Is Wendy Rhoades role a writer's conceit? Do you find it believable...
That she is this Jedi of the mind?
Is such a character believable?
She's not really a Jedi of the mind, just a trained psychologist. I recognised quite a few of her methods, tactics and stock phrases used by members of this profession in several episodes.
Although I've never studied psychology myself formally, I had a troubled childhood which led to my encountering quite a few of these shysters and I learned to play them at an early age.
For example, one question they invariably ask repeatedly is "What do you think?" - which Wendy used on at least two occasions in the show. My usual reply when a psychologist tries that one on is something along the lines of "If I knew what I thought I wouldn't be paying you $100 an hour to figure it out, would I?"
So to me she merely comes across as your fairly average bog-stock psychologist. She's certainly no Jedi.
Right, that's why I don't find it especially credible that she is this indispensable member of the organization
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But thats not the only thing she does. She really see throw people and guess there alternative motives and what drives them even though she has somewhat a blindspot when it goes to Axe and her own husband aswell.
I could agree what you said to your psychologist when he ask what your thinking. But the reason he does that is several, mostly you have to come to your own conclusion guided by him/her if he just says what he thinks it may not have any impact on you at all or the wrong kind of impact.
Psychologists are there to help one self reflect. Asking "why do you think?" is to get the client to consider the situation for themselves. They would also be asking other open-ended questions to solicit deeper thinking. Therapy is not about getting told the answers. No one likes being spoken at.
In saying that, Wendy's role is filled with ethical dilemmas and personal conflicts that it's not funny. IF she were truly professional she'd not be in that role. And in Episode 9 when Donnie confides in Wendy about wanting to die on the train tracks she later tells Bobby that she wants him to find Donnie fast but that she can't break client confidentiality. That is, again, not true. It's actually her responsibility to tell someone that Donnie is in danger.