I recently had a chance to watch an episode of HBO's new series "In Treatment" in one of my psychology courses. This show is a series about doing psychotherapy and being in psychotherapy. Each episode is 30 minutes long, and one of five patients is featured each day of the week. On Monday we are viewing Laura's therapy, on Tuesday, it's Alex, on Wednesday we sit in with Sophie, on Thursday it's a married couple, Jake and Amy, and on Friday we view the therapy sessions of our intrepid therapist (Paul) himself.
As a student studying psychology, I view this show as more educational than entertaining (even though it is pretty entertaining). Because psychotherapy and counseling is a very confidential experience between a psychologist and a patient, it is difficult to get a first-hand look at what it actually entails. Psychology majors, for the most part, don't get the chance to see what a standard psychologist does in sessions, and what they may also be doing in just a few years. Although there is a lot of debate about the portrayal of psychotherapy in this show, I think it is a unique series that gives a lot of insight as to what a real-life psychologist actually faces.
Critics of this show believe that real-life psychotherapy is much more than what is aired on an entertaining HBO tv show. However, in my psychology course, my professor's intention for watching episodes in class is to pick up on the ethical dilemmas that Paul the therapist encounters. In the show, we see Paul cross many boundaries that make us pause and evaluate what we would do if we were sitting in front of the patient ourselves. In various sessions, Paul has vulnerable and damaged patients that make the process of psychotherapy even more difficult than it is normally. This is a very realistic portrayal of the clients we students may have in our own careers as psychologists.
It is important to not only pay attention to the patients on the show, but also Paul's behavior as well. Right off the bat, we see that Paul is a caring (possibly too caring man) whose professional demeanor doesn’t quite mask his conflicting impulses. He's clearly intelligent, yet he sometimes makes poor decisions. He has a temper, yet he can demonstrate great patience. As future psychologists, we will undoubtably have patients who don't want to be in psychotherapy, clients who will test our patience, and we will face complications that may be deemed unethical or even illegal by licensing boards and state laws.
I've heard many professionals and teachers express that "In Treatment" is not an accurate depiction of what psychotherapy is. As a student who has yet to experience and lead first hand psychotherapy, I cannot dismiss the notion that this show is more suitable for entertainment than it is for education. However, I do believe that this show highlights the different patients we may come across and how their behavior will affect us as psychologists. As students studying psychology, it is crucial that we pay attention to the ethical dilemmas Paul faces and learn how to adhere to The American Psychological Association's Ethical Principles.
