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Characters On The Couch

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

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A Star Is Born Infant Trauma Can Ruin A Life

A STAR IS BORN
Repeating Notes of  Infant Trauma
Can Ruin A Life If Not Heard

February 18, 2019 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

Hanging himself wasn’t Jackson Maine’s fault. Nor was his drinking. Yes, his brother Bobby said to the heartbroken, Ally: “It was Jack; not you; not me; Jack and no one else.” But, that’s because he didn’t understand. And, really, Jackson had the right idea: “A song is only an octave. Twelve notes and it repeats. …

Read moreA STAR IS BORN
Repeating Notes of  Infant Trauma
Can Ruin A Life If Not Heard
Psychology of the Oscars Best Picture Nominees 2015

PSYCHOLOGY OF THE OSCARS
Best Picture Nominees 2015

February 23, 2015 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

Each time I watch a film, my psychoanalyst’s mind begins to construct the same kinds of understandings I might give to my patients. Here is a recap of my psychological thoughts on tonight’s Oscar Best Picture Nominees 2015 and a few other notable films. 2015 has been a great year for actors and directors at …

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Best Picture Nominees 2015
American Sniper Why Does A Soldier Go Back For More & More

AMERICAN SNIPER
What Makes A Soldier
Go Back For More … And More

February 17, 2015 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper tells the story of parental directives that live on long past childhood just as much it tells the horrors of war and its psychological costs. Chris Kyle can’t be a sheep and he certainly can’t be a wolf preying on the innocent. His dad would kill him for that. But, “finishing” …

Read moreAMERICAN SNIPER
What Makes A Soldier
Go Back For More … And More
American Hustle Poisonous Choices to Survive

AMERICAN HUSTLE
Do You Have to Make a Poisonous Choice to Survive?

July 31, 2014 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

David O. Russell’s American Hustle is a cinematic treatise on the complexities of survival. Irving Rosenfeld, Sydney Prosser (AKA Lady Edith Greensley), Richie DiMaso, and Rosalyn Rosenfeld are each, in their own uniquely perverse and destructive ways, just trying to survive. But, are they? If we remove ourselves from the intrigue of the hustle itself (based upon the …

Read moreAMERICAN HUSTLE
Do You Have to Make a Poisonous Choice to Survive?

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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