From Reel to Real: Examining Media Portrayals of Clinical Psychology

Catalog description

When therapist–patient interactions appear on screen, how well do they mirror real-life sessions? What cultural, social, or technological factors shape those portrayals? And what do those portrayals reveal about societal attitudes toward mental health? This seminar will use “the reel”—film, television, and social-media vignettes—to illustrate “the real”—foundational clinical theories and core concepts. Students will bring curiosity, questions, and assumptions to class, as they apply critical-analysis tools to assigned readings. Each week will open with a learning module focused on two-to-three core materials—journal articles, textbook chapters, case vignettes, or clinical manuals—centered on a key clinical concept, such as alliance ruptures or all-or-nothing thinking. In the second weekly class, students will explore those concepts in short media excerpts via guided discussion, small-group dialogue, reflective exercises, and role-play. By the end of the semester, students will have developed the tools to examine personal assumptions about therapy, therapeutic boundaries, and the role of the therapist; effectively evaluate media portrayals of psychological care using advanced critical tools; apply clinical theory to fictionalized case material; and cultivate interdisciplinary insights. For conference projects, students will design a final project—film analysis, research paper, podcast, or multimedia journal—relating the course’s concepts with their interests and learning goals. This seminar is offered as an introductory course for students interested in exploring clinical psychology or deepening their storytelling practices. Perspectives on Child Development