Tuesday, February 19, 2008

In Treatment....Episode? Lovely Laura

I'm a day behind and Roy wants me to write about a NY Times article on therapists in therapy. I'll get there.

So yesterday, Laura comes to talk about her sexual experiences with Paul's patient Alex. Way too much information. She is goading him, if I can't have you, then I'll sleep with Alex. Alex might as well be a dirty dish cloth. She returns to her feelings for Paul and pushes him: "Yes or No, Is this an intimate relationship." Paul says yes. She talks about hating herself, and this is where everything turns-- Paul talks about hating himself when he didn't do a good enough job caring for his ill mother when he was a child. They linger a little too closely as they say goodbye. And, oh, she owes him for the appointment.

So I didn't have a problem with Paul saying it was an intimate relationship, only this wasn't really the question. The question was "is this a special relationship?" He could have told her it was an intimate relationship, but that therapy is by it's nature intimate, instead the idea was transmitted that he also loves her.

Sometimes therapists decide it's useful to reveal personal information to patients. Sometimes it's comforting to know your doc has "been there." Here, however, Paul opens up his vulnerabilities to Laura at a time when he should be setting boundaries. He's let her know that he also lost his mother at a young age, he's "been there" but, like he told Gina, it feels like he knows where to press to get what he wants, and what he wants isn't what either of them should have....

13 comments:

Mom said...

I totally agree. This was the first episode I have seen in its entirety.

Boundaries man! He is heading done a slippery slope. I think he thinks he is in control of the issues, but he is heading for ...

Hard to watch and a little silly.

Anonymous said...

i think the phrase was painfully silly

arniedr said...

The problem is that the HBO series is just not as good as the Israeli B'Tipul original Assi Dayan who playes the therapist is mucn more human and his patient Laura is much more believably seductive The BiTipul episode will be shown on March 8 in NYC log on to c3posymposium.org for details Also intetnationalpsychoanalysis.net for more viewers comments

NeoNurseChic said...

Here's a question I have about Laura. (I haven't watched any of this week's episodes yet - have had a lot of other stuff going on.) How, as a doctor, does she have the ability to go to Monday morning appointments regularly? haha

Every week, I have to schedule my appointments for the next week and my schedule is never a set routine appointment. I can't imagine a doctor not having to be at the hospital at 9:00am on a Monday morning! Well, I can imagine if she occasionally has Mondays off, but every single Monday? Does she work only nights? Does she work every single Saturday and always have Sunday/Monday off? Just strikes me as a little unrealistic!

I know, I know - not at all the main point, but it's been something I've wondered about! haha

Take care,
Carrie :)

April said...

well, in that vein, how does Laura---as a dr.---not realize that she is acting inappropriately with Paul? for someone who is apparently very intelligent, she doesn't seem to have much insight or the desire to find out why she acts like that...

Anonymous said...

since laura isn't a dr but an actress whose name isn't even laura she can do whatever she likes whenever. makes sense.

April said...

"since laura isn't a dr but an actress whose name isn't even laura she can do whatever she likes whenever."

Sorry, I must have missed something since I stopped watching after week 3 (no HBO).

Laura is not a doctor, but an actress? Um, if that's the case it makes a lot more sense.

Anonymous said...

and you know about big bird too right? and the umm.. tooth fairy?

April said...

anonymous....I'm talking about the character Laura on the TV show In Treatment. I don't understand your comment about "she can do what she wants." My point was, if the character is a dr., she should have a little more insight. But dr's aren't perfect, either. So...

Anonymous said...

ya?

NeoNurseChic said...

I think what we're trying to say is, if they're trying to make the show realistic, in what world does a doctor have the ability to keep a 9:00am Monday appointment weekly. And in what world does a doctor lack THAT much insight, as it appears that Laura (as a fictional character) lacks.

Anonymous said...

if they're trying to make the show realistic they are doing a piss poor job, with the exception perhaps of that urological complaint, so no more treatment for me thanks, it stinks. not the urine, well maybe that too.

Anonymous said...

please, we have enough of reality as it is on a daily basis, let's get a break sometimes!