MovieChat Forums > Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life (2016) Discussion > Why do tv shows hate therapists?

Why do tv shows hate therapists?

posted 7 years ago by LeafOn_TheWind
7 replies | jump to latest

Seriously! I've noticed that a lot of shows have this habit of depicting therapists as incompetent, snobbish, or crazy themselves. "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" had Tina Fey playing an alcoholic, "Friends" had a nightmarish jerk who criticized the whole cast, "How I Met Your Mother" had a pretty likable psychiatrist character before blowing it to hell by having him point out the characters' awful codependency (which he was right about btw) and then apologize for it... etc etc.

And now we have this show whose therapist doesn't engage her patients at all during interviews... and then the next time we see her she's a quirky stage actor in Star's Hollow for some reason. What even?

[–] perfect_lover2012 7 years ago

I think therapy on tv shows mostly gets used as comedic relief rather than a method to acknowledge flaws and then make efforts to improve. It's really disappointing because Emily, Lorelai and Rory all need therapy but we got this half hearted attempt that was ultimately unsatisfying. Asp cared more about bringing the show full circle than progressing her own characters. We didn't get a resolution and the therapist went from useless to very annoying rather quickly. I also wanted to see Lorelai in therapy during season 6 once Rory left Yale so she could discuss her issues with her parents, romantic relationships and her codependent bond with Rory so she could make some lemonade out of a seemingly life altering situation. When these shows ruin the therapist, they make it easy to ignore advice that's correct or discount the need for therapy at all. It's a cheap way to keep the characters from growing.

"When life gives you lemons"
Jessica D: sleep with their fathers and have secret lemon children

[–] TxMike 7 years ago

"Therapists" are a very mixed lot. Unlike a medical doctor, where you can see if the treatment works, with therapy you never know. There are many therapists that are either incompetent or who work in an incompetent manner. So they are easy targets and much of it is appropriate.

..*.. TxMike ..*..

[–] jrobertfleming 7 years ago

Because a psychiatrist is nothing more than a priest with a prescription pad and only weaklings seeking to be led through their own inner experience by an arbitrary authority figure could possibly have any use for one.

A therapist is a psychiatrist with a two-year degree.

[–] LeafOn_TheWind 7 years ago

Maybe. But I know people who go to therapy and it works for them. Wasn't aware they were "weaklings" for it though. Never got the news that seeking out help was for weaklings. How ignorant of me.

[–] carolynabooth 7 years ago

It takes a lot of humility and strength to admit you need help and to open yourself up completely to a person who is a complete stranger to you.
In Australia it takes 6 years to be a registered clinical psychologist on the higher payscale, and they can't administer medication. To be a psychiatrist here, you would likely need to do more than those six years, since you can administer meds.

But therapist could really mean anything, and it is certainly a mixed bag. Im sure there's some great councillors and therapists out there, but you're more at risk at getting a shotty deal if you opt for someone that isn't registered with a regulatory body, so perhaps that's where some people get the whole "joke" thing from.

But, having had the pleasure of seeing many wonderful people go through the 6 years, I think psychologists are wonderful. (Obviously, there's still some dud ones, but they have to work very hard in this country to get through. It's highly competitive.)

[–] loonieloona 7 years ago

My guess would be that therapy is rarely useful on tv because it doesn't make for very good television. Someone who sees that they are struggling emotionally, seeks out help and learns to handle their problems in a thoughtful, balanced fashion is probably pretty boring to watch.

Conflict is at the core of drama.

[–] r-p8791 7 years ago

Lorelai obviously found the therapy useful as she kept on going even after her mother quit.

I see no reason why a therapist shouldn't also be a quirky amateur dramatist. There's nothing shameful in that.