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How a Psychologist Helps You Understand Trauma Through Film & tV Characters

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Welcome to Characters On The Couch, my Film & Television site, where I delve into character psychology. If you’re interested in psychology, film, or a combination of the two, I bring my insights into your favorite contemporary and classic characters. I hope to help you understand their deeper psychological motivations (and, maybe, even your own).

When you think about truly iconic films, do you wonder what gives them such staying power? Is it the time of your life when you watched them? Is it the costumes or images that seemed unforgettable? Did one or more characters align with your struggles or painful experiences? Did you feel along with them?  Or maybe, it’s simply that the film pulled at your heart and caused you to explore emotions in a new and profound way?

I say it’s all of the above. And, in the same way, when these meaningful elements are missing, a story becomes forgettable. I hope this site will encourage you to transform your story, personal or in writing, into magic by finding the human thread that links it and you to a universal experience.

Everything in life ties us back to complex emotions and the rhythm and language of feelings and psychology. I'll offer you that language of feeling in my blog as I write about the human struggles in each film.

DYING FOR SEX EPISODE 2 MASTURBATION IS IMPORTANT: What Does Molly Want?

Molly said, “No More.” She left Steve in Dying for Sex, Episode 1. That’s the first step. But – it doesn’t answer the question: “What does Molly want?” And, that’s one of the hardest questions for someone scared after sexual abuse and used to shutting down her needs. So, what does Molly want? She doesn’t…

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DYING FOR SEX EPISODE 1 “GOOD VALUE DIET SODA:” Value of Saying “No More”

Molly’s scared to feel. In Dying for Sex Episode 1, childhood sexual abuse is the reason. But there’s more than being numb to her feelings. She can’t say no or put herself first. Not quite yet. She puts herself aside, caters to the needs of others, is scared of her feelings, and is terrified to…

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INTRODUCTION TO DYING FOR SEX: Scared to Feel After Sexual Abuse

Dying for Sex is certainly about sex. Yet, sex isn’t the heart of it. Dying for Sex is about being scared to feel after sexual abuse and how one dying woman finds her voice. Yes, Molly is scared to feel. But feelings aren’t all she has blocked. Along with them, she’s lost access to knowing…

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