Characters on the Couch
Film & Television Blog
by Dr. Sandra Cohen
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…
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…
THE BRUTALIST: Severe Trauma & Complicated Guilt
Why do so many people who’ve suffered severe trauma live with complicated guilt? Guilt that has nothing to do with anything they’ve actually done? Or, like László Tóth in Brady Corbet’s 2025 The Brutalist – guilt about lesser things that is blown way out of proportion? This irrational guilt is because trauma involves unfair blame,…
