Traumatized by witnessing the death of his father and internalizing the event as his own fault, Simba’s fight or flight instinct is triggered and he slips into survival brain. This doesn’t mean Mufasa failed as a parent or father, in fact, those healthy parenting efforts would likely lessen the chance of severe symptoms and ultimately set Simba up for success in battling his trauma… and Scar. However, Simba witnesses the death of his father AND gets convinced it was his fault which creates a true trauma reaction. He teaches responsibility, philosophy, respect… all the healthy stuff. Mufasa sets healthy boundaries (as seen in the rules of the elephant graveyard) and even reinforces them without shaming his child. Mufasa checks all the boxes for good parenting. The movie ends as the circle of life continues with a newborn cub presented to the assembled animals around Pride Rock. With the help of his friends, Simba fights off hyenas, confronts Scar, and ultimately throws him off a cliff. After Simba chats with the spirit of his father in dramatic scene boomed by James Earl Jones, Simba realizes his purpose. Simba’s childhood friend, Nala, pops up and tries to get him to return home to take his rightful position as king of the Pride Lands. He then comes to age during a brief montage. Simba (now traumatized by the death of his father) makes a new life with new friends, Timon and Pumbaa under the motto "hakuna matata" (literally meaning “no trouble" in Swahili). He then convinces Simba the tragedy was his own fault and gets him to run away. Then, in the shared trauma of every 90’s child, Scar, Simba’s uncle and master gaslighter, kills Mufasa (in slow-mo). ![]() He enjoys his childhood and sings a bunch. Simba is prince of the lions and looks up to his dad, Mufasa. Here’s a quick spoiler-ridden synopsis of the movie: Whether you preferred the new Beyoncé enriched version, or the pure 94 version, it turns out The Lion King is a perfect representation of the trauma process and its treatment. If you were a 90’s kid, like myself, you likely enjoyed the re-release of the new Lion King in July. ![]() There’s just so much psychology going on! ![]() When you work in mental health, it can be difficult to just watch a movie.
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