“In Treatment”—and Byrne—is back
Last year I wrote about the HBO show “In Treatment”, featuring fictional therapist Dr. Paul Weston, his sessions with patients, his private life, and the hours he spends talking to a supervisor/therapist of his own.
It’s not for everyone, that’s for sure. But I’m fascinated by it. I even ordered a two-month HBO subscription this year solely in order to tape and watch the show.
It’s overly dramatic, of course. And every now and then I find myself yelling at my TV set, shouting to Paul “No, don’t do that!” or “That’s unethical: WRONG!”
But despite its many flaws, the program is the most consistently true-to-life portrayal of therapeutic sessions and their complexities that I’ve yet seen in TV or film. It has the added attraction of an “Upstairs Downstairs” quality—first you see Paul as the often (although certainly not always) patient and neutral therapist, and then you go behind the scenes and see the shambles of his private life and the rage he expresses in his sessions with his own therapist/supervisor.
No, not all (or even most) therapists have lives that are that messy. But some do. This is, of course, a work of fiction and drama, and as such it delivers the goods—that is, if your idea of drama leans towards the cerebral, emotional, and internal.
The series would be nothing much, however, without the super-fine acting of its principals. Gabriel Byrne (aka Gabriel Séamas é“ Broin), who play Paul, is an extraordinary actor who makes the character completely believable in all his guises and emotional swings. And it doesn’t hurt that Byrne has a hauntingly brooding (although Wiki says he hates having that word applied to him) face.
Here’s Byrne in full brood:
I brooded once.
My mom told me to cut it out.
Never again!
And then, many years later, I became a psychiatrist…
It’s a line of work that can lead to dark thoughts on occasion, a tendency toward a grave and relentless inwardness, soul searching, an affinity for asking oneself the hard questions (and giving oneself a failing grade, for the most part)…
But brooding is not permitted!
My favorite TV psychiatrist is still Dr. Melfi.
Jamie Irons
He does lots of brooding in the movie “Stigmata” too. Hes really a very good actor.
Yes, a very good actor and somewhat unappreciated I think.
Haven’t seen the show. I wonder, do they get to the heart of the matter? Or is it just a lot of angst? Given it’s liberal HBO, I suspect the latter.
For therapy to have any use, the patient has to be willing to look honestly at themselves and their life.
They have to want to get better and be willing to do whatever amount of work necessary to achieve that goal.
Once we’ve identified the reasons why we have our demons, it’s time to just “play the cards’ we’ve been dealt by life to the best degree we can. Anything else is whining and an excuse not to get on with our lives.
And making excuses is always about the secondary reward(s) within the self-defeating behavior, ‘compensations’ that we refuse to do without.
To paraphrase; only the patient (physician) can heal thyself.
Just hours ago I had a conversation with a patient about this show (I work as a mental health counselor). Synchronicity is afoot!
We have seen just a few episodes but are preparing to re-watch them now that several episodes are on order from Netflix. I agree that he is compelling. Reports from friends, colleagues, and occasionally, patients, are varied about Dr. Weston. Some find him a liar, others a creep, and some “just totally messed up.” I think that goes to show what a good actor Mr. Byrne is. I do agree with Jamie Irons above, that Dr. Melfi is a favorite. She has “shown up” in consult groups several times!
BTW, thank you Ms. NeoNeocon for your fantastic writing.
Geoffrey, you are absolutely correct, but strangely, that is a point one can see only in retrospect. Looking back, we can say “the key was to just play the cards dealt and leave the rest behind.” Suring the crisis, that is somehow not understandable, even if someone tells us directly. Becoming able to see the obvious is sometimes very hard. I don’t know why that is; it is the bane of therapists’ existence: how to get people to see the obvious.
He’s a great actor, but the topics on the serie, and… all talk talk talk, the problems… I can’t take it.
I too agree he is quite talented – sounds like a show I would enjoy. Geoff I agree but it does take time and clarification and lots of work and thought and talk to get to a point to be able to play the hand we are dealt.
“it is the bane of therapists’ existence: how to get people to see the obvious.”AVI
“it does take time and clarification and lots of work and thought and talk to get to a point to be able to play the hand we are dealt.” goesh
People who have difficulty ‘playing the cards’ life has dealt them are ones who see themselves as victims.
On a subconscious and fundamental level they do not see themselves as responsible for their own lives. They do not believe that they have control of the ‘rudder’ of their ‘ship of state’.
Typically, people begin to be fully aware of their issue’s in their mid-to-late 20’s. In their 30’s and 40’s is when most seek therapy having acknowledged that their internal resources are inadequate to personal resolution of their issues. Obviously, there are individual exceptions to the age in which self-awareness and therapy may take place.
But the realization of the reality, that they lack the internal resources to personally resolve their issues is the result of a childhood in which they failed to be inculcated with the belief that they are the ‘master of their fate’.
When a child grows up with the subconscious belief that they are a ‘rudderless’ ship, subject to the whim of a capricious and vacillating life’s wind, one that may blow their ship upon the ‘rocks’ of an uncaring reality…
Is it surprising that they come to the conclusion that they lack the internal resources to direct their lives in the direction they wish?
I lost my mother at an very early age. Of course that resulted in some mother issues. Any child who loses a parent will either conclude that they must have been responsible in some fashion or that they live in a world in which they are the victim of a cruel and uncaring reality.
The determining factor in which ‘explanation’ the child will choose to accept, is its predilection to choose whether the glass is half empty or half full.
Of course its both but a child lacks the developmental maturity to have fully integrated their personality, so they choose one or the other of the ‘explanations’.
I also was blessed with a wonderful father, one who inculcated in me an attitude that no matter what the circumstance, there was always a way to land on one’s feet. So I made the “I’m responsible” choice.
Once I came to understand these dynamics, it didn’t remove the loss of my mother. But it did remove the belief that I was somehow responsible for my loss.
I was then able to ‘play my cards’ because I see the glass as half full and believe that I can make the best use of whatever resources are available to me, for ultimately I am responsible for me and I am the master of my ship of state.
HA! I have been thinking of you Neo…….I started watching In Treatment a couple of weeks ago and am addicted! I’m completely sucked in by it…..I like Paul’s therapist/mentor Gina best…….I was able to see some of the 1st season episodes prior to the new season starting but wish they had more on Demand. I’m not a person who watches TV except for American Idol and 24 – that’s it…….. I have wondered whether you’ve seen it and what you thought about it……….thanks for posting on it.
village; I guess, as the saying goes, it’s hard to see the spot one’s standing on.