up about the personal journey that shaped his buzzed-about Midnight Mass by Nick Romano Staring at the sun: Overcoming the terror of death by Irvin Yalom
In this episode on The Witch (2015), I explore the psychological concept of scapegoating and how it can drive a woman straight to the devil. Hail Satan.Mental Health is Horrifying is hosted by Candis Green, Registered Psychotherapist and owner of Many Moons Therapy...............................................................Show Notes:Join Illuminative Tarot for Working With Trauma to learn creative ways to work with tarot as a supportive partner in the healing process. Want to work together? I offer 1:1 psychotherapy (Ontario), along with tarot, horror, and dreamwork services, but individually and through my group program, the Final Girls Club. Podcast artwork by Chloe Hurst at Contempo Mint.How Robert Eggers Wove the Nightmares of The Witch Out of Historical Documents By Lauren DucaRejected, Shamed, and Blamed: Help and Hope for Adults in the Family Scapegoat Role by Rebecca C. MandevilleThe Portrait of The ‘Scapegoat Woman' As Witch by Serap Yüzgüller Arsal and Seda Yavuz
In this episode on Companion (2025), I theorize about what new f@*%ed up attachment style could evolve out of our attempts to attach to AI companion bots. Lord save us.Mental Health is Horrifying is hosted by Candis Green, Registered Psychotherapist and owner of Many Moons Therapy...............................................................Show Notes:Join Illuminative Tarot for Working With Trauma to learn creative ways to work with tarot as a supportive partner in the healing process. Presale pricing currently available.Want to work together? I offer 1:1 psychotherapy (Ontario), along with tarot, horror, and dreamwork services, but individually and through my group program, the Final Girls Club. Podcast artwork by Chloe Hurst at Contempo Mint.Erotic Transference and Countertransference Clinical practice in psychotherapy, Edited By David MannHow 'Companion' Turned Sophie Thatcher Into the "Perfect Girlfriend" by Sadie Bell‘Companion' Director Drew Hancock Reveals the Script Change That Reinvented His Sci-Fi Horror Movie [Interview] by Meagan NavarroNguyen, C. Thi, Games: Agency As Art (New York, 2020; online edn, Oxford Academic, 23 Apr. 2020)Attachment by John Bowlby
This episode explores The Shining (1980) and its depiction of the adverse psychological impacts of isolation and lack of community. Spoiler alert: it's bad.Mental Health is Horrifying is hosted by Candis Green, Registered Psychotherapist and owner of Many Moons Therapy...............................................................Show Notes:Join Illuminative Tarot for Working With Trauma to learn creative ways to work with tarot as a supportive partner in the healing process. Presale pricing currently available.Want to work together? I offer 1:1 psychotherapy (Ontario), along with tarot, horror, and dreamwork services, but individually and through my group program, the Final Girls Club. Podcast artwork by Chloe Hurst at Contempo Mint.A Night at the Movies: The Horrors of Stephen King Decolonizing Trauma Work: Indigenous Stories and Strategies by Renee Linklater, Lewis Mehl-Madrona (Foreword)Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk HorrorThis Could Be Your AI Robot Girlfriend — For $175,000 by Barry Collins
This episode explores Nosferatu (2024) and its depiction of shame as a horrible, beautiful nightmare. Mental Health is Horrifying is hosted by Candis Green, Registered Psychotherapist and owner of Many Moons Therapy...............................................................Show Notes:Join Illuminative Tarot for Working With Trauma to learn creative ways to work with tarot as a supportive partner in the healing process. Presale pricing currently available.Want to work together? I offer 1:1 psychotherapy (Ontario), along with tarot, horror, and dreamwork services, but individually and through my group program, the Final Girls Club. Podcast artwork by Chloe Hurst at Contempo Mint.‘Nosferatu' Review: Bill Skarsgard and Lily-Rose Depp Are Riveting, but Director Robert Eggers Rules This Haute-Horror Feast by David Rooney Robert Eggers on What Makes His Nosferatu Different by Megan McCluskeyRobert Eggers Gave Lily-Rose Depp a Book About Demonic Sexual Awakening to Prepare for ‘Nosferatu': I Used It as My ‘Bible' on Set by Samantha BergesonUnderstanding and Treating Chronic Shame: A Relational/Neurobiological Approach by Patricia A. DeYoungThe Four Quadrant Model — Narcissistic Overcompensation
Life is hard! So I'm really glad that cozy horror movies like A Haunting in Venice exist to comfort us through times of hardship and winter frostbite. In this episode, we explore A Haunting in Venice (2024) as a shining example of cozy horror, and why cozy horror is good for our mental health. I also pull some tarot cards to try and make sense of why there is such divisive rhetoric in the horror community against cozy horror!Mental Health is Horrifying is hosted by Candis Green, Registered Psychotherapist and owner of Many Moons Therapy...............................................................Show Notes:Want to work together? I offer 1:1 psychotherapy (Ontario), along with tarot, horror, and dreamwork services, but individually and through my group program, the Final Girls Club. Send me some Ghoul Mail! I love hearing from you spooky ghouls! Want a chance to have your story read on a future episode of Mental Health is Horrifying? If you'd like to share what horror movies mean to you, how they have helped you with your mental health, or about a particular horror movie that you have thoughts and feelings about, send me some Ghoul Mail. Podcast artwork by Chloe Hurst at Contempo Mint.Instead of Arguing About This Horror Genre, Why Not Curl Up and Enjoy It? By Julia Glassman in The Mary SueOster, Emily F., Witchcraft, Weather and Economic Growth in Renaissance Europe. Journal of Economic Perspectives, Winter 2004The Witches: Salem, 1692 by Stacy Schiff About Agatha Christie Subject spotlight: Mystery & Detective By BookNet CanadaWhy Is Pandemic Fiction So Comforting Right Now? By By Kathryn VanArendonk in VultureWhat You Need To Know About Pluto in Aquarius from Chani
If there was a drug that would create a younger version of yourself, would you take it?This episode looks The Substance (2024) and its portrayal of death anxiety via our obsession with female youth and beauty. Mental Health is Horrifying is hosted by Candis Green, Registered Psychotherapist and owner of Many Moons Therapy...............................................................Show Notes:Want to work together? I offer 1:1 psychotherapy (Ontario), along with tarot, horror, and dreamwork services, but individually and through my group program, the Final Girls Club. Visit my website to learn more.Podcast artwork by Chloe Hurst at Contempomint.Lem M, Pham JT, Kim JK, Tang CJ. Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Nonsurgical Cosmetic Procedure Interest. The American Journal of Cosmetic Surgery. 2024;41(3):189-195. doi:10.1177/07488068221141168Taylor, J., Armes, G. Social comparison on Instagram, and its relationship with self-esteem and body-esteem. Discov Psychol 4, 126 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44202-024-00241-3 Interview With "The Substance" Director/Writer Coralie Fargeat, Next Best Picture Podcast ‘The Movie Is Fundamentally About the Violence of Control': Writer-Director Coralie Fargeat Talks The Substance By Elissa SuhSomeone on Reddit Made a chart of Leonardo DiCaprio's girlfriends — and it seems his cut-off age is 25 by Tom MurrayHagitude: Reimagining the Second Half of Life by Sharon Blackie
As Norman Bates likes to say, a boy's best friend is his mother....Right?This episode takes a look at the book The Hitchcock Hotel (2024) and horror classic Psycho (1960) in this maternal enmeshment extravaganza!Mental Health is Horrifying is hosted by Candis Green, Registered Psychotherapist and owner of Many Moons Therapy...............................................................Show Notes:Want to work together? I offer 1:1 psychotherapy (Ontario), along with tarot, horror, and dreamwork services, both individually and through my group program, the Final Girls Club. This month's Final Girls Club feature workshop is Nightmare-morphosis. It's taking place on November 28, and it's a live online psychotherapeutic workshop, where final girls are invited to bring a nightmare of their choosing to work with. Using our creative capacities and active imaginations, we will safely re-enter and co-create with our dreamscapes to metamorphize the nightmare, reducing its emotional charge while introducing a more empowered, supportive narrative.Register for Nightmare-morphosis and save 15% if you register before midnight on November 15 with code DREAMON. Send me some Ghoul Mail!I love hearing from you spooky ghouls! Want a chance to have your story read on a future episode of Mental Health is Horrifying? If you'd like to share what horror movies mean to you, how they have helped you with your mental health, or about a particular horror movie that you have thoughts and feelings about, send me some Ghoul Mail.Podcast artwork by Chloe Hurst at Contempomint.The Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel Hann-Morrison, D. (2012). Maternal Enmeshment: The Chosen Child. Sage Open, 2(4). Attachment in Psychotherapy by David J. WallinStephanie Wrobel Discusses Her Inspiration for ‘The Hitchcock Hotel' By Andy BurnsDick Cavett interview with Alfred Hitchcock
In this special BONUS Halloween episode, let's explore Trick ‘r Treat (2007), and the importance of Halloween for your mental health. Mental Health is Horrifying is hosted by Candis Green, Registered Psychotherapist and owner of Many Moons Therapy.Instagram: @mentalhealthishorrifying..............................................................Show Notes:Want to work together? I offer 1:1 psychotherapy (Ontario) and specialize in grief and trauma.This month in the Final Girls Club, check out Your Hallowed Halloween Kit. I created this kit as a way to help you slow down and appreciate this most sacred time in the wheel of the year, with Halloween rituals designed to support your mental health. From tarot spreads, dreamwork exercises, and an activity to help you find your monster movie soulmate as a portrait of your own psychic terrain – each ritual is informed by depth psychology and is designed to help you connect with your own depths, be intentional with the magic around you, and harness Halloween's true meaning, legends, and traditions as a pathway back to yourself.As a special treat for my hallowed listeners, save $5 when using code TRICKRTREAT.Each month, Apple Podcasts selects podcasts to include as part of its curated feature section. And this month, Mental Health is Horrifying is featured under Spooky Stories. Thank you so much to Apple Podcasts for this feature, and for elevating spookiness as an art form. Check out my feature on the Apple Podcasts app under the Browse tab, and be sure to check out all the other deliciously spooky podcasts included in the section. Send me some Ghoul Mail!I love hearing from you spooky ghouls! Want a chance to have your story read on a future episode of Mental Health is Horrifying? If you'd like to share what horror movies mean to you, how they have helped you with your mental health, or about a particular horror movie that you have thoughts and feelings about, send me some Ghoul Mail.Podcast artwork by Chloe Hurst at Contempomint...............................................................Sources:Halloween: Origins, Meaning & TraditionsHistory Extra podcast: Work-life balance: how our ancestors fought for free timeTrick 'R Treat: Sam's Halloween Rules Explained by By Padraig Cotter
This special Halloween episode explores the absolute classic Halloween (1978) and its portrayal of Laurie Strode's over-functioning anxiety in her pursuit to uphold the mantle of the perfect final girl. As a psychotherapist for final girls, this episode is a love letter to all of you.Mental Health is Horrifying is hosted by Candis Green, Registered Psychotherapist and owner of Many Moons Therapy.Instagram: @mentalhealthishorrifying..............................................................Show Notes:Want to work together? I offer 1:1 psychotherapy (Ontario), along with tarot, horror, and dreamwork services, but individually and through my group program, the Final Girls Club. This month's feature is Your Hallowed Halloween Kit.Send me some Ghoul Mail!I love hearing from you spooky ghouls! Want a chance to have your story read on a future episode of Mental Health is Horrifying? If you'd like to share what horror movies mean to you, how they have helped you with your mental health, or about a particular horror movie that you have thoughts and feelings about, send me some Ghoul Mail.Podcast artwork by Chloe Hurst at Contempomint.The Story Behind the Original Halloween By Jason BaileyMen, Women, and Chain Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film by Carol J. CloverGeneralized Anxiety Disorder in Women by Heather B. Howell, Olga Brawman-Mintzer, Jeannine Monnier, Kimberly A. Yonkers, Psychiatric Clinics of North America, Volume 24, Issue 1, 2001
I don't know what the deal is with all of you who didn't find Longlegs scary, because this movie straight up gave me intrusive thoughts! This episode talks about those thoughts, how I learned to challenge my Nicolas Cage-related intrusive thoughts, and how you can challenge yours too through cognitive strategies and (seemingly paradoxically) through horror. Mental Health is Horrifying is hosted by Candis Green, Registered Psychotherapist and owner of Many Moons Therapy...............................................................Show Notes:Want to work together? I offer 1:1 psychotherapy (Ontario), along with tarot, horror, and dreamwork services, but individually and through my group program, the Final Girls Club. Send me some Ghoul Mail!I love hearing from you spooky ghouls! Want a chance to have your story read on a future episode of Mental Health is Horrifying? If you'd like to share what horror movies mean to you, how they have helped you with your mental health, or about a particular horror movie that you have thoughts and feelings about, send me some Ghoul Mail.Podcast artwork by Chloe Hurst at Contempomint.Effects of suppression of personal intrusive thoughts by Anita E. Kelly and Jeffrey H. Kahn, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 66, Iss. 6Covering Up What Can't Be Seen: Concealable Stigma and Mental Control by Laura Richman and Daniel M. Wegner, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 77(3): 474-486A comparison of thought suppression to an acceptance-based technique in the management of personal intrusive thoughts: a controlled evaluation by Brook A. Marcks and Douglas W. Woods, Behaviour Research and Therapy, Volume 43, Issue 4, April 2005, Pages 433-445Neuroanatomy, Parasympathetic Nervous System by Jacob Tindle and Prasanna Tadi in National Library of MedicineOsgood Perkins Explains How ‘Longlegs' Is an Ode to His Celebrity Parents' Dark Backstory: ‘A Mother Can Lie Out of Love' by Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire
Let's talk about Trap (2024) and about how teen heartthrobs, fantasy, and nostalgia are actually beneficial to our mental health by exploring self-psychology concepts of selfobject needs and reparative relationships. Mental Health is Horrifying is hosted by Candis Green, Registered Psychotherapist and owner of Many Moons Therapy...............................................................Show Notes:Want to work together? I offer 1:1 psychotherapy (Ontario), along with tarot, horror, and dreamwork services, both individually and through my group program, the Final Girls Club. Visit my website to learn more.Podcast artwork by Chloe Hurst at Contempomint.Between Therapist and Client: The New Relationship by Michael KahnNostalgia as a Resource for Psychological Health and Well-Being by Clay Routledge, Tim Wildschut , Constantine Sedikides, and Jacob Juhl in Social and Personality Psychology Compass 7/11 (2013): 808–818, 10.1111/spc3.12070‘It Was Never My Intention to Be a Heartthrob': Josh Hartnett on Finding His Focus, Shedding the Darkness of ‘Black Mirror' and That ‘Bats— Crazy' ‘Trap' Script by Emily Longeretta
This episode talks about 2024 gothic romance horror comedy delight Lisa Frankenstien and its portrayal of the grieving process through the eyes of Lisa in all her sensitive, emo, goth teen glory. This movie is quirky, and silly, and romantic, and touching and I'm so glad that it exists and that it pays a beautiful tribute to its godmother, Mary Shelley. Mental Health is Horrifying is hosted by Candis Green, Registered Psychotherapist and owner of Many Moons Therapy...............................................................Sources:Whether you have lost a beloved person or pet, Love Letters For The Dead offers you a space to process, feel, and be with your experience of grief for your dearly departed. Over a two week period, you will receive writing prompts, audio recordings, tarot exercises, and dreamwork rituals delivered to your inbox, along with a place to share memories of and feelings about your dearly departed.All you need is your heart, a journal, and a tarot or oracle deck.We begin on the dark moon of August 3.Early bird pricing is available until July 26. Visit manymoonstherapy.com/finalgirlsclub to learn more and to register.Order The Horror Concierge: A Mental Health and Horror Tarot Readings + Film RecoPodcast artwork by Chloe Hurst at Contempomint.Undergoing the situation: Emotional dwelling is more than empathic understanding by Robert D. Storlow Staring at the Sun: Overcoming the Terror of Death by Irvin D. Yalom Death Rituals, Ceremonies & Traditions Around the World by Tracey WallaceLittle Hidden Doors: A Guided Journal for Deep Dreamers – A Dream Journal by Naomi Sangreal Laurie Anderson's Farewell to Lou Reed: A Rolling Stone Exclusive by Laurie AndersonJennifer's Body & Lisa Frankenstein's Shared Universe Explained: How The Horror Movies Are Connected by Brandon ZacharyFor Zelda Williams, Daughter of Robin, a Goth Zombie Comedy Is Cathartic by Melena RyzikMary Shelley's Haunted Life by Caroline Macon FleischerMary Shelley's Obsession with the Cemetery by Bess LovejoyMental Health Resources:Assaulted Women's Help LineCentre for Addiction and Mental HealthDistress Centres of TorontoGerstein Crisis CentreToronto Rape Crisis Centre / Multicultural Women Against RapeVictim Services Toronto
If you were staying at a spooky old mansion for the weekend and you found a condemned tarot deck in the basement that definitely looked haunted… would you read from the deck? Or would you run?I guess your answer depends on the power you believe that a deck of cards can have. Because even the non-believers — even those who think that tarot cards are fake and just a bunch of hocus pocus — even they seem scared to sit down and watch their fate unfold in front of them. If it's not real, what are you so afraid of?On today's episode, we're going to talk about Tarot (2024) and its portrayal of the cards as a mirror into the deepest, darkest places of our psyches...............................................................Sources:Order The Horror Concierge: A Mental Health and Horror Tarot Readings + Film Reco. Order yours HERE.Podcast artwork by Chloe Hurst at Contempomint.Jung and Tarot: An Archetypal Journey by Sallie Nichols ‘Tarot' Movie Co-Director Details How New Horror Thriller Deals Fresh Hand To Audiences by Tim Lammers Jungian Perspective on the Tarot by Ken James Modalities of Psychotherapy, CRPO
Have you ever been in the middle of experiencing something so strange, or so cruel or surreal that you think to yourself – I have to be in some kind of nightmare? Well, what if you were? What if it was “all one great big movie”... uhh I mean nightmare?What if Scream is actually Sidney Prescott's trauma nightmare? Let's explore that theory and look at how Scream (1996) portrays the formation of trauma and how it can manifest into nightmares.Mental Health is Horrifying is hosted by Candis Green, Registered Psychotherapist and owner of Many Moons Therapy...............................................................Sources:Hey final girls — we all have psychic capabilities. And learning how to tap into those innate capabilities can unlock a doorway to a world rich with meaning beyond what we can perceive with our conscious, waking minds. I invite you to join Through the Dream Veil, my 5-week email course where you will learn how to heighten your psychic capabilities by learning how to develop your own personal dreamwork practice, nurture a relationship with the dream realm, and embody the magic of your dreams to unveil a deeper understanding of both your personal and the collective unconscious. Beginning and the May 6 dark moon, you will receive psychoeducaiton about dreams, a framework for developing your own personal dreamwork practice, and an audio guided journey into your unconscious where you will be guided to discover what a dream of your choosing means to you. Sign up HERE.Order The Horror Concierge: A Mental Health and Horror Tarot Readings + Film Reco. Order yours HERE.Podcast artwork by Chloe Hurst at Contempomint.The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious by Carl Jung Dreams: (From Volumes 4, 8, 12, and 16 of the Collected Works of C. G. Jung) (New in Paper) by C.G. JungThe Interpretation of Fairy Tales by Marie-Louise von Franz and Kendra CrossenThe Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture by Gabor Maté, Daniel MatéThe Scream, 1893 by Edvard MunchThe 1990s Teen Horror Cycle: Final Girls and a New Hollywood Formula by Alexandra West
Does spending a weekend in a haunted house conducting paranormal investigations with a bunch of other spooky weirdos sound preferable to spending it with your codependent family members? Yes? Then pack your bags, sister. We're heading to Hill House to talk about The Haunting (1968) and its portrayal of caregiver burnout. Mental Health is Horrifying is hosted by Candis Green, Registered Psychotherapist and owner of Many Moons Therapy...............................................................Sources:Hey final girls — I'd like to take you on a transcendent journey into your psyche through — you guessed — horror movies! More specifically, horror movie monsters and villains. Join me on a very special dark moon/solar eclipse this April 8 for the Final Girls Club where we'll be exploring How Monsters Show Us Our Guts. Informed by Jungian exploration of myths and fairy tales as portraits of psychic terrain, in this workshop, we will explore how we project our unconscious shadows onto our favourite horror monsters and villains, and imagine the creation of our own monsters as an act of emotional catharsis and reclamation of self. Register HERE. Order The Horror Concierge: A Mental Health and Horror Tarot Readings + Film Reco. Order yours HERE. Podcast artwork by Chloe Hurst at Contempomint. West ML, Keller AE. Parentification of the child: a case study of Bowlby's compulsive care-giving attachment pattern. Am J Psychother. 1991 Jul;45(3):425-31. doi: 10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.1991.45.3.425. PMID: 1951790. The Haunted Mind of Shirley Jackson by Zoë Heller Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life by Ruth Franklin The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious by Carl Jung Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski
How would you feel if one day you tried to login to your online social media accounts, only to discover that they were locked and your online persona had taken on a life of its own? Pretty scary stuff, eh?Cam is an obvious commentary on the nature of camming and is based on writer Isa Mazzei's own experiences as a cam girl, but what I'm most interested in is how this movie reflects the increasingly ego-focused nature of our society, and what happens when the ego is not in balance with the rest of the archetypal self. (spoiler alert: it's bad.)Let's talk about Cam (2018) and its portrayal of the ego run amok.Mental Health is Horrifying is hosted by Candis Green, Registered Psychotherapist and owner of Many Moons Therapy...............................................................Sources:Hey final girls — I'd like to take you on a transcendent journey into your psyche through — you guessed — horror movies! More specifically, horror movie monsters and villains. Join me on a very special dark moon/solar eclipse this April 8 for the Final Girls Club where we'll be exploring How Monsters Show Us Our Guts. Informed by Jungian exploration of myths and fairy tales as portraits of psychic terrain, in this workshop, we will explore how we project our unconscious shadows onto our favourite horror monsters and villains, and imagine the creation of our own monsters as an act of emotional catharsis and reclamation of self. Early bird final girl rate is in effect until March 1. Register by visiting manymoonstherapy.com/finalgirlsclub. Order The Horror Concierge: A Mental Health and Horror Tarot Readings + Film Reco. Order yours HERE. This Horror Screenwriter Subverted Every Shitty Sex Work Trope by Frederick BlichertCollected Works of C. G. Jung, Volume 11: Psychology and Religion: West and East by C.G. JungThe Interpretation of Fairy Tales by Marie-Louise von Franz, Kendra Crossen
Remember lockdown? I know I'm sorry — I know you don't want to, but I think it's worth considering for the sake of talking about Host (2020) and its genius encapsulation of the total anxiety of Covid lockdown. We're in the depths of winter anyway, so why not hunker down at home at relive the horrors of Zoom hangouts with friends? And you know what might make It a bit more fun — is if we throw a séance in there.Let's talk about Host (2020) and its portrayal of lockdown anxiety. Mental Health is Horrifying is hosted by Candis Green, Registered Psychotherapist and owner of Many Moons Therapy...............................................................Sources:Hey final girls — speaking of getting haunted during a virtual meeting, registration is now open for the February meeting of the Final Girls Club where you'll get to experience Dream Walk With Me — a live, experiential dreamwork journey where we will uncover the hidden meanings behind the symbols, archetypes and messages held within your dreams. Early bird final girl rate is in effect until February 1. Register by visiting manymoonstherapy.com/finalgirlsclub.Order The Horror Concierge: A Mental Health and Horror Tarot Readings + Film Reco. Order yours HERE. 'Host' Director Breaks Down The Mythology You May Have Missed & That Ending Shot By Perri Nemiroff Hwang TJ, Rabheru K, Peisah C, Reichman W, Ikeda M. Loneliness and social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Int Psychogeriatr. 2020 Oct;32(10):1217-1220. doi: 10.1017/S1041610220000988. Epub 2020 May 26. PMID: 32450943; PMCID: PMC7306546. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7306546/How 'Host' director Rob Savage went from viral tweet to 3-movie deal By Sam Haysom Has School Become Optional? By Alec MacGillisThe Implications of COVID-19 for Mental Health and Substance Use by Nirmita Panchal, Heather Saunders, Robin Rudowitz, and Cynthia CoxMental health and the pandemic: What U.S. surveys have found by John GramlichPongou R, Ahinkorah BO, Maltais S, Mabeu MC, Agarwal A, Yaya S. Psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. PLoS One. 2022 Nov 17;17(11):e0277238. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277238. PMID: 36395148; PMCID: PMC9671380.Eric B. Elbogen, Megan Lanier, Sarah C. Griffin, Shannon M. Blakey, Jeffrey A. Gluff, H. Ryan Wagner, and Jack Tsai. A National Study of Zoom Fatigue and Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for Future Remote Work. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.Jul 2022.409-415.“Misinformation” vs. “Disinformation”: Get Informed On The Difference
Let's talk about Krampus (2015) — everyone's favourite half goat, half demon creature who has come to punish all the misbehaving children and dysfunctional families on Christmas — as a symbol for seasonal depression. It's no surprise that December is a month of peak seasonal depression despite being labelled as the most wonderful time of the year. People tend to be ultra stressed out during the holidays — in particular at the prospect of spending time with their families. Oh the cognitive dissonance! So who better to reflect the true horrors of the season than a terrifying goat demon who brings along with him killer gingerbread men, teddy bears, and a jack in the box from hell?Mental Health is Horrifying is hosted by Candis Green, owner of Many Moons Therapy. ..............................................................Sources:Order The Horror Concierge: A Mental Health and Horror Tarot Readings + Film Reco. Order yours HERE. Hey final girls — I have an exciting group experience coming in the new year that will guide you through dreamwork exploration. Sign up for my newsletter to be the first to know when this launches in January.Krampus by Amy Tikkanen in Encyclopedia Britannica Behind the scenes of Christmas horror movie Krampus with Wellington's Weta Workshop by Collette Devlin Seasonal Affective Disorder, John Hopkins Medicine Krampus Origin Story | Krampus (2015) The Simpsons - Krusty Doll Set To Evil Christmas Shopping with Cousin Eddie Champ Kind intro A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance by Leon Festinger Holiday joy despite narcissistic relationships by Doctor Ramani
Let's talk about Five Nights at Freddy's (2023) and its portrayal of the personal unconscious through dreams.K so the reason I went to see this movie is because Matthew Lillard is in it and I think he is one of THE BEST horror film actors of all time and I will see anything he is in. But I was SO pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this movie! I immediately saw that this movie was about the navigation of trauma through dreamwork and Jungian archetypes — AND there were adorable murderous animatronic critters who love pizza and singing songs so like… what's there not to like?Mental Health is Horrifying is hosted by Candis Green, owner of Many Moons Therapy. Podcast artwork by Chloe Hurst from Contempomint. ..............................................................Sources:Order The Horror Concierge: A Mental Health and Horror Tarot Readings + Film Reco. Order yours HERE. Hey final girls — I have an exciting group experience coming in the new year that will guide you through dreamwork exploration. Sign up for my newsletter to be the first to know when this launches.Consciousness and the Unconscious: Lectures Delivered at ETH Zurich, Volume 2: 1934 by C.G. Jung and Ernst FalzederJung's Model of the Psyche by Ann Hopwood Five Nights At Freddy's Breaks Major Horror Movie Box Office Record Of 2023 by Nick BythrowFive Nights at Freddy's, the cult horror game turned movie, explained by Aja RomanoWhat Is Dream Theory and How Does It Work in Five Nights at Freddy's? by Cassidy WardDreams: (From Volumes 4, 8, 12, and 16 of the Collected Works of C. G. Jung) by C.G. JungDictionary of Symbolism: Cultural Icons and the Meanings Behind Them by Hans Biedermann
On this special Halloween episode, I'm going to risk having my horror hall pass revoked by diving into a movie that is uhhh not TECHNICALLY a horror movie, but I believe still deserves a place somewhere in the genre for reasons we will explore in the episode — HOCUS POCUS (1993)!It's for the same reason that I believe so strongly that everybody should be able to connect with feelings of pure joy and excitement as they relate to Halloween, that I also believe that horror is for EVERYBODY no matter how much terror you can withstand. I have developed a theory to explore this —and it's called the Spooky/Scary Spectrum. Okay so let's talk about Hocus Pocus and my PATENTED Spooky/Scary Spectrum of horror and how it relates to the nervous system!Mental Health is Horrifying is hosted by Candis Green, owner of Many Moons Therapy. Podcast artwork by Chloe Hurst from Contempomint. ..............................................................Sources:Order The Horror Concierge: A Mental Health and Horror Tarot Readings + Film Reco. Order yours HERE. Be sure to check out my Instagram @manymoonstherapy for a diagram of the Spooky/Scary spectrum, and to see what movies I placed on the spectrum for myself! Why don't you give it a try too?Hocus Pocus (1993) Trailer, Rotten Tomatoes Classic TrailersLearning in the panic zone: strategies for managing learner anxiety by Rob Palethorpe, John P. Wilson in Journal of European Industrial Training How ‘Hocus Pocus' Went From Box Office Bomb to Disney's Halloween Darling by And Ortiz15 surprising things you probably never knew about 'Hocus Pocus' by Marilyn La Jeunesse Scream Therapy: The Mental Health Benefits of Horror Movies How Scary Movies Can Help You De-Stress, According to Science by Kim Wong-ShingWhy Do We Keep Going Back? A Q Method Analysis of Our Attraction to Horror Movies. Operant Subjectivity by Robinson, T. ., Callahan, C., & Evans, K. Pandemic practice: Horror fans and morbidly curious individuals are more psychologically resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic by Coltan Scriver, John A. Johnson, Jens Kjeldgaard-Christiansen, Mathias ClasenNeuroanatomy, Parasympathetic Nervous System by Jacob Tindle and Prasanna Tadi
So — have you heard about this tape? Let's talk about The Ring (2002) and its portrayal of grief, nature vs nurture, and the psycho-therapeutic theory of emotional dwelling.There are many readings of what the metaphors in this movie are really about. And for a lot of people this movie is about technology — viral media and misinformation, technology as a virus, technophobia etc etc — but for me, this movie is so much about grief! Like — it just is! Miscarriages! Murder! Hauntings! Girls in wells! Grief.Mental Health is Horrifying is hosted by Candis Green, owner of Many Moons Therapy. ..............................................................Sources:Psychoanalytic Dialogues 26: 103-108 Walking the Tightrope of Emotional Dwelling by George E. Atwood, Phd and Robert D. Stolorow, PhdUndergoing the situation: Emotional dwelling is more than empathic understanding by Robert D. Storlow Epigenetics and Child Development: How Children's Experiences Affect Their Genes How "Ringu" (1998) Embodies Cultural Fear by Daniel Hess 'The Ring' at 20: Millennial Horror That's Still Infecting Movies Today by Beatrice Loayza You Won't Regret Rewatching The Ring by Kevin Townsend, Sophie Gilbert, David Sims, and Lenika Cruz
Let's talk about They Live (1988) and its portrayal of mental health themes of oppression, manifestation vs. reality, and the attention economy and ADHD.They Live focuses on an ordinary man who discovers an alien race has been controlling the human population through subliminal messaging that promotes vapid consumerism. Is this a documentary? Maybe.Mental Health is Horrifying is hosted by Candis Green, owner of Many Moons Therapy. ..............................................................Show Notes:As a special gift for my hallowed listeners, for a limited time use promo code HORRIFYING20 for 20% off The Horror Concierge: A Mental Health and Horror Tarot Readings + Film Reco. Order yours HERE. Trickle-Down Behavior Analysis by Mark R. Dixon American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition. Arlington, VA., American Psychiatric Association, 2013. Association of Digital Media Use With Subsequent Symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Among Adolescents. by Ra CK, Cho J, Stone MD, De La Cerda J, Goldenson NI, Moroney E, Tung I, Lee SS, Leventhal AM. They Live Fight Scene: Secret Behind Cinema's Greatest Brawl by Tim Buckler Consumer Price Index: Annual review, 2022 What Does Barbie's Box Office Bonanza Mean for Mattel Stock? by Jaime Katz Move Fast and Break Things: How Facebook, Google, and Amazon Cornered Culture and Undermined Democracy by Jonathan Taplin What Was the Subprime Meltdown? What Happened and Consequences by Will Kenton The Secret by Rhonda Byrne The Work of Byron Katie by Byron Katie Paying Attention: The Attention Economy by BER Staff
It's summertime, ghouls! It's hot, it's humid, and wouldn't you non-vampire people just love a day on the beach? Or are you afraid to go in the water? On today's episode, I'm going to be talking about the OG summer blockbuster that made everyone afraid to go in the water, Jaws (1975).Let's talk about Jaws as a metaphor for emotional avoidance, its portrayal of existential themes of meaning vs meaninglessness, and believe it or not — pet and animal grief!Mental Health is Horrifying is hosted by Candis Green, owner of Many Moons Therapy. ..............................................................Sources:‘Jaws': The Groundbreaking Summer Blockbuster that Changed Hollywood, and Our Summer Vacations, Forever by Sven Mikulec The Real-Life Drama That Almost Prevented Steven Spielberg's 'Jaws' From Being Made by Lloyd Farley Attachment and Loss by John BowlbyThe Strange Situation by Mary AinsworthStaring at the sun: Overcoming the terror of death by Irvin YalomThe Birth of Tragedy by Friedrich NietzscheWhat Song Quint Keeps Singing In Jaws by Kevin Maclean Repressing Emotions by Angelica Attard Ph.D. Veterinarians group fighting 'staggering' statistics on death by suicide in profession by Kevin YarrNot One More Vet Replacing animal agriculture and shifting to a plant-based diet could drastically curb greenhouse gas emissions, according to new model by Ker Than On the Endless Symbolism of the Best Summer Movie Ever Made: Jaws by Olivia RutiglianoSteven Spielberg Regrets How ‘Jaws' Impacted Real-World Sharks by Jacquelyne Germain Support local bunnies!Rabbit Rescue Tiny Paws Rabbit Rescue
Let's talk about the apocalyptic— today's forecast is misty with a chance of monsters — low key 2007 creature feature, The Mist.I had seen this movie a handful of times over the years and upon a rewatch for this episode, I really wanted this movie to just be about climate change. It's easy to see it that way pure and simple — there's literally monsters in the mist outside that prevent people from going out lest they get eaten. But on closer inspection, there is so much much more going on here and begs the question — is climate change really just environmental terrorism? And who exactly is the real monster here?This episode explores the film's portrayal of climate anxiety, a psychological concept called sense-making, in and out groups, spiritual bypassing, and hopelessness. Good times!Mental Health is Horrifying is hosted by Candis Green, owner of Many Moons Therapy. ..............................................................Sources:The 1990s Teen Horror Cycle: Final Girls and a New Hollywood Formula by Alexandra West https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-1990s-teen-horror-cycle/ Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain by David Eagleman https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9827912-incognito Canada wildfires: US East Coast sees worst air quality in years https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65828469 The Social Psychology of Organizing by Karl E. Weick https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/134489Deep Diversity: Overcoming Us Vs. Them by Shakil Choudhury https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/26781095 Toward a Psychology of Awakening: Buddhism, Psychotherapy, and the Path of Personal and Spiritual Transformation by John Welwood https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14457.Toward_a_Psychology_of_Awakening ‘The Mist' Is Still Relevant for Unfortunate Reasons by Kristen Lopezhttps://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/mist-is-still-relevant-unfortunate-reasons-1060573/ Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/91953.Leviathan ..............................................................Mental Health Resources:Assaulted Women's Help Line awhl.org416-863-0511Centre for Addiction and Mental Health camh.net416-535-8501Distress Centres of Torontodcogt.com416-408-4357 Gerstein Crisis Centregersteincentre.org 416-929-5200Toronto Rape Crisis Centre / Multicultural Women Against Rape trccmwar.ca416-597-8808Victim Services Torontovictimservicestoronto.com 416-808-7066
Let's talk about the blood-soaked, prom queen of our dreams who — spoiler alert! — burns the whole ass gymnasium down cinematic masterpiece from 1976, Carrie.One of my favourite things about the origin story of this movie is that after Stephen King scoured the deepest, darkest, recesses of his mind to conjure up the most horrific scenario that he could —a teenage girl has her period for the first time in a public school shower, leading all of her classmates to laugh at her and pelt her with tampons! Horrors! This episode explores the film's portrayal of interconnected themes of religious trauma and abuse, shame, and the monstrous feminine. Mental Health is Horrifying is hosted by Candis Green, owner of Many Moons Therapy...............................................................Sources:https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2566855/adapting-stephen-king-carrie-queen-of-prom-brian-de-palma-sissy-spacek A Night at the Movies: The Horrors of Stephen King https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2076787/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk Understanding and Treating Chronic Shame: A Relational/Neurobiological Approach by Patricia A. DeYoung https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22776119-understanding-and-treating-chronic-shame https://mashable.com/video/stephen-king-role-of-horror-dark-times Dead Blondes and Bad Mothers by Sady Doyle https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43802026-dead-blondes-and-bad-mothers The Monstrous-Feminine: Film, Feminism, Psychoanalysis by Barbara Creed https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/395435.The_Monstrous_Feminine https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2015/10/17/449176709/horrible-things-happen-to-nepali-girls-when-they-menstruate-15girls
Let's talk about 2023 AI dystopian murderous doll from the bowels of tech hell masterpiece — M3GAN. It is my belief that horror movies reflect not only the zeitgeist of the time in which they are made, but also our inner most fears and anxieties. While this movie is a lot of fun and M3GAN herself is a riot, it also carries an incredibly powerful message about the potential impacts of AI on human attachment. This episode explores M3GAN's portrayal of our society's overall garbage relationship to grief and conversations about death, existential themes of loneliness and isolation, and the intersection of technology, mental health care, and attachment theory.Mental Health is Horrifying is hosted by Candis Green, owner of Many Moons Therapy....................................................................Sources:https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-01-05/m3gan-movie-malignant-akela-cooper-james-wan-horror https://www.orderofthegooddeath.com/resources/fear-of-death/https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2062034.Staring_at_the_Sun https://www.eterneva.com/resources/death-rituals https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fhumd.2021.684137/full https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-022-13409-0 https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/03/06/can-ai-treat-mental-illness https://vos.health/ https://replika.com/ https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1295472.Attachment?ref=nav_sb_ss_4_6 https://www.vice.com/en/article/qjvk97/eating-disorder-helpline-disables-chatbot-for-harmful-responses-after-firing-human-staff Special Thanks To:Danielle Matar at GeistKait Fowlie Cover art by evil genius Chloe Hurst
Are you someone who watches horror movies and thinks — that nasty old well that Samara climbs out of in The Ring is really a metaphor for her grief? Or that like…Ghostface at his core is a spectre of intergenerational trauma?I'm your host of darkness — Candis Green and I'd like to welcome you ghouls to Mental Health is Horrifying — the podcast where we journey through the depths and examine how mental health themes are portrayed in the world of horror. I'm a Psychotherapist who also happens to be terminally spooky. As the darkness-seeking bat that I am, I spent my childhood summers locked away in the public library scouring the aisles for books about Halloween, witches, and all things haunted. And surprisingly, my parents were not too concerned. So as a mental health professional and lifelong horror fan, I really can't help but see the world through the lens of the macabre.This is a podcast for horror fans who know that when it comes to what we fear, there is much more than what meets the eye.From Carrie, to Michael Meyers, to Hill House and everywhere in between — join me each month as we discuss how horror is really a mirror into ourselves.Coming this June to Spotify, Apple Podcasts - and wherever you like to listen.