Ann: Okay. Matthew Brooks: Just go. We're doing it live, right? Ann: I mean Matthew Brooks: Hi. Ann: Hi everybody. Seriously, all of these houses by the lake have the like weirdest This one's not that bad. I don't know what that is back there though. Matthew Brooks: Is there a cross somewhere in there? Ann: No. No, no, no. This isn't no. This is a we are in a whimsy house for sure. We're in a de so actually, this is funny and I'm on vacation. what I instantly realized when I walked into this house, I started looking around and I was like, she is Matthew Brooks: Nice. And on vacation. Ann: She is my people, kind of like in a funny way. Because I don't none of this is fact. This is just what I'm observing. But she lives in the other part, like in the in the b attic, I guess, of like this house. And she comes and goes out of another like thing. But it's a seven bedroom, like old farmhouse right next to the lake. Which is great. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. okay. Okay. Yeah. Ann: Just hanging out in the lake all day. But everything in each room, she definitely DIY'd. She absolutely like the other day she was like out on the ladder, like in her pajamas, like spraying bees. And I was like, at like 9 30 p.m. and we were like Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: My entire family, which is there's like so many of us here. We're just like hanging out in the pool and she's just like, What I need to do this right now. It's like, I understand that. I understand that you need to address this issue right now. And each room has kind of like a theme, but everything has been gathered from different, probably like thrift shops. And then she made some of her own art, like art and like it you can tell. And I met her. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's very much you. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Ann: And I was like and Matthew Brooks: And you're like, we're gonna be best friends now. Ann: I was like, You something's going on. We've got a similar brain here 'cause I'm observing how you're doing this house. So anyways. Matthew Brooks: That's awesome. I love that. I thought of you this I think I sent it to you, but I I was scrolling on Instagram and there was a person who was taking just regular like stencils. You know, just like the hard plastic stencils or whatever of like flowers and things, and then they took like like plaster Ann: Love it. Matthew Brooks: like spackling and stuff like that. And then they just put the stencil on the wall and on the door frames and lightly scraped over the the stencil and then pulled the stencil off and the floral print was there. So it added like a texture to the wall and to the door frames. And was like, that is Anne. That is very much Anne. Ann: You know my house is I mean it I started at a second bureau. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So if you wanna texture your your walls or door frames with, you know, a quick and easy way of of doing that, I'm gonna send that to you again. Ann: How do you? Okay. Did you alre yeah, did you already send it to me? Matthew Brooks: I probably did. We send a shit ton of stuff together. Yeah. Ann: I don't even know. Okay. Matthew Brooks: You wanna get into what we're talking about today? I have notes. I'm excited. I'll start off I'll start off by saying because we've joked and lately hit it on other episodes and I was like, okay, we really need to like center in on what we're gonna talk about today, but prompting it, it was last week. we the wifey and I had some time, which was crazy Ann: Yeah. Matthew Brooks: And we're like, let's watch a movie. And I was like, Okay, and I I saw this one and I I picked it. I'm like, this will be whimsy, like it'll be fun, lighthearted and everything. And halfway through the movie, Wifey is crying and saying, I will never forgive you for choosing this This this what? Or this movie. it's called The Sheep Detectives. Ann: Gosh, we love the sheep detectives. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. And No, no. But we just like randomly watched it and we were both utterly destroyed. And this is why this is why I kinda brought it up too, she's like, I have a harder time when animals are harmed versus people. Ann: Wait, do you know that we love the sheep detectives? Wait, why does she not like it? Hey. I understand that. my sorry. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. So I'm like, that's a great thing to talk about of like the millennial, you know, kind of thing of that we're gonna talk about is like why are millennials so connected with like animals and creatures being like like harmed or hurt versus like humans being harmed or hurt in movies and stories. And that kind of brings into like why is it like most stories in pop culture, psychology and everything are high. Ann: There they were supposed to be being watched and clearly n no clearly nobody knows where they are. Matthew Brooks: I know. Yeah. We have visitors. We have visitors today. So Ann: So we went to see sheep detectives in the theaters because my kids were so excited about it. And then they were so excited when it came out on Prime. Is it on Prime? Yeah. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. But it made me think like Babe. We grew up watching Babe. And yeah, like when the farmer turns at the end and says that'll Yeah, that'll do pig, that'll do like that was like that'll pull my heartstrings all the time. But like a lot of stories and a lot of various pop culture Ann: yeah. That was pretty dark. Matthew Brooks: Turning points or coming of age for millennials was always told with animals or cartoons, right? So it's very much of like how like what is that? And also like in today's era, like Bluey and versus like land before time, you know, and like what messages are they being told? Ann: Yeah. Where is that for that? I've told you, Lamb Before Time absolutely destroyed me. But wait, you just did a couple th you made a couple time jumps there. Cause so first I'm gonna go backwards. First of all, every generation has a blue dog. Did you see that? And I'm like, my gosh, they do. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Ann: okay. So sorry. Matthew Brooks: I did a bunch of time jumps, I'm excited. Ann: Are you? sheep detectives. What what part of the movie and maybe maybe this is something we need to talk about too, because I was saying there's a blue dog for everything. But what part and yes, I remember babe being sad and like animals. But maybe this is a parenting thing and just where my head is at. What part I can't remember. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: What part of the moon? Yeah. Matthew Brooks: For sheep detectives. it's when the black ram, what was his name? Ann: What was his name? S Sebastian. Sebastian. Matthew Brooks: Yeah, and Sebastian protects Lily when they get they go to the other farm. Ann: yeah. Okay. I'm on the page now. So does this happen to you as a parent? This happens to me. I kind of watch the so shows, but I'm always doing something. Like if they're we don't watch TV a ton and if they're it's like occupying them, so I'm like doing the dishes or like cleaning or whatever and I'm like popping in and out. But even at the we went to the theater for that and Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. That. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Ann: PJ was done at like he was n the whole movie wasn't gonna happen. They thought it was like the coolest thing ever and they're sitting back and like they got their snacks and like whatever. But and my mom went with me, but he was done. So I was in the hallway and we were we were doing like racing laps. Like Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. Ha ha ha. Yeah. Ann: And then we would go back in and watch a little bit. So I also missed giant chunks. So and then th this is why it's funny because you're sitting here telling me like this is a traumatizing movie and we grew up on these movies and I'm like, shit. sorry. I'm like, did I miss the part Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Something that just traumatized my daughter. Yeah. Ann: That's shouldn't they shouldn't watch because I was chasing after one or doing the dishes or whatever. But they they love that movie. We watched it on vacation the other night as our nighttime like with their cousins. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So that I mean that's a great Yeah. Yeah. But that is a great one because here's here's another one and we're going away from animals a little bit, but going back to millennial childhood movies that utterly destroyed us. My girl. My girl. Versus what like your kids have like, did I Ann: for I I did see that part. I did see that part. All of them. my gosh. my god. Matthew Brooks: like that they get traumatized by this movie and then looking back at these movies of like he needs his glasses, he can't see without his glasses like Ann: Mm-hmm. Yeah, awful. Awful. Heart likes terrify and all of them Matthew Brooks: Yeah. But that is a childhood devi developmental milestone for millennials. Like seeing that changed everything. Ann: Well Yeah. How baby? Matthew Brooks: And then looking at it as like a therapist, it is the end of innocence. It's the end of childhood. Like everybody talks about the grief and loss with Thomas J., right? But if we look at Veda, it it's like the anxiety that she has where she like she grow grows up wi in like a funeral home, like deals with death all the time. That's like Ann: Mm-hmm. Matthew Brooks: that's something that she has, but then she's always worried and has anxiety about like death in reality and you know, that those kind of things 'cause she's she's kind of checking in on it and it comes off quirky, but if you actually break it down, like she has anxiety. And then when Thomas J. passes, it comes to reality. So that childhood innocence ended right there where then she gets snapped back into Ann: Well Matthew Brooks: Like, this is what the this is what I have to deal with, right? Ann: Is that why? Yeah. Again, us millennial, genet, whatever you want to call us, therapists. Is that why we're more is that why we're more desensitized or why we're more emotional? Or is that why we we are the way we are? Because yeah, we watched all of these we watched all of these movies, but even the even the Disney movies were Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. Ann: I mean they were all messed up. But like more serious. Well, with a diner. I know, I see. That's crazy. Yeah. Crazy. Matthew Brooks: Mm-hmm. Yeah. And and that might be it. Is of like we grew up like I already did like land before time. It's like, life is hard, your mom died. You'll figure it out versus Bluey, that is very much of like the parent is like, How can I help you understand your feelings? Right? You know. So it's like this shift in parenting of what it was coming from. Like the eighties and nineties babies were coming off of parents who grew up in the fifties, sixties, seventies. Ann: yeah. Matthew Brooks: Right. So it's it's this navigation of like the generation. And I think with the millennial generation being parents now, it is like, shit, like I don't want them to go through the same trauma that we went through, you know? So we're going to talk about these things that nobody did for us, you know? And that's why you see Bluey having messaging of like a parent sitting with them and Talking with them about the feelings, you know. Yeah. Yeah. A dad. Yeah. Ann: A dad. Think that that's I think that that's significant. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. And it Ann: But yeah, so I don't but but but so different from your wife, I don't I mean I love animals. I love my dog. I Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Ann: But I don't have the same reac I can't in movies and stuff, I don't have the same reaction about animals. I'm like I can't watch a scary movie or a movie where kids are harmed. I explode. Like I can't can't deal it's kids, babies for me. Adults, not even so much. my gosh. it's Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Ann: It's kids' babies and I can't I cannot watch them. I cannot watch a scary movie where the kids are scary. I refuse. Like, if one of my kids started sleepwalking Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Ann: Yeah, I'd be like, You I know I'm not supposed to wake you up, but you wake up right now. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. So, you know, like thinking about that like psychology and what we grew up with, because there were things that were good that we grew up with that was Bob Ross, Mr. Rogers, Wishbone, you know. Like every generation has something that i is a positive. Yeah, wishbone. Ann: You're frozen. yeah. Wait, did you say wishbone? Matthew Brooks: Yes. Yes, wishbone's fantastic, right? Ann: Wishbow. So do you think that those okay, so now that my children are not in the room with me and I can just like regroup a little because I had a whole plan where I was I don't even know what happened for the last however many minutes we've been recording. I had a plan to sit in one spot and then everybody invaded my spot. So I'm in a new spot. Matthew Brooks: Yes. Yes. Ann: I do think what's so funny, and I'm just gonna speak about myself personally, but this is what you're touching on. The shows that we grew up on, and I wasn't a TV kid. Like we didn't even have we didn't have cable ever. We didn't have video games ever. We weren't allowed to watch a lot of TV. It was kind of like Saturday mornings like gummy bears. And then but after school, when I would go to my neighbor's house, I was allowed to watch TV. But how those shows shaped me as a person clinician therapist is significant because I am a combination of Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Uh-huh. Ann: Of Mr. Rogers and Bob Ross and then the really dark like I'm totally cool. We're totally cool with sitting with the dark stuff. Like this is fine. This is normal. And so it's interesting that you talk about that because I think that that's true. And I and I I mean the kids' shows still carry those heavy weights. Like all the Yeah. But I don't know. It's a combo. Matthew Brooks: Mm-hmm. Yeah. But at the same time, like there's something with millennials that is very much in the vein of like Bob Ross, Mr. Rogers, Reading Rainbow where it is this more slower paced kind of a thing that does like does something for them in the cozy. So Great British Bake Off. huge hit, like everybody loved it. But that's a modern cozy, right? Ann: Did you watch that? I didn't. I don't like it. Did you like? No. I'm the only person that doesn't like it. you know step brothers where they're like interviewing? That's what's going on right now. no, I Matthew Brooks: Yeah. You don't like it? I liked it. I loved it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Ann: Could everybody loved that show and everybody when I would go to friends' houses they would like, Did you watch and I'm like, I don't get I mean I it's funny I guess. I just don't I can't watch those. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. So what's your cozy show now? Ann: I don't I mean, I know I know what you're gonna say because I had Gilmore Girls on the background forever. But here's the thing. I couldn't tell you a single thing that happened in Gilmore Girls. I never watched it. I never watched it as a kid or teen or adult. Never watched it. I just knew that it was really, really long. Matthew Brooks: yeah. No, it's just background. Yeah. Yeah. Ann: And so when I have something on in the background when I'm doing things, I kinda tune into the story every once in a while and at least with a show like that you can keep up with the thought, I guess. Like the same thing's happening ten episodes later. If I'm not paying attention. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Well actually this this is really great is if w somebody in the Gilmore Girls was your client, what what would you do? Ann: I would have s I would be like, stop everything you're doing. This is my I mean, when I when I was wa when I did have it on, I was like, This is what we were telling, like this is the no this is not this is so like the fat like the single motherhood and then the the dad just comes in and out like whatever. Like, my god. I was like, This is so not okay. But delusional. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Ann: But that was norm. Matthew Brooks: D delusional. Ann: But that was norm, like TV and what they were presenting to people back then. But like and again, maybe this is just reflective of like we always joke, like my diagnosis or me as a person. I don't watch TV. I can't watch TV. I can't s watch the same movie over and over again. People can do that. People can like watch The Office a million times or whatever their movie is. No. I mean, I quote it. I I do the quotes like everybody ca like everybody our age does. Before there were memes, we used to just quote Dave Chappelle and old school back and forth to each other for decades. But I I I don't watch TV. I don't have a go to show. I don't do British Bake Off. I don't sit at night and watch TV. I never have. Like, maybe during COVID, like everybody got into Tiger Camp. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. But like we have a very specific knack of watching something once and picking it up to like have those quotes and have that meme and have like you watch it once and you could recall like berries and cream. What's berries and creams from? It was a s well there's that, but then there's it's a Starburst commercial. Ann: Yeah. I don't know. yes I do. Something about Mary. Is it Is it from that? No. Matthew Brooks: Where it was the little guy dancing and doing the jingle, berries and cream, berries and cream. Yeah. So there was that. I think it is from that too. Yeah. Ann: No. Is it from Sun Did I say something about Mary? I think it's from that. Too. I don't I I'm telling you, I'm not the person to be like we're we're finding our difference because I don't watch T V. When I was younger Matthew Brooks: Yeah. You have a it it's all full full of quotes, you just don't know where they came from. Yeah, yeah. Ann: No, yeah, I just spit out like a like a random, crazy person. But no, I I I don't have a go-to show, I don't have a comfort show. Like I just have something on the background. And that's why I think people are like maybe, maybe. Like when I'm painting a mural mural in my house or like whatever. Whenever I made the shift Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: the shift happened that the kids weren't with me as often. I don't do those things. So my house like I my energy went towards other things. Which is Matthew Brooks: Yeah. The only time you stop moving is when you're sleeping. Yeah. Ann: Kind of, yeah. And I and I yeah. So I don't I don't I'm not a sit on the couch. I maybe bef no. I'm trying to think of if I ever was and COVID COVID was crazy though because I was just virtual sessions. Like my garden was awesome. Like my I had a enclosed porch on the back of my house at the time. And a garden. Yeah, I just like don't I don't have a show. And everybody tells me, watch this show, watch this show. I'm like, sure, I'll try. Episode and half. I'm like, I don't know, man. I I didn't watch it. And everyone's into Matthew Brooks: Y you don't stop moving. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, which Ann: I mean not people our age, but everybody you could even if you're online, everyone's talking about this like Love Island. I've never watched a single episode. Like, what is that? Matthew Brooks: never watched a single episode either. And we could go into like working with them as clinicians as well because there's so much stuff that is just like yeah, I don't Yeah. Ann: did back in the day in college when I lived with like girls or like actually even post a little bit, I would watch some of those reality shows. I did like married at first sight was super interesting to me. It I I was like, please let me watch. Like from a from a psychological standpoint, I like, well this is insane. But also, is it I don't know. My grandparents' marriage was arranged. Not like this, but Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yes. Yeah. Ann: arranged in Italy and she chose him because somebody told her that he had a can opener, which was, you know, pretty pretty pretty solid choice. Yeah, he's got a can opener. Sounds great. But like I love I did I was interested in that show, but like the the Survivor, everyone was into that. I could not. Absolutely. I was like, Why are people even doing this? Matthew Brooks: Nice. Nice. That was ba back in the day. Yeah. That's a man with principles there. But Yeah. Yeah. Ann: Sorry, that's a unpopular opinion. I just can't watch it. I'm sorry. Matthew Brooks: Well and and then going back to like everybody was talking about euphoria and you know the that show and how these like teenagers are doing drugs and like all this craziness that was happening. And I saw it, I'm like, no. I work with kids that are similar to that, not as like to the tenth degree, but I'm like, I don't I don't wanna watch this. Like I don't I don't think it's great. Ann: The you know which Do you know what show I did get into I can get into though? And we've talked about this. Mind Hunter, I got into. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. yes. Yeah. Ann: So and again, that's probably the last time that I was like, I wanna watch the next sh episode. And I think it was the combination of like it's that psychological thriller, it's not like necessarily scary, but it's something that I am interested in and connect with. So I'm like Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. Ann: but those don't like creep me out or anything. But that other the other stuff, it's just not I don't know. It has to be something I can't think of another show I was really into. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Well I think I mean Mindhunter is great for that because I think one of the the ones that really hooked me with like the psychological stuff was Silence of the Lambs, you know, and I was like, I wanna I wanna be like an FBI profiler and everything and then Mindhunter came out and I was like, Yeah, I would love to like go and do that stuff. Ann: Yeah. See I don't know why I can't do Silence of the Lambs. I can't I could do Mindhunter. Scary movies I'm not super fan, but I'm I'm more the like again the ones like that I can wa I can watch Silence of the Lambs, but like I don't like the super creepy ones. Like the the almost like fake ones. I'm like absolutely not. Don't let those in my house. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. The like scary movies don't really get me unless they're they are like some of are like psychological horror. So it is like i this person's like a serial killer or like something's going on that's kinda weird. When I was younger that's what really got me, but like the big scary like Ann: That makes sense. Matthew Brooks: You know, I know there's slasher ones with like Freddie Krueger and stuff, but most of those ones didn't get me 'cause I'm like, this isn't real. But the ones where it's just like, this person could be out there I was like, okay, let's let's see why, you know. Yeah. Ann: I can't watch this. See Yeah. Both. Super entertained. Okay. Do you ever do so? I've probably talked about this in previous episodes, but I'm going to relate this back to something that I use with clients often, both of all ages, because we're talking about in all of these shows and movies, we're talking about these characters or these themes or these plots that like shape us. And we do kind of gather a whole Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. Ann: like profile of these things that do influence us. They're not us. It's just like family and whatever. And they they influence our view on things. but I love doing character work with clients with you've done this with me, with model magic. Or they can draw it or create it, like write it. Like and I'm always say create a character. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Ann: With any age, I will use this when appropriate. And the character has to the only rule is the character has to be able to talk. And and you know, and I always use the example with kids, like, Well, can you make your pencil talk? And they're like, Yes. I'm like, okay. Well, then it just has to be able to talk. Because then after they create it, I dialogue with it or with them or ask questions about it or whatever. And the thing is, is that these characters do form a story. And I mean, it is interesting and oftentimes r carries a lot of information as far as where they're at. Like if their client if their character is Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: adventuring through the woods to find a dead body or if their character is a Freddy Kruger type or a bandit from Bluey type or a which I've never had, by the way. Now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever had like a all Sunshine and Roses character. Maybe for little little little like littles. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Ann: But it ta but then I but then we're creating characters that they're interacting with and then you get to see more of those like social dynamics. But but I do and I think that if I were to make a character, all of these things that we're talking about would kind of like shape that. and it and it would be so interesting to do a deep dive. Because we also ge even from like books and stuff, we also pull from stories that we know. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Right. Yeah. Ann: So I use Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: that a lot. Matthew Brooks: I think I think you know, and this is the art therapist's side of me, but using that creative form and metaphor to express like whatever the person needs to express is what we do. And look even looking in pop culture like the Matrix. And I'm I'm hoping you've seen the Matrix, right? Yeah. It's a trans allegory. Like Ann: Yeah, don't worry. Matthew Brooks: The Wachowski sisters were like working through their own personal stuff and they created this entire movie and universe to navigate escaping conformity and questioning reality and recovering from their own trauma and you know, coming out and you know, all of these things that they worked into a movie that defined a lot of our generation, you know. So it Ann: Yeah. And something that people talk about and reference all the time. Because in session in session, people referenced their go-to movies, shows, whatever. And in fact, there was that one show, this was like over a decade ago, where it actually caused so much controversy because am I she's still in the room laying on the floor, but they were doing like active Matthew Brooks: All the time. Yeah. Yeah. Th thirteen reasons why. Yeah. Ann: What was that? Thirteen Reasons Why. So many of my clients were coming in talking about referencing, processing that that I did go watch it. Because I didn't watch it. I wasn't it even go I didn't even know. But then I went and watched it and it was absolutely influencing. And so it's it was it was not great, but it was like Matthew Brooks: Mm-hmm. Yep. Yeah. Ann: So it's the same thing, like that was a an intense one, but like the same thing happens. Clients bring in their stuff. And that's what my gosh. I'm gonna get this wrong. And there's so many art therapists that listen, so they're probably gonna be like, Anne, you're so off. But there was a conference, and I'm gonna guess it was 2009 conference. Matthew Brooks: Mm-hmm. Ha ha ha. Ann: was somewhere between 2008 and 2010. Had to be, had to be one of those years. Anyways, that a professional storyteller came and did a presentation. They weren't an art therapist or a storyteller. Was it a presentation or it was like part of the conference? Matthew Brooks: Okay. Yeah. Ann: And I remember being obsessed with what they were talking about and obsessed with the fact that that was a thing. And they went around and did storytelling for disaster and crisis relief. Like they would they I think they worked with the Red Cross. And again, I'm sorry, everybody. This is long time ago, and we're all aware of my memory and ability to connect things. But Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Ann: I'm pretty sure that she pretty sure that she worked with the Red Cross. And I remember sitting there being like, this is so cool. This is so cool because this is and she talked about like throughout human existence, that's how we passed along, like lessons and information and through storytelling. And I was like, isn't that the truth? And that's what you're talking about here. Like we still associate those stories that we get like engrossed in. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Ann: And even shows or plot lines or whatever, that's what shapes us. Even these movies that we watch as a as we're younger. And I think that that is so so so cool. And I would love to be a storyteller. I would love to do that. But I can't what what I'm adding too many things to my list. But I I'm a storyteller. yeah, I guess I am. Honey, I love you. Okay. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. I mean you're already a storyteller. Ten more minutes. Ann: do you find yourself saying that whenever your your kids like just hold it together and you're like, I love you. I love you. Deep breath. so so, anyways, that's also what we're doing with clients is we're sitting there with them with their stories. Dear sweet girl, you can sit here and you can be with Daniel. Matthew Brooks: Yes. Yeah. Yeah. We we are story collectors. Ann: Yeah. And I love that about us. And that is what shapes us and that is how things are passed out. And doesn't it also I'm gonna add something to that, doesn't that also contribute to jumping over to the parent side? Doesn't that also contribute to how aware us Therapists, professionals, storytellers, people that get it are of how much the stories that our children are witnessing impact them. Like even our personal lives or other people or like I'll read a book that I read when I was younger and I'll read it now and I'll like, I don't know if I like this message. Like Matthew Brooks: Mm. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Ann: Because I'm so aware of it now, so it it it's crazy how those things are all related and connected and heavily important. Matthew Brooks: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. And we're seeing like a whole different perspective of it where it is just like, this was my favorite book. no. What message was this actually telling me back then even? And that's like the biggest thing that, you know, I wanted to hit today. And I I feel like there's there's gonna be a part two or three of of this because I think there's so much to talk about of like what what is that messaging? Ann: It took us a minute to get into it because of my current situation, but we've arrived. With fifteen minutes left. We've arrived. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Well it's not even that. There's just so there's so much to talk about with it w in the sense of like what are the messages that are being told? You know, even going back to like the Disney movies and different things like that where it is like Simba watched Mufasa die. Like he found the body, you know. And if we were working with them as a client and having a child like find their father d dead after their uncle set up a murder, you know, we'd be like, whoa, okay. Like we need to sit down and we really need to like take care with this and and navigate it in a in a specific way. Ann: Let's just just rewind. Not even if it was personal. Even if they witnessed that like say that a parent called you and they were like, We this is what it would be like, we have filed a report for the school because they permitted the kids to watch this show that was about an uncle, you know. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: Harming, killing whatever their the child, main character's father, and they're like traumatized and they're scared. And I would be like, my gosh, like that's crazy, let's sit with it. And then they'd be like, it was the Lion King. Like, you're right. But if that was just taken out of context, it would be crazy. Yeah. But but then again. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You're right. You know. Like th Yeah. And even like think about of like Ann: Then again, I'm do a whole 180 on this. And this w again, this could conversation could keep going. But storytelling and kids witnessing these real life things that happen through a s quote unquote safe space is Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Ann: Purposeful. I hate I mean, I know that we wanna like protect them and we're that's a different thing and we wouldn't neck necessarily like significantly trauma, but there is importance of us communicating that bad things happen to our children so that we can speak with them and talk about it and that they can understand life is life. It's like that first goldfish that dies. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Yes. Ann: Like it's Matthew Brooks: Yeah. it's it's at arm's length, right? It is this like playtherapy of these stories and like Disney of like processing these things that happen. Like go even with Cinderella. Like if you had Cinderella as a client, if you heard a background story of like, hey, there's this girl who like their father passed away mysteriously and their stepmother kept them locked in a basement and made them clean the house all the time for Ann: Was it Matthew Brooks: their other two stepsisters and CPS was called and took her out of the house, you need to w like you're getting hired by the county to work with her. You'd be like, whoa. And then you're like, it's Cinderella. So why is it like, it's not that bad, it's Cinderella. It's like, no. Like that w that was the messaging, right? E wicked stepmother and everything. Ann: Yeah. Matthew Brooks: You know, kinda going with that. Or pick any princess. Yeah. Pick any of the Disney princesses and stuff, but it's like tackling that stuff at arm's length. Ann: Still kind of is. I mean, I think that the most the most recent Disney princesses are getting better. But like Tangled Rapunzel was just that I mean that was kind of recent. That's one that my kids still watch. Yeah. Not okay. Matthew Brooks: Yes. Yeah. Yeah. And that's a kidnapped victim. Which you see in like real life in the news where it's like Jessica was taken for eighteen years, you know. Ann: Yeah. Yeah. And again Matthew Brooks: And you're like, that's tragic and then it's like Rapunzel was singing a song and you know everything. It's like, here kid, watch this You know? Ann: And again, the truly it does open a window and maybe this is something us therapists do more than others. Rapunzel Matthew Brooks: Mm-hmm. Ann: open the door for us skilled therapists or even experienced millennials and parents to then jump and have conversations about what's going on in the movie. And that didn't used to happen for us. Like it was like here you go, process it how you will. But now, yeah, bye. I see ya. you're the horse just died. Good luck. but now. Matthew Brooks: Yes. No. No. Yeah. Bye. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It died because it was sad. Yeah. Ever. Or you will sink into the ground. Ann: Yeah so don't be sad ever. Don't be sad ever. But yes, slowly. But but now these Matthew Brooks: Yeah. Ann: movies can be springboards for or these experiences are not springboards and we have conversations about it all the time. I know that that's not typical for all parents, but I do think it's typical for therapist parents. And I think it's typical for mental health parents. And so like parents that work in mental health or parents that even education. Like I mean all of those helping professions or and and now it's a springboard to talk about these things because these things are talked about more. so I Matthew Brooks: Yes. Ann: I do that, but we're also seeing less and less of the heavy stuff that we used to. But again, is that do we still need to have it but delivered those messages a little bit better so that they're still being introduced and then there's just conversations. Matthew Brooks: I yeah I think it's being delivered in a better way. Yeah, I think it's being delivered in a better way that is more handled with care instead of just a blunt tool in the story of like the parents died and now it's the kids' journey to figure it out, right? It it is it is yeah, it is frozen, you know, it is and frozen I have a particular problem with just because I don't like frozen. Ann: Which is frozen. I you don't like frozen. Frozen I have a particular problem with. Matthew Brooks: Yeah. And just like the messaging and everything, I'm just like, ugh, there's it's so bad. Just like keep your feelings in and watch them explode out of you. I think we got through today. Ann: You sure? Cause Matthew Brooks: Yeah. But no, I think I think the pop culture and the messaging and and everything is something I wanna talk about more. So even coming up with the notes and stuff that I I like had down, there's stuff we didn't hit that I wanna I wanna hit. So I think we're gonna have more of these conversations of like the pop culture and stories and messages and and everything like that. So Okay. Ann: Squish for cat. Sounds good. Matthew Brooks: Hey, great job everyone. We did it. Ann: Good job, everybody. Okay. Matthew Brooks: Okay. Bye. Thank you, therapist. Ann: Bye.