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Characters On The Couch

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

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The Girl in the Train What's in an Obsession?

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN
What’s In An Obsession?

August 11, 2015 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

Paula Hawkins’ New York Times bestselling novel, The Girl On The Train, gives us Rachel – a girl obsessed. There’s no question this novel is a mind-bending murder mystery par excellence. But, for me as a psychoanalyst, it poses a more interesting question. What’s behind Rachel’s obsession? Rachel Watson rides the train every day. She …

Read moreTHE GIRL ON THE TRAIN
What’s In An Obsession?
The End of The Tour

THE END OF THE TOUR
Jason Segel Gets Inside
Foster Wallace’s Quiet Torment

August 4, 2015 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

Depression is outwardly a quiet torment. Inside it’s an almost constant implosion of self-deprecating self-doubt. That’s what we witness in director James Ponsoldt’s The End of the Tour – wrapped around David Foster Wallace like his famous bandana. Woven all-too-frequently into the substance of his conversation with David Lipsky: the ravages of a cruelly oppressive …

Read moreTHE END OF THE TOUR
Jason Segel Gets Inside
Foster Wallace’s Quiet Torment
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?
Date Rape Loretta Young and Clark Gable

DATE RAPE
What Loretta Young & Clark Gable
Remind Us Of Now

July 16, 2015 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

Date rape is a confusing thing. You know the guy. Went out with him. Even consented to kiss him. Maybe even more. But, when it came right down to it, you said “No “and he didn’t listen. Is it your fault for having gone that far? It’s not. No is No. There’s no reason to …

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What Loretta Young & Clark Gable
Remind Us Of Now
Amy Schumer Not A Trainwreck A Woman's Self-Esteem Advocate

AMY SCHUMER
Not A Trainwreck
A Women’s Self-Esteem Advocate

July 13, 2015 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

Amy Schumer just might be the most vocal supporter and spokeswoman for twenty and thirty-something women. They all need her for their all-too-common struggles with self-esteem, body image, sexuality, and doubts about their lovability. We all do at whatever age. Thankfully, Amy likes “tackling the stuff nobody else talks about, like the darkest, most serious …

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Not A Trainwreck
A Women’s Self-Esteem Advocate
Love & Mercy 4 Signs of a Bad Therapist & How you could get hooked

LOVE AND MERCY
4 Signs Of A Bad Therapist
& How You Could Get Hooked

July 9, 2015 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

Take a musical genius and sensitive boy. Say that boy hears musical notes and whole ensembles in his head. Add a jealous and demeaning father. What’s the result? Critical voices in that boy’s head fighting with the songs and the self that are trying to come alive. Mix in drugs and alcohol to shut those …

Read moreLOVE AND MERCY
4 Signs Of A Bad Therapist
& How You Could Get Hooked
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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

The Power of the Dog Why Phil Burbank’s Cruelty is About What He Hates in Himself
SOUND OF METAL How Silence Stops A Man From Running
The Father Dementia and The Fight To Hold Onto Who He Was

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