Art often imitates life, and people like to see believable, realistic situations on screen more often than not. With over 41 million American adults receiving some kind of professional mental health treatment, it should come as no surprise that many filmmakers include portrayals of therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists in their movies.
Over the years, these professionals have been portrayed in hundreds of films and in a variety of ways. Let’s look at a few of the top films featuring these portrayals, who got it “right,” and if they’re always as accurate as they might seem.
Types of Therapy
One of the biggest issues with therapy on film is that it often stereotypes the process. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about a famous “therapy” scene from a movie? For many people, it’s a patient laying on a leather couch and a therapist with a clipboard nearby. Or, you might imagine a doctor and patient sitting at a table as they converse. This was portrayed in the 1980 classic Ordinary People and is a fairly accurate portrayal of how a patient and professional might interact.
However, what many movies fail to portray are the different types of therapy someone can benefit from. Most show different sides of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) because it’s what works on screen. However, other types of therapy, including narrative, exposure, and acceptance and commitment, are either overlooked or somehow woven into more traditional talk therapy methods.
Are Mental Health Professionals Portrayed Accurately?
It’s often fairly obvious which films are going for accuracy and which films aren’t. However, even in the most well-acted movies, mistakes can happen. For example, 1991’s The Prince of Tides was a box office hit and a major Oscar contender. While Barbara Streisand’s portrayal of a dedicated psychiatrist was certainly believable, she oversteps her boundaries as a professional by falling in love with her patient’s brother. It makes for a great story, but it would be a highly unethical practice in the real world.
A more realistic portrayal of an effective patient-therapist relationship can be found in 2003’s Antwon Fisher. Some might consider the film a coming-of-age story for a young Air Force cadet filled with rage and anger issues. Denzel Washington plays his clinician. One of the best things Washington’s character does in the film is to help Fisher get to the root cause(s) of his issues. He encourages him to dig through his past and his childhood abuse and trauma to overcome the struggles he’s dealing with in the present.
Then, of course, there are movies that feature mental health practices but are meant to either be satirical or funny. Some of the most notable films that fall under that category include:
- Anger Management
- Hope Springs
- Charlie Bartlett
- What About Bob?
- Analyze This
These movies should be viewed with the right filter in mind. That isn’t to say they don’t have some valuable lessons to offer. However, when filmmakers get therapy “wrong,” it could end up impacting the way you see these professionals or even how seriously you take your own mental well-being.
The next time you see a movie featuring a therapy scene or one centered around mental health, pay close attention to the techniques and behaviors. It’s interesting to see how Hollywood portrays this profession and whether or not those portrayals are truly imitating reality.