Disney’s ‘Inside Out 2’: Exploring Therapy Through Animated Family-Friendly Film

Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” has been a massive success since its release last month, breaking records in the global box office and becoming the highest-grossing film of 2024. The family-friendly movie has sparked discussions about emotions and coping mechanisms as children navigate growing up.

Licensed therapist Trey Tucker of Rugged Counseling spoke with KXAN about the interest in therapy that the movie has generated. Tucker explained that the film is based on a therapy concept known as “internal family systems.” In this approach, each individual has different internal “parts” or characters that play different roles, just like in a family.

He noted how the movie portrays how these internal parts interact and sometimes conflict with each other while trying to help. While each part is well-intentioned, their methods can sometimes be harmful. Tucker was impressed by how the producers managed to explain these complex emotional concepts in a way that children could understand.

For more insights from Tucker about the therapeutic aspects of “Inside Out 2,” you can watch the Q&A interview in the video player at the top of this page.