"Who will recline on the sofa?"
In the world of television, characters seeking therapy or dealing with mental health issues have become increasingly common, reflecting a growing trend towards responsible and realistic portrayals. One such character is Tony Soprano, the mafia boss heading a "family" in New Jersey, from the iconic series, The Sopranos.
First aired on HBO on January 10, 1999, The Sopranos tells the story of Tony Soprano, portrayed by James Gandolfini, who, despite his powerful position, crumbles under stress, as indicated by his panic attack. Seeking help, Tony turns to psychiatry, marking a significant departure from traditional portrayals of mafia bosses.
During his therapy sessions, Tony talks extensively about his personal life, including his wife, son, and daughter, as well as his childhood, the figure of his deceased father, and his work. This exploration of Tony's psyche offers viewers a complex and nuanced portrayal of a character often stereotyped in media.
The show's depiction of therapy is not unique in modern television. Shows like In Therapy, which aired on Arte in 2021 and 2022, offer intimate, realistic portrayals of psychotherapy, featuring a surgeon, a RAID police officer, a business executive, a student, and other characters.
Similarly, 13 Reasons Why investigates the suicide of a teenage girl, while Atypical follows a young man with autism, providing viewers with a diverse range of mental health narratives.
Other notable examples include Aimee from Sex Education, a teenage character seeking therapy for PTSD after an assault, and Tara Gregson from United States of Tara, a suburban housewife living with dissociative identity disorder. These shows humanize these conditions, promoting understanding and empathy, and normalize seeking professional help, as seen in Frasier, where Dr. Frasier Crane, a psychiatrist, is the main character.
More recently, Shrinking and Seinfeld also delve into mental health topics, with George Costanza's deeply neurotic behavior and struggles with anxiety providing insight into mental health challenges, and Shrinking's protagonist, a grieving therapist, helping patients confront trauma.
These characters and shows illustrate a shift from earlier stigmatizing or comedic portrayals towards more accurate, empathetic, and varied depictions of mental health and therapy in television. By portraying these issues responsibly and realistically, these shows contribute to breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health and encourage viewers to seek help when needed.
In the realm of television, shows like The Sopranos and In Therapy utilize science, specifically psychotherapy, to examine mental health issues and promote health-and-wellness. These therapies-and-treatments, when portrayed realistically, play a significant role in humanizing various mental health conditions, fostering empathy, and normalizing the pursuit of professional help.
