5 Myths about Therapy from the Movies
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Remember Dr. Leo Marvin, the egotistical psychiatrist in What About Bob?, who was more concerned with promoting his new book than in helping his clients? How about Lisa Kudrow’s self-absorbed Fiona Wallace in Web Therapy, who conceived of a new “modality” of therapy that replaces the traditional 50-minute session with 3-minute sessions delivered via Webcam? These characters were so obviously caricatures that no one would confuse them with their real-life counterparts. But even more subtle screen portrayals of therapists can be misleading, since they’re primarily designed to create compelling drama than to provide a realistic depiction of therapy.
Here are five of the most widespread myths often perpetuated about therapists on TV and in the movies:
- Myth #1: Therapists won’t keep your secrets or respect your privacy. Fictional film therapists are often portrayed as untrustworthy or indiscreet. For example, in Mad Men, Betty Draper’s psychiatrist called Don after each of her sessions to share the details of her disclosures.
In reality, therapists are ethically bound to maintain your confidentiality. They can’t share anything you say in a session without your permission. The sole exception to this rule is if someone is in imminent danger, as in the case of child or elder abuse. It’s only in extreme situations like these that the rules of confidentiality can be breached. In every other situation, your confidentiality and privacy are respected. Before you begin therapy, you’ll be asked to sign an intake document that clearly spells out the limits of confidentiality.
- Myth #2. Therapists are weird and wacky misfits who may be more screwed up than their clients. Hollywood loves to depict therapists as either pompous egotists like Dr. Marvin or as delusional incompetents like Arrested Development’s Tobias Funke, who harbored multiple phobias and suffered from a chronic lack of self-awareness.
In reality, therapists are highly educated professionals who must complete years of advanced training to secure licensure and credentialing in their areas of specialty. They typically hold either a doctorate or master’s degree in psychology or counseling and are required to take continuing education classes to upgrade their skills and stay abreast of the latest advances in the field. Therapists are also encouraged to undergo their own therapy to address any personal issues that might impact their work with clients.
- Myth #3. Your therapist will “cure” you or your loved one. It’s not surprising that this myth has prevailed through the years in film and TV. After all, who doesn’t want someone else to solve all their problems? In Good Will Hunting, for example, the therapist uncovers repressed traumatic memories that allow Will to experience a cathartic cure in which he instantaneously releases all of his emotional pain.
In reality, the role of the therapist is to help you find your own answers to your problems. Even therapists who take a more direct approach will offer guidance rather than advice, suggestions rather than answers. The cardinal rule in psychotherapy is that the client is in charge of his or her therapy, not the other way around.
- Myth #4. Your therapist may get intimately involved in your personal life. Many fictional therapists are shown taking phone calls from clients at all hours of the day or night. Others, such as the therapist in Analyze This, serve as their clients’ 24/7 on-call crisis managers.
In reality, therapists must maintain stringent therapeutic boundaries with their clients. Your therapist might respond to a crisis call if he or she deems this appropriate, but your interactions will primarily be limited to your scheduled visits. It’s important not to confuse a compassionate, caring and empathic therapeutic relationship with a friendship founded on intimacy and mutual self-disclosure.
- Myth #5. Therapists may become romantically or sexually involved with their clients. In The Prince of Tides, for example, a female psychotherapist is swept off her feet by a handsome patient and ultimately cures him with her love rather than her therapeutic skills. In the television program, In Treatment, the male therapist embarks on a romantic entanglement with a female client that destroys his marriage and leaves him alone and bereft.
In reality, such “dual relationships” are flat out unethical and provide sufficient cause for the therapist to lose his or her license. The code of ethics for both psychologist and counselors specifically prohibits them from engaging in a sexual relationship with a client while they’re in treatment and for a period of 3-5 years after the end of treatment.
Although Hollywood is becoming more nuanced in its depiction of mental illness, most movies
and TV shows still do a poor job of portraying the psychological intricacies and gradual process of change that are intrinsic to the therapeutic process. This makes sense, since their goal is to entertain rather than educate the audience. As long as you don’t allow the media version of psychotherapy to set your expectations, you’re likely to find the therapeutic experience satisfying, fulfilling and even life-changing.