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Characters On The Couch

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

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childhood trauma

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?’
‘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
Love Actually What Does It Take To Get Through Love's Obstacles & Keep Hope Alive

LOVE ACTUALLY
What Does It Take To
Get Through Love’s Obstacles
& Keep Hope Alive?

December 30, 2020 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

Richard Curtis’ 2003 film classic, Love Actually, is the ultimate Christmas ROM-COM. After all, the Christmas holiday-time is the season of love, romance, and family. But, what if you couldn’t be with family because of the pandemic? Or love isn’t working very well with the stresses of quarantine? Or maybe you’ve run into love’s inevitable …

Read moreLOVE ACTUALLY
What Does It Take To
Get Through Love’s Obstacles
& Keep Hope Alive?
The Manchurian Candidate (1962) How A Narcissistic Mother Takes Over & Destroys A Child's Soul

THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962)
A Narcissistic Mother Takes Over
& Destroys A Child’s Soul

September 23, 2020 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

A narcissistic mother uses her children. She controls them, starves them of love. In John Frankenheimer’s The Manchurian Candidate (1962), that’s Eleanor Shaw Iselin, Mother of lead character Raymond Shaw. Raymond is deeply convinced: “I’m not lovable.” No wonder he has enough hate to be brainwashed to kill. “Yes, Mother,” “Yes, Ma’am, and “Yes, Sir” govern …

Read moreTHE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962)
A Narcissistic Mother Takes Over
& Destroys A Child’s Soul
THE LAST TREE “I’m Sorry” Helps A Traumatized Child Find His Real Self Again

THE LAST TREE
“I’m Sorry” Helps A Boy
Find His Real Self Again

August 26, 2020 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

Children need secure love. Not broken promises. Or, betrayal. Especially not abuse. When that happens to you, you build hard walls around yourself. Shut down to love. Not believing it’s there. That’s Femi. Small boy, turned teenager in Shola Amoo’s powerful, semi-autobiographical, The Last Tree. And, when “going tough” means turning against needing anyone, that …

Read moreTHE LAST TREE
“I’m Sorry” Helps A Boy
Find His Real Self Again
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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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