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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

Amy How A Psychoanalyst Looks At Her Freudian Fate & Bulimia

AMY
How A Psychoanalyst Looks At
Her “Freudian Fate” & Bulimia

August 2, 2015 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

Asif Kapadia’s deeply truthful, Amy, makes something very clear. Although Amy Winehouse predicted fame would “drive her mad,” it was more her psychological troubles that set her on a fatal downward spiral. The lyrics to What Is It About Men – “my Freudian fate. History repeats itself. It fails to die,” only touch the surface …

Read moreAMY
How A Psychoanalyst Looks At
Her “Freudian Fate” & Bulimia
Stage Fright If You're Terrified To Perform There's An Answer

STAGE FRIGHT
If You’re Terrified To Perform
There’s An Answer

July 30, 2015 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

Joan Acocella’s comprehensive New Yorker piece (August 3, 2015) “I Can’t Go On!” concludes: “There seems to be no cure for stage fright.” That’s not true. For stage fright to be cured or at the very least tolerably minimized, a deeply personal understanding must be found for each person’s fears. I’m a psychoanalyst who treats …

Read moreSTAGE FRIGHT
If You’re Terrified To Perform
There’s An Answer
Amy Winehouse Finding the Real Amy

AMY
Finding The Real Amy Winehouse

July 28, 2015 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

Amy Winehouse tragically became the brunt of cruel jokes by comics the likes of Jay Leno. Every symptom of her psychological suffering was up for grabs: her bulimia, drug addiction, and her state of mind: “She’s like a mad person.” It’s not that simple. Amy, the sensitive, sad, and revealing documentary by Asif Kapadia, sets …

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Finding The Real Amy Winehouse
The Irrational Man If I'd been a script Therapist for Abe Lucas

THE IRRATIONAL MAN
If I’d Been The Script Therapist
For Abe Lucas

July 26, 2015 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

Woody Allen’s new film, The Irrational Man, gives us a troubled philosophy professor, Abe Lucas (Joaquin Phoenix), in an existential crisis. Although Abe is an expert in Existentialism, he can’t live its system of belief. He’d have to find meaning in his life and live it to its fullest, in spite of its limits (or …

Read moreTHE IRRATIONAL MAN
If I’d Been The Script Therapist
For Abe Lucas
Camus's Sisyphus Versus Woody Allen's Irrational Man

CAMUS’S SISYPHUS
Versus WOODY ALLEN’S
IRRATIONAL MAN

July 24, 2015 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

Albert Camus, best known for his masterpiece novel The Stranger, wrote an entire book (believe it or not) on The Myth Of Sisyphus. Camus’s point is that Sisyphus is happy because he’s accepted his life. This is exactly what Woody Allen’s existential philosophy professor in The Irrational Man can’t find a way to do. He …

Read moreCAMUS’S SISYPHUS
Versus WOODY ALLEN’S
IRRATIONAL MAN
Trainwreck What Makes A Commitment Phobic Run?

TRAINWRECK
What Makes Amy Run?

July 21, 2015 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

How is a little girl destined to live her life when her father gives her this reason for leaving her Mom: “Monogamy isn’t realistic … What if that’s the only doll you’ll ever get to play with your whole life? You wouldn’t want just one doll, would you? That’s why Mom and I are getting …

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What Makes Amy Run?
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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.”

Recent Posts

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