Two years ago, Andrea Letamendi became Batgirl’s psychologist. Letamendi appeared in two issues of the comic series as a clinical psychologist who helped Batgirl cope with the trauma of being paralyzed by the Joker.
Letamendi, a clinical psychologist and assistant director of the clinical training program at a nonprofit mental health agency, has a lot in common with her comic book alter ego. She will speak at TEDxUCLA on Saturday about the psychological power of superhero stories.
Gail Simone, author of the Batgirl comic series, created the character after consulting with Letamendi on how she could portray mental health treatment in her comics.
“She wanted (Batgirl) to receive psychological help,” Letamendi said. “I worked with veterans who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan, and I drew from that to … provide personal experience and empirical evidence.”
At the TEDxUCLA event, Letamendi, a longtime comic fan, plans to explain how superhero narratives apply to the field of psychology, and how she integrated them into her professional life.
Her passion for superhero stories began at a young age when she first watched the TV show “Batman: The Animated Series,” Letamendi said.
The show fueled her passion for superheroes, and she began to scour the aisles of local comic stores to add to her growing collection of comic books.
But Letamendi didn’t find it easy to maintain the hobby growing up. She said she was bullied in school for liking comic books and decided that being open about her passion wasn’t a good idea.
Letamendi was heavily involved in the science fiction community while she studied for her doctoral degree at UC San Diego, but she said she was still afraid that revealing her secret hobby to her colleagues would invite ridicule.
“I was writing stories and analyses, I was cosplaying and I was really involved in the (science fiction) community,” Letamendi said. “But I began to deny that part of my identity and find conflict between my passion and my profession.”
It wasn’t until Letamendi became a postdoctoral researcher at UCLA in 2011 that she began to embrace her love for superheroes more publicly. That year, she launched Under The Mask, a website where she analyzes psychological themes in superhero stories.
She also examines psychological themes in individual episodes of “Batman: The Animated Series” in her weekly podcasts, called “The Arkham Sessions.” The podcasts touch on many psychological issues, including toxic relationships. In a recent episode, Letamendi discussed the abusive relationship between the Joker and his henchwoman Harley Quinn.
“(Letamendi) brings her knowledge of clinical psychology to the table by saying what kind of symptoms a villain is exhibiting and how a clinical psychologist would treat them,” said Brian Ward, her co-host on the podcast. “One of her missions in life is to break down the stigmas about mental health and make mental health education more relatable for people.”
After she was portrayed as a character in the Batgirl comics, Letamendi said she realized her personal and professional lives could come together naturally, and there wasn’t a need to separate them anymore.
“I personally was jumping out of my chair,” Letamendi said. “I was so excited … that there was accurate representation of a mental health professional and a positive representation of someone receiving mental health treatment.”
When she gives presentations and professional conferences for Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services, the nonprofit mental health agency where she works, Letamendi now uses science fiction culture references to make her material more relatable.
“I bring those fictional worlds into my message,” she said. “Whether they’re scientists or children, these stories usually resonate.”
Letamendi uses role-playing as fictional characters to create a safe environment in which she can discuss threatening topics such as bullying.
“I think it makes it very interesting and more meaningful to the participants,” said Emily McGrath, vice president of clinical training at Hathaway-Sycamores. “It’s very unique and creative, and makes her one of our favorite trainers that we have.”
In her TEDxUCLA talk, Letamendi plans to discuss the insecurity and self-doubt she struggled with regarding her passion for superheroes.
“I want (the audience) to consider their own masks,” Letamendi said. “If they were bold enough to break through the masks, what potential would they discover from that?”