Gabriel Byrne’s portrayal of a skilled, and vulnerably flawed, psychologist is quite believable. His suseptibility to the trap of unacknowledged counter-transference and his resistance to its interpretation by his believable supervising analyst, Diane Wiest, is a classic response to a failing marriage. Only their failure to consider the borderline personality disorder features of one of his needy patients, believably played by Melissa George, appears to be an oversight resulting from the personal obstacles of both psychologists.

Blair Underwood, as Alex, is a convincing perfectionistic Iraq War Navy Pilot in denial about the emotional abuse of his demanding father, who is brilliantly played by Glynn Turman.

Embeth Davidtz is stunning in her portrayal of a successful achiever whose wounded childhood keeps her enmeshed in a conflict-ridden relationship with an equally-wounded husband, whose defenses are skillfully masked by Josh Charles.

Mia Wasikowska plays an aspiring 16 year-old Olympic gymnast with self-destructive impulses caused by multiple childhood boundary invansions of male predators. She has locked in a great future for herself with her wonderful performance in this series.

Rodrigo Garcia’s intelligent and sensitive directing and adaptational writing is definitely worthy of an Emmy.

Of course, Executive Producer of the American adaptation, Hagai Levi is the creative genius responsible for the original Israeli production.

Noa Tishby, the Israeli actress who brought the original series to her manager, Stephen Levinson who presented the idea to Carolyn Strauss, President of Entertainment at HBO are all to be congratulated and thanked for raising the quality- bar for American television.

From the neuroscience point of view, the recent functional Magnetic Resonance evidence that good pyschotherapy as well as psychopharmalogical treatment both create strutural changes in the brain that result in changed perception, behavior and function, has established the scientific value of psychiatry and psychology.

From the American cultural point of view, “In Treatment” is the first up-close, valid theatrical demonstration of that value.

Perhaps there are those who, because of unsuccessful experiences with unskilled therapists, or other reasons, may find the episodes of In Treatment unconvincing.

Nevertheless, I suspect there will be many who will welcome this series as a reasonable example of how careful listening and reflective introspection can create a critical mass of corrective learning experience and add meaning and hope and better decisions in the life of intelligent victims of damaged early development.

It might not be too far-fetched to imagine a country where its citizens expected their political leaders to possess the kind of introspection and insight that can come from such corrective experiences. Such expectations could protect the country from the flawed leadership often associated with damaged origins that we sometimes see.

Perhaps the next best thing to being in treatment, is to watch “In Treatment.”

Ange Lobue, MD, MPH, BSPharm
Diplomate, American Board of
Psychiatry and Neurology and
Performer Member, Academy of
Television Arts and Sciences
trinidadca@gmail.com

Regarding the “In Treatment” series:

I think Paul should try psychosynthesis on himself and patients. In season 2.