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Characters On The Couch

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

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tv review

Mad Men Season 7 Episode 8 Don Draper's Dream The Mother He Lost

MAD MEN Season 7 Episode 8
Don Draper’s Dream &
The Mother He Lost

April 7, 2015 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

Mad Men Season 7, Episode 8, Severance, shows us just how much Don Draper needs therapy. Psychoanalysis would be even better, with his traumatic history, one he’s unconsciously living out. Don’s needed therapy for a long time. But, now, with Meagan gone, this loss repeats earlier losses. And, with Don finally opening up about the …

Read moreMAD MEN Season 7 Episode 8
Don Draper’s Dream &
The Mother He Lost
American Crime The Damages of Living Under Someone Else's Thumb

AMERICAN CRIME
The Damages Of Living
Under Someone Else’s Thumb

March 31, 2015 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

Living under someone else’s thumb is damaging to the spirit. We see that very clearly in the different ways the parents in American Crime try to control their kids. In my office, I see the effects of the shoulds. The “have to’s.” The chain of believing the only way to be loved is to please. …

Read moreAMERICAN CRIME
The Damages Of Living
Under Someone Else’s Thumb
American Crime Episode 3 The Lure of Sex & Drugs When Love's in Short Supply

AMERICAN CRIME Episode 3
The Lure Of Sex & Drugs
When Love’s In Short Supply

March 22, 2015 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

As secrets continue to unfold in American Crime Episode 3, drugs, sex, and complicated family histories are increasingly implicated in the crime against Matt and Gwen. Drugs and sex are not infrequently turned to as ‘answers’ to various kinds of desperate circumstances and pasts. Gwen turned to sex. Matt turned to drugs. Aubrey Taylor (Caitlin …

Read moreAMERICAN CRIME Episode 3
The Lure Of Sex & Drugs
When Love’s In Short Supply

UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT
5 Ways The Series Repeats
Kimmy’s Original Problems

March 19, 2015 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

SPOILER ALERT: You might not want to read this post until you’ve watched the entire series. It’s terribly difficult to write a comedy about something as traumatic as kidnapping, sexual exploitation, and brainwashing. Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (created by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock) tries to do just that. Does it work? Is there a …

Read moreUNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT
5 Ways The Series Repeats
Kimmy’s Original Problems
AMERICAN CRIME What Makes Barb The Racist She Is?

AMERICAN CRIME
What’s Made Barb The Racist She Is?

March 14, 2015 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

Racism is a symptom in American Crime – a troubling and destructive one, to be sure. But, like any symptom, it has its personal roots. As a psychoanalyst, my work is to find the roots of any symptom brought into my office. And, with the multi-storied American Crime unfolding each week, the roots of Matt’s …

Read moreAMERICAN CRIME
What’s Made Barb The Racist She Is?
THE UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT Is Optimism Easy or Hard

UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT
Is Optimism Easy Or Hard?

March 10, 2015 by Dr. Sandra E. Cohen

“Women are strong as hell.” This opening credits statement to Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is more than feminism. It’s a reminder of something that isn’t always easy to keep in mind. That is – knowing you’re strong when you feel as though your world’s just come to a screeching halt. When women (or men) begin therapy …

Read moreUNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT
Is Optimism Easy Or Hard?
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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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