Hi Curious! I'm so glad someone brought this up as I have found that show to be so addictive and insightful. While I know it is "only tv" I find the whole scenario enthralling...it feels as if you're eavesdropping into a full on therapy session! It's very strange but so interesting. And I agree that the acting is brilliant.

Gabriel Byrne actually reminds me a lot of my own T! I find it very funny and strange when I can relate to so much of what the patients are saying or doing and when I see the habits that all therapists have been acted out on screen.

Hi all... I LOVE this show. I was so riveted to season one and subscribed to HBO so I could see season two. Season two while being absorbing and fascinating was different than season one. Can anyone say "Laura"? I was obsessed with Laura and Paul's storyline. I so much wanted them to get together while at the same time I didn't want Paul to violate boundaries. I found his struggle with his love for Laura totally fascinating. Gabe Byrne was just magnificent as Paul and the dialogue was so real most of the time. Yes, I know it was made more dramatic for TV and liberties were taken but some of those lines really rang true.

While I was riveted to the Paul/Laura storyline I think Paul did his best "therapeutic" work with Sophie. They were so good together and there last session was so moving.

Someone put up a great Paul/Laura montage to the song "Answer" on Youtube in case you are interested.

TN

We don’t get HBO either, so when this thread was first posted, I went on YouTube and watched the montage set to “Answer”. My first reaction was, I don’t need to be watching this because it’s just going to make my transference worse. But I watched it anyway. It was very powerful to me and I still watch it from time to time.

It reminds me of how I wanted to be special to my former T. I don’t like to admit this, but I wanted him to tell me that I was desirable. One time, he told me the only problem he ever had with his being attracted to someone in therapy was toward a woman who served as a sign language interpreter for one of his deaf patients. I think his reason for telling me this was to reassure me that it was safe for me to talk about my feelings for him. But when he first described her, I could hear the desire in his voice (he actually growled at one point!), and it made me instantly jealous. A few sessions later he referred to her again, describing her as having a "voice like an angel" and a "face like the sun" in a dreamy voice. When I heard that desire again, I couldn’t help blurting out “Stop! I’m getting jealous.” He didn’t respond to that, but he stopped describing her.

In a later session, I brought up my reaction as an example of transference so we could look at it to find its clinical meaning. He confirmed for me that it means I want to be desired. But we didn’t talk about if it means I wanted to be desired by him. I don’t think either one of us knew how to turn this into something helpful, so the conversation just died there.

I hate to admit this too, but I felt like I was falling in love with him and I wanted him to love me back. But I didn’t want him to break boundaries. I wanted him to be my hero, to watch out for me, to care for me, protect me. It was a confusing mix.

Like when they're sitting on the park bench, and Paul reaches over and tucks a tendril of hair behind her ear. There is something so tender about that, it just gets me.

Setting the montage to “Answer” was a good call. The words of the song fit. The tune is both haunting and sweet. I’ve learned to play it on my guitar and it sounds okay, although it really is meant for the piano.

Watching Paul listening to Laura reminds me of how my former T looks when he’s listening. There was something I found very endearing about my former T’s facial expressions and sometimes even the way he would position himself in his chair. Thinking about it still tugs at my heart. At one time I wrote in my journal about how I wished I could sketch or paint him just like that, curled up in his chair with that expression on his face. His listening expression, and his smile. My former T has one of the brightest and most beautiful smiles I’ve ever seen. I swear he smiles not with just his face but with his whole body, if that’s possible. It lights up the room. Sometimes I wished I could just gaze at him as long as I wanted to while he's smiling at me like that. Like basking in the sun.

I wish there was a way to capture his energy in a picture, too. Focused, enthusiastic, positive are some of the words that come to mind.

I also watched the few video clips they had of the sessions between Paul and Laura. There were some strong similarities between her issues and mine.

I really should stop watching this video because it stirs up the feelings I had for my former T. Just writing this is stirring them up. I don’t watch it (or play the song) every day, just once in a while. But I need to let go of these feelings so I can move on.

quote:

Originally posted by echo:
I discovered this show when I first googled "in love with my shrink" (that's how I found this website, too, lol). I watched a few episodes online with my husband, and his reaction to Laura's transference was, "How could someone fall in love with their therapist?? How pathetic! You're paying them to be nice to you! They're like prostitutes." So needless to say, my husband doesn't know anything about my feelings for my P (nor will he ever). (And I'm sure there are people who fall in love with their prostitutes, too, SO THERE! )

Anyway, watching the show did make me feel even more cliche than I already did, *sigh*, but it seems to be a really common issue for women. I did identify with some of Laura's behaviors: how she lies to cover up her weaknesses, but also hopes to get found out, and how she uses flirtation to avoid the deeper issues... I'm guilty of both.

My P is way cuter than Paul, though.

I watched it too. I was like... oh my gosh,
was I acting like that in front of my T???

Is your P cuter than Paul???

No way... My T is the cutest!!!

quote:

Originally posted by echo:
Wow, this isn't going to be confusing at all.

OK, you are confusing me.

Hi all.

Totally addicted to the show as i think I mentioned earlier. When I found the links online I watched every day for as long as I could until the episodes ran out. I loved the storylines and spent my time analysing Paul and the patients! It's amazing how much you pick up from going to therapy! I loved Paul's manner-i.e. facial expressions and body language. I mean throughout the series I think he makes a lot of mistakes-particularly with laura but then I can see a lot of good work he does. It made me think so much about my T-particularly with the way Paul's family circumstances were going. The ability to switch off and totally give yourself up to trying to help someone else was so admirable and awe-inspiring.

I'll admit I was addicted to the Paul-Laura storyline for transference feelings too. I think it even encouraged my own in a weird way. Now that my ex-T is my EX-T....I found myself struggling to find old episodes to ease my transference pain...just to give me something to cling on to.

Mrs. P