I really liked 'Rachel Getting Married' with Anne Hathaway. It was a realistic depiction of a dysfunctional family struggling to heal with some members (especially the mother) refusing to see there was anything to heal from. The main character was struggling with depression. I actually told my T to watch it so he could meet my mother.

Another one I really loved was 'Martian Child' with John Cusack about a man who adopts an older child with attachment issues who is dealing with depression, alienation, and anger.

AG

Oh thanks for these films AG, It will give me something to watch at work tonight :-)

Forgetmenot I really liked Good Will Hunting too

Lucina

FMN,

What a great idea to seek out inspirational movies. I like Good Will Hunting too and when I first started therapy even told my therapist that my only template for therapy was that movie.

I remember dysfunction?? maybe in Ordinary People. I haven't seen it in probably 30 years so I can't remember too much, just that it was really moving. Don't know if there was successful resolution or not.

AG thanks for that.

It'll give me some to watch tonight methinks!

Lucina; its such a beautiful movie huh. But what does he do at the end? He decides not to take any of the jobs and live with his girlfriend, right?

Oh I don't know....I remember him getting in his car and driving off and his friends going to his house to discover he is gone and being really pleased that he is gone? Its been a while since ive watched it lol

Lucina

Hey FMN,

"Disfigured" is one of my favorites. It's about eating disorders. It's the story of an unlikely friendship that forms between an anorexic woman and an obese binge eater. How the dynamics of their friendship effects their separate issues and healing journeys-- sometimes for good, sometimes for ill, was fascinatingly portrayed and seemed very realistic, imo. The acting and character development is really good. I don't know if it's inspirational, but definitely interesting! I've watched it a few times. It's on Netflix.

I loved "Good Will Hunting" also. I was just thinking of that movie the other day.

Two nights ago I saw a movie called, "An Invisible Sign". That was very good, but hard for me to watch. It triggered some things in me that night.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1212454/

It's not a movie...but has anyone watched any of "In Treatment" - A short lived TV show about a therapist and his clients.

Also - Another TV show "Huff"... Definitely much less concentrated on the therapy concept than the former.

Thanks guys, these are really good.

Has anyone watched 'Freedom writers'?. It's not a film about the growth of an individual per se, but based on a true story, it's a film about a teacher who starts to teach a class of students who are very segregated from one another (they communicate in groups). It's beautiful how they come together and learn to accept each other.

This film is lovely and moving. I think it should have been more successful imo.

Hi Navyme,

Loved that show although I've only watched the first season. Always meant to go back and watch the rest.

May I ask a question of people with DID? I'm watching the United States of Tara on netflix which is a show about a woman with DID. I'm slightly into the second season so far and with what little I know, it's been fairly accurate (including showing a therapist in way over her head who abruptly terminates her). I was just wondering how accurate it was? If it would be more comfortable answering in PM (if at all), please feel free to do so. Thanks.

AG

AG, I recently came across that show. I'd like to know too how it feels to have DID and is the show an accurate representation. It looks like a really good show. Toni Collette is brilliant.

I ended up watching some episodes of In Treatment last night when I couldn't sleep. For those who are interested, youtube has some interesting clips of that show with commentary by actual P's, explaining what is going on and critiquing the T's technique.

I only watched a few episodes of that show and yet I found it pretty depressing. It's basically about a T who is failing at both therapy (most of the time) and in his own life. He totally bungles dealing with a client with a SA history who gets erotic transference for him...he gets involved with her and throws ethics out the window. In the last season, his amazingly sharp and professional new psychiatrist finally starts to nail him on his own stuff, and he gets really, really resistant and then

SPOILER WARNING



He totally cuts and runs and that is the end of the series. How unsatisfying!



END OF SPOILERS

I know they were trying to portray a struggling T for dramatic effect, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I would much rather have followed someone really good than this guy. Even the good T's have real struggles, but this guy was unethical and never worked out any of his stuff. To me it was just painful to watch. I wanted to see more of his brilliant P from the last season but...alas.

Incidentally, the first time in the series that the main character (T) goes to see his former supervisor, she does something right out of Shrinklady's "signs of a wonky T." If only he could have recognized that and found someone better then and there!

It's funny... speaking of Good Will Hunting, I had watched that before embarking on my therapeutic journey. At the time, the Robin Williams character seemed like the perfect therapist. Now I think back, and I cringe.

Strangling your client?
Meeting outside of the office?
Disclosing your wife's farting habits?

Talk about loose boundaries! Clearly not very realistic. I mean, even getting up from my chair in T's office feels like a huge deal. !!!