Table Of Contents
(For detailed descriptions of the movies, click here)
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By Birgit Wolz, Ph.D., and Ofer Zur, Ph.D.
Table Of Contents
(For detailed descriptions of the movies, click here)
Bliss
Maria and Joseph see Alfred for couples therapy, while Maria secretly consults sex therapist Dr. Baltazar Vincenza. The latter therapeutic relationship ends when Baltazar starts teaching Joseph “the ways of love.”
In their second session, Baltazar asks Joseph to take off his clothes, except for his shorts. The therapist also appears half-naked. He seems to want to mitigate his client’s embarrassment by getting undressed too. Then Baltazar tells Joseph to look into a full-length mirror and asks questions about his body image.
Given the nature and declared goal of Baltazar’s therapy/teaching, this approach seems to be appropriate. As has been emphasized throughout this course, what may be ethical and clinically effective with certain clients in certain settings may be highly inappropriate with other types of clients in different settings.
Ordinary People
Conrad is the second son of a mild-mannered, successful attorney, Calvin, and a selfish, controlling mother, Beth. He sees a psychologist, Dr. Berger, after a suicide attempt. Conrad blames himself for his older brother’s drowning death which resulted from a boating accident.
After the self-conscious Conrad enters the office wearing school clothing and a backpack, the casually dressed psychologist rummages through his notes, and puffs on a cigarette.
Through his casual clothing, Berger communicates to his client that he is not the only one who doesn’t wear stylish clothes. This might be intended to make Conrad feel comfortable and to build a therapeutic alliance.