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So far I am loving this show... I have no psych degree yet, still a couple years off, but I am asking the professionals that are posting here, is this so far a very realistic portrayal of therapy, albeit condensed into a less-than-30-minute drama?
I think that tonight's episode showed that even a very accomplished and capable therapist can be angry, confused, and in denial, just as much as his or patients are....in one way that comforts me, to the extent that I feel better knowing I do not have to be a "perfect" human being to be a good therapist. But on the other hand, if I am at least as f*cked up as my patients are, of what service can I be to them?
I'm very interested to see how the show progresses.
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Posts:
2,534
Registered:
1/30/08
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(7 of 7)
Re: How realistic so far?
Feb 9, 2008 6:24 PM
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Interesting viewpoint..
I was once ordered by an employer to see a mental health professional. At question was my "fitness for duty". One of my "sins" was refusing to follow a doctor's order that would have harmed the patient...insubordination...
I had to take that long MMPI test and sit thru a very interesting face-to-face, in-my-face session with the therapist. He reminded me of Alex - arrogant and always right.
And yes, he was very careful to tell me that I was not his patient, he was not treating me, just doing eval.
What a hoot! I went back to work without incident - obviously they couldn't find anything "wrong" with me!
Makes me wish I would've answered some of the questions differently - maybe then I could be a patient on IN TREATMENT!
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2
Registered:
2/8/08
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(6 of 7)
Re: How realistic so far?
Feb 8, 2008 2:57 PM
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One of the more realistic concetps that I have seen so far is the insurance company requesting an evaluation of the young lady, I forget her name. I have done this in my practice and it is extremely lucrative. However, the idea that they would send someone becuase they suspect intentional harm is highly unlikely. Instead, I have done evaluations to determine damages for the plaintif (person involved) or pre-existing condition for the defendant (insurance company). What paul is doing though is bordering if not already playing a dual role. His job is to evaluate, not treat. As the fee's are the insurance companies burden. In real life this could get him into trouble ethically, legally, and contiminate any recomendations made. If pulled to trial he would be forced to disclose information that could be very harmful to this young woman.
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12
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6/11/07
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(5 of 7)
Re: How realistic so far?
Feb 7, 2008 12:03 PM
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Having been in therapy with four different professionals over many years, I think that Gabriel Byrne hits the mark dead center in his portrayal of Paul.
One of the things that my Therapists did that made me crazy was ask "How does that make you feel?" It may be cliche, but it is the most basic of opened ended questions designed to elicit a response and start "peeling away another layer of the onion" in an effort to get at the root cause of why you are "In Treatment".
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2
Registered:
2/3/08
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(4 of 7)
Re: How realistic so far?
Feb 6, 2008 10:52 PM
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One real truth is that our perspective as a third party means it's a totally unrealistic portreayal of therapy. Most likley, the patient would hardly be aware of the therapist and make no effort to imagine him outside of their individual appointment slot. In this case, we make no effort to follow the patients beyond their time slots. My take is here: http://stonersmanual.blogspot.com/2008/02/in-therapy-week-2-jake-and-amy.html
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337
Registered:
1/17/08
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(3 of 7)
Re: How realistic so far?
Feb 4, 2008 11:46 PM
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> So far I am loving this show... I have no psych
> I'm very interested to see how the show progresses.
Ditto on both counts. When I saw the first episode, I wasn't so sure I was going to keep watching but I decided I would watch the whole first week at least. By week's end I was hooked. One thing I'm noticing about Paul's patients is they all seem to be very bossy and have very strong opinions on what they think his opinions should be. Very interesting show!
--
Tim
HBO Forums Host
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Posts:
12
Registered:
1/31/08
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(2 of 7)
Re: How realistic so far?
Feb 2, 2008 11:34 AM
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Take a look at the thread on Paul being a good therapist to get some input on that.
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Posts:
2
Registered:
2/2/08
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(1 of 7)
Feb 2, 2008 12:53 AM
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So far I am loving this show... I have no psych degree yet, still a couple years off, but I am asking the professionals that are posting here, is this so far a very realistic portrayal of therapy, albeit condensed into a less-than-30-minute drama?
I think that tonight's episode showed that even a very accomplished and capable therapist can be angry, confused, and in denial, just as much as his or patients are....in one way that comforts me, to the extent that I feel better knowing I do not have to be a "perfect" human being to be a good therapist. But on the other hand, if I am at least as f*cked up as my patients are, of what service can I be to them?
I'm very interested to see how the show progresses.
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