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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by holymama on May 29, 2006, at 7:41:01
I need some ideas for a counseling class.
What are peoples' favorite books or films about the therapist/client relationship??
I am looking for fiction, but the story can be either realistic or not.
~Autumn~
Posted by Nina78 on May 29, 2006, at 10:30:38
In reply to Good fiction books/films about therapy??, posted by holymama on May 29, 2006, at 7:41:01
"Analyse This" with Robert de Niro! Not very realistic, but funny...
Posted by Jost on May 29, 2006, at 10:36:35
In reply to Good fiction books/films about therapy??, posted by holymama on May 29, 2006, at 7:41:01
I remember one from ages ago called "August"--I think. It came out in August one year and was a big hit among people whose therapists were away for the month.
A little pot=boiler ish, but not bad.
There's also an old-old one called "I never promised you a rose garden" which is suppposedly based on work done in an exclusive MD clinic whose name I forget at the moment.
Jost
Jost
Posted by rubenstein on May 29, 2006, at 10:47:53
In reply to Good fiction books/films about therapy??, posted by holymama on May 29, 2006, at 7:41:01
>I know it is totally inappopriate but What about Bob? makes me laugh every time. Good Will Hunting..not realistic but good none-the-less.
rachel
I need some ideas for a counseling class.
>
> What are peoples' favorite books or films about the therapist/client relationship??
>
> I am looking for fiction, but the story can be either realistic or not.
>
> ~Autumn~
Posted by ElaineM on May 29, 2006, at 11:59:32
In reply to Good fiction books/films about therapy??, posted by holymama on May 29, 2006, at 7:41:01
"Mr. Jones" with Richard Gere is a take on manic depression and doctor/patient romance (dual relationship/boundary violations). Not the most realistic.
I absolutely love "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden". I've read it a ton of times. It's about using a strong relationship with T to fight schizophrenia. It scares me to read through her psychotic breaks though.And "Ordinary People" was really good. I know that therapists love it for that one transference scene.
I also read "The Mockingbird Years: A life in and out of therapy". Another dual relationship. More like an enmeshment. It makes you question if the desire to be with a T eclipses the quest to get "well".
"Prozac Nation" was a good book. Though the movie sort of sucked. (read the bood instead)
-Elaine
Posted by pseudoname on May 29, 2006, at 14:45:17
In reply to Re:Good fiction books/films about therapy??, posted by ElaineM on May 29, 2006, at 11:59:32
A couple others about the therapist-cilent relationship. They're all available at Netflix. (I started to list a bunch of related movies I love like "High Anxiety", but they're not really about that relationship.)
"Madness of King George" (1994) goes into some serious control issues between Nigel Hawthorne, a king who is losing power in many ways, and Ian Holm, his Enlightment-era therapist who restricts and humiliates him “for his own good”. I really liked its outcome, too.
"Mumford" (1999) is about a therapist (dreamy Loren Dean) and his assorted patients. The relationship issue is key to the movie, because the T is not as he seems, but maybe that's okay? Does he actually “betray” his clients if they end up better?
"They Might Be Giants" (1971), with George C Scott as a modern-day New Yorker who thinks he's Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson (Joanne Woodward) is his real psychiatrist. She really has a lot of time to spend with him.
Posted by holymama on May 29, 2006, at 16:50:14
In reply to T / client flicks, posted by pseudoname on May 29, 2006, at 14:45:17
Thank you all for the great ideas. :)
"Antwone Fisher" is a great abusive childhood, healing T relationship movie. I definitely cried a lot through that one.
~Autumn~
Posted by Jost on May 29, 2006, at 23:19:58
In reply to Re: Good fiction books/films about therapy??, posted by Nina78 on May 29, 2006, at 10:30:38
Woody Allen frequently talks about therapy in his films. Some of them also involve therapists, although I don't know the names.
I always thought that Goundhog Day was about therapy in a roundabout way, because this guy is stuck repeating the past until he learns how to love someone. But there's lot more to it, and that's subtext--not text. Plus he doesn't have a therapist, per see--
Jost
Posted by pseudoname on May 30, 2006, at 6:05:43
In reply to Re: Good fiction books/films about therapy??, posted by Jost on May 29, 2006, at 23:19:58
> I always thought that Goundhog Day was about therapy in a roundabout way,
Hi, Jost.
I know what you mean. I keep a list of all the movies I've ever seen since 1987. I was looking over that list when I replied to holymama. It was amazing how many movies seemed to be about therapy in a roundabout way.
I would look at a title and think, "That's about therapy" and then realize, "Oh, wait, no; it's just about personal growth; there's no therapist in it". Funny.
Posted by B2chica on May 30, 2006, at 9:48:59
In reply to Good fiction books/films about therapy??, posted by holymama on May 29, 2006, at 7:41:01
Posted by fairywings on May 30, 2006, at 13:47:46
In reply to Re: Good fiction books/films about therapy??, posted by Jost on May 29, 2006, at 23:19:58
My favorite movie right now is "Anger Management (" with Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson.
My T said his favorite movie is Groundhog Day. Another one he mentioned is really old (1967)...."King of Hearts". Rented it, and it was really funny.
Good topic, I've put everything listed on my "to do" list for summertime fun. Thanks!
fw
Posted by Declan on May 30, 2006, at 14:34:42
In reply to Re: Good fiction books/films about therapy??, posted by rubenstein on May 29, 2006, at 10:47:53
The links won't work, but....
"Life and Death" by Lily Pincus
"Autism and Childhood Psychosis" by Frances Tustin
And "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden"
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