The Top 10 Mental Health Therapists In Fiction

The Top 10 Mental Health Therapists In Fiction

 

Being a therapist can be a thankless job, especially when you’re helping some of the most difficult patients in cinematic history. While some of these therapists were definitely less than traditional in their approaches, there’s no denying that they did a world of good for their clients.

With that said, here are our top 10 fictional mental health therapists, and why we think they deserve a spot on this list.

10. Dr. Justina Jordan

Dr. Jordan has the patience of a saint and she’s got some great advice to offer. When Gretchen comes into her office reluctant to listen and unwilling to make the big changes that she needs to that will help her take control of her life, Dr. Jordan has a plan.

“Self-improvement is a lifelong process” she tells Gretchen, and helps her tackle the things in her life that intimidate her one at a time, such as opening the mail. By offering a sympathetic and unjudgmental ear she is able to weather the initial storm of Gretchen’s intense emotions. In doing so, she discovers the root of what is causing her troubles and helps her learn to overcome them.

9.  Dr. Andrea Latemendi

In the “The Killing Joke” Barbara Gordon, also known by her alias Batgirl, is shot by the Joker and paralyzed. Dr. Andrea Latemendi oversees her emotional and psychological recovery as she recovers from the attack. Her patience and guidance lead Barbara to eventually take up the mantle of Oracle and to move on with her new life. 

The impressive thing is that Dr. Latemendi is a real psychologist that DC comics asked for advice in writing this series!

8. Dr. Frasier Crane

There are few television figures as widely known as Dr. Frasier Crane. With his signature catch phrase of “I’m listening”, he instilled confidence in the listeners of his radio show. Although at times he may come across as imperious or haughty, the advice he gives to his listeners is well thought out and compassionate. 

 Dr. Frasier doesn’t have all the answers and he’s not afraid to admit it. When someone calls him with a question or concern that he knows he won’t be able to solve, he encourages them to seek structured help rather than the brief relief that his radio show provided. 

“Frasier” was one of the first television shows to portray a therapist in the spotlight. By doing so, it also helped normalize the idea of seeking therapy and of mental health care in general.

7. Dr. Noelle Akopian

Dr. Akopian from the show “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” refuses to give up on her patient even though Rebecca doesn’t always listen to her advice. Throughout their sessions she remains a steadfast constant in Rebecca’s life and provides sympathy, understanding, and honesty with a tough love, no nonsense approach. 

 

Her frank and earnest way of telling Rebecca what she needed to hear is the type of therapist that we could all benefit from. 

6.  Dr. Malcolm Crowe

Dr. Malcolm Crowe was a therapist so dedicated to his work, that he kept pursing it even after his death. In the Sixth Sense, he helped a young Cole understand his abilities and helped him find a purpose for them, which in turn ended up helping him to move on as well. 

When no one else in Cole’s life believed him and no one wanted to listen to him when he tried telling them about his experiences, Dr. Crowe stepped in. He showed him that a person doesn’t have to be afraid of the things that make them different, they just need to learn how to embrace those differences and use them to their advantage. 

5. Dr. Amanda Reisman

Dr. Reisman of “Big Little Lies” provides a safe space in her office for her female patients to discuss their marital problems. She is direct and forces Celeste to examine her abusive relationship with her husband Perry for what it is, rather than continuing to sugarcoat it as simply “passionate” as she has been. 

In season one, the show portrayed a very accurate and compelling look into what a therapy session with an abuse survivor would look like from both sides of the conversation.

4. Dr. Charles Kroger

Arguably the most tolerant and patient person on this list, Dr. Kroger is the therapist of television’s Monk. While Monk also considers him one of his best friends, Dr. Kroger is careful to make sure that when he is in his therapist role that he remains professional. 

Rather than simply medicating Adrian Monk for his extreme OCD, he works with him extensively to help him learn to manage his symptoms and condition so that he can continuing being a detective. 

3. Dr. Sean McGuire

Dr. McGuire knows when to push and when to back down in his sessions with Will Hunting. Although they start off on a bad foot, Will soon realizes that he has more in common with his therapist than he thought he could. 

 

By showing his own human side and vulnerabilities to a troubled young man, Dr. McGuire was able to get him to open up in a way that no one else had been able to. 

 

2. Major Sidney Freeman

The camp therapist of M.A.S.H, Major Freeman helped a number of soldiers come to terms with heavy subjects ranging from their injuries to actions they took during the war. rapist of M.A.S.H, Major Freeman helped a number of soldiers come to terms with heavy subjects ranging from their injuries to actions they took during the war. 

This show never shied away from intense subjects and showed the psychological effects of PTSD for the first time in media. 

1. Dr. Jennifer Melfi

Dr. Melfi was the psychiatrist of Tony Soprano, and she treats him without judgement and with compassion as she would anyone else. While this isn’t enough to turn Tony away from his life of crime, it does help to teach him boundaries and respect.

Their relationship is a complicated one, and Dr. Melfi eventually stops treating him as she becomes concerned that she may be unintentionally encouraging his criminal behaviors. 

This portrayal is often described as one of the most accurate representations of therapy in any form of media, and The Sopranos was one of the first shows to portray mental health and therapy so openly and consistently. 

With nearly 1 in 5 Americans living with some sort of mental health condition, it is refreshing to see mental health portrayed correctly in the media. Particularly when it is portrayed well from both the side of the patient as well as the side of the therapist. 

Online therapy sites such as MyTherapist also exist now to help people that need counseling, or just need someone to listen. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition and are looking for support, reach out to them.

Marie Miguel Biography

Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health- related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with MyTherapist.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.