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Characters On The Couch

How a psychologist thinks about your favorite Film & TV characters.

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Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

The Father Dementia and The Fight To Hold Onto Who He Was

THE FATHER
Dementia & The Fight To Hold On To Who He Was

April 19, 2021 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

The brilliance, and terror, of Florian Zeller’s The Father, is that we’re living inside the mind of an aging man losing his identity to Dementia. To watch it from the outside is bad enough. I know. I was that daughter too. But to be the one losing his grip on who he was is truly …

Read moreTHE FATHER
Dementia & The Fight To Hold On To Who He Was

TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7
How Do You Not Be Stopped From Speaking Out?

April 14, 2021 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

The horror of Bobby Seale’s gagging by Judge Julius Hoffman in Aaron Sorkin’s timely film, The Trial of the Chicago 7 is an image of what Black Lives Matter is fighting against. It’s an image of how being silenced provokes rage. The history and trial speak for themselves. But, as a psychoanalyst, I can talk …

Read moreTRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7
How Do You Not Be Stopped From Speaking Out?
MANK: What Makes a Talented Man Drink Himself to Death?

MANK
What Makes a Talented Man Drink Himself to Death?

March 25, 2021 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

Herman Mankiewicz was a tragic figure – in 1940’s Hollywood and in David Fincher’s film, Mank. Sure, Mank stood up for what was right and against what was wrong at MGM and in the political world of the times. He had his principles, expressed too often in self-destructive ways. He was equally hurtful towards those who loved him. In …

Read moreMANK
What Makes a Talented Man Drink Himself to Death?
Lessons From ‘The Mandalorian’: When Childhood Attachments Go Wrong, Is Feeling Nothing, ‘The Way?’

Lessons From ‘The Mandalorian’
Childhood Attachments Go Wrong
Is Feeling Nothing, ‘The Way?’

March 15, 2021 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

When attachments go wrong in early life, you have to toughen up. But is feeling nothing “The Way?” If you thought it was, what does it take to break free and allow love? This was the question for Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars and it’s the question for Mando, The Mandalorian, who also lost his beloved parents …

Read moreLessons From ‘The Mandalorian’
Childhood Attachments Go Wrong
Is Feeling Nothing, ‘The Way?’

SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
Think Hope Is Dangerous?
Think Again
7 Reasons to Watch This Film

January 20, 2021 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

Dr. Sandra Cohen, Beverly Hills psychoanalyst, writes about Shawshank Redemption, a film to watch during COVID-19, hope, & holding on to who you are & were.

Read moreSHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
Think Hope Is Dangerous?
Think Again
7 Reasons to Watch This Film
‘The Queen’s Gambit’ — This Is How Traumatized Children Survive

‘THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT’
How Traumatized Children Survive

January 12, 2021 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

The Queen’s Gambit is a tale of chess and childhood tragedy. This riveting series shows us clearly that when traumatized children try to survive adulthood, they may have questionable ways of coping. But there’s a big difference in how these children survive and the ways that actually help them. It’s important to know that difference. …

Read more‘THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT’
How Traumatized Children Survive
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Inspiration

“We come to Film and TV to find our hidden stories. If we look deeply into a character’s psyche, there is much to see about ourselves.”

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SOUND OF METAL How Silence Stops A Man From Running

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