Inside Out and Emotional Awareness: A Therapist’s Perspective

By Chelsea Fielder-Jenks, LPC-S, CEDS-C, PMH-C

Like many families, our family spent part of the 4th of July weekend going to see the wildly popular animated film, Inside Out 2, a follow-up to the first film, Inside Out (Pixar, 2015). If you’re not familiar with the film series, it explores the complex world of emotions through the experiences of a young girl named Riley, who is guided by her internal emotions: Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust.

Note: If you haven't seen the films yet, there are some “spoilers” here—if that is a concern for you, you may want to revisit this blog after viewing them.

Inside Out

Pixar released Inside Out in 2015 to critical acclaim. The movie follows the experiences of Riley, an 11-year-old navigating a move from the Midwest to San Francisco, and her emotional journey through personified Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust. The film vividly depicts how these emotions influence her decisions, memories, and overall well-being, showcasing the complexity of emotional development in childhood. Through Joy's pursuit of happiness and Sadness's unexpected contributions, the movie underscores the importance of embracing all emotions for personal growth and resilience. Riley's evolving emotional maturity, culminating in clear communication with her parents, enhances her well-being and prepares her for adolescence, symbolized by the introduction of a new, advanced control panel explored by her emotions.

To ensure they translated complex psychological issues accurately and clearly, especially when it came to depicting emotions realistically—what they look like and the purpose they serve—the film’s director turned to two of the leading minds in the study of emotions, Paul Ekman and Dacher Keltner, who acted as consultants on the first film. For Inside Out 2, clinical psychologist Lisa Damour joined as a consultant to bring an even deeper understanding of the adolescent emotional experience.

Many parents found Inside Out to be a meaningful film that helped their children understand the common human experience of emotions and their important roles. The movie quickly became a go-to educational tool for educators and therapists looking to engage the children they worked with while nurturing their emotional development.

Inside Out 2

Image Credit: Unknown

In Inside Out 2 (Pixar, 2024), Riley is 13 and settled in her new city. She has best friends, enjoys academics, and is thriving on the hockey team. But when puberty hits, and her friends tell her they won't be going to the same high school next year, things begin to change. Puberty brings along more complex thoughts and emotions for Riley, with four new emotions — Envy, Embarrassment, Ennui, and Anxiety — appearing all at once, leading to significant changes in her emotional landscape. Through this emotional roller coaster, the film artfully captures how anxiety and other emotions interact and affect a young person's thoughts, behavior, and sense of self. Ultimately, the film explores how Riley's relationships, self-perception, and emotional regulation evolve as she grows older.

As a therapist specializing in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), I find that both films accurately depict how our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are connected and how they influence one another. CBT focuses on identifying and challenging negative thought patterns and behaviors to create positive changes in emotions and actions. DBT, on the other hand, emphasizes the development of mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness skills.

A psychoeducational tool

In my work with children, teens, and parents, I’ve incorporated watching Inside Out as either “homework” or as part of Healgood’s group programming. Over the years, I’ve found discussion, reflection, and even creative expression exercises related to the movie’s themes incredibly useful as psychoeducational and therapeutic tools to explore and build insight into one’s own emotional experiences and how their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors impact their well-being and shape their lived experiences.

After seeing Inside Out 2, it’s likely that I’ll begin incorporating it as an interactive therapeutic and psychoeducational tool as well. To support this exploration, I created this FREE guide, “Inside Out - Films 1 and 2: Movie Discussion and Exploration Guide for Socioemotional Learning.” The guide expands on the deeper meanings and psychoeducational lessons that I’ve found beneficial as a Therapist.

Designed to be a guide for parents, therapists, and educators to use with children and teens - it’s available now for download, for FREE! It includes:

• Movie Summaries: Recaps of both films to refresh your memory or introduce new viewers to Riley's journey.

• Key Themes & Symbolism: Insights into the deeper meanings and psychoeducational lessons depicted in the movies.

• Discussion Questions: Thought-provoking questions to spark meaningful conversations about emotions, decisions, and personal growth.

• Reflection Questions: Encourages self-exploration and connection to the characters' experiences.

• Exploration Exercises: Activities that promote understanding and application of socioemotional concepts.

• Expressive Exercises: Fun, creative ways to express and explore emotions.

• Fun Tips & Facts: Interesting tidbits about the films to keep learners engaged and entertained.

I hope you find it a meaningful tool to better understand and navigate the emotional landscapes of our lives, fostering greater emotional intelligence and resilience in ourselves and our children.

Best,

Chelsea

References and Resources:

1. Barber, R. (Host). (2024, June 19). What 'Inside Out 2' got right about anxiety, per a psychologist [Audio podcast transcript]. In Short Wave. NPR. Retrieved July 5, 2024, from https://www.npr.org/2024/06/19/1198910281/inside-out-2-pixar-anxiety-puberty-psychology

2. Deehan, T. (2020, September 25). Inside Out: Pint-sized neuroscience. Seisma Magazine. Retrieved July 5, 2024, from https://seismamag.com/science-faction/inside-out-retrospective-pint-sized-neuroscience

3. Docter, P. H., & Del Carmen, R. (Directors). (2015). Inside Out [Film]. Walt Disney Pictures; Pixar Animation Studios.

4. Inside Out Wiki. (n.d.). Retrieved July 5, 2024, from https://insideout.fandom.com/wiki/Inside_Out_Wiki

5. Judd, W. (2015, July 8). A conversation with the psychologist behind 'Inside Out'. Pacific Standard Magazine. Retrieved July 5, 2024, from https://psmag.com/social-justice/a-conversation-with-psychologist-behind-inside-out

6. Keltner, D., & Ekman, P. (2015, July 3). The science of 'Inside Out'. The New York Times. Retrieved July 5, 2024, from https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/05/opinion/sunday/the-science-of-inside-out.html

7. Mann, K. (Director). (2024). Inside Out 2 [Film]. Walt Disney Pictures; Pixar Animation Studios.

8. Pixar. (n.d.). Inside Out. Retrieved July 5, 2024, from https://www.pixar.com/feature-films/inside-out

9. Pixar. (n.d.). Inside Out 2. Retrieved July 5, 2024, from https://www.pixar.com/inside-out-2