In Treatment2

In-Treatment In-Treatment is an HBO series about Psychologist Paul Weston and his patients. On Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m. he has his sessions with Sophie. She is in a young gymnastics star in her teenage years who has recently attempted to commit suicide by way of overdose. She lives with her mother and her father is very distant, coming in and out of her life. She appears to have an eating disorder and possibly a form of depression. The problems and behaviors that Sophie demonstrate during her sessions with Paul are closely linked to some of the concepts discussed in class, specifically those related to psychodynamic therapy. A wide range of Sophie 's behaviors are characteristic of the different defense mechanisms. These are ways that we behave and think in response to anxiety as an attempt to reduce or suppress any threatening thoughts, feelings or memories. These mechanisms are unconscious and are an unhealthy way of coping as they often distort reality. An example of this is shown during the first session when Sophie is eating a slice of pizza. She explains that her mom wants her to eat more because of the recent decrease in her weight, but Sophie feels that it is unnecessary. She goes on to mention an incident with her father 's ex girlfriend who called Sophie anorexic. Sophie then follows up by making negative comments about the girlfriend 's physical appearance and personal eating habits. This is an example of devaluation, or the belittling of something that causes one to feel anxiety. In this instance, Sophie is feeling inadequate at the memory of her dad 's ex girlfriend and copes with those feelings by demeaning her through words of harsh criticism. Further discussion of Sophie 's eating habits bring rise to another defense mechanism: denial, or the refusal to accept and admit the presence of painful realities. When Paul and Sophie discuss the possibility of an eating disorder, Sophie immediately rejects the idea and says that she "just know[s] how