Fictional therapy: The following three recommended novels strongly feature the presence and/or effects of mental health treatment.
I. Ordinary People by Judith Guest (1976)
Teenager Conrad Jarrett makes a suicide attempt and winds up a long-term inpatient who regularly sees a psychiatrist. What was praised most about the novel were these therapeutic dialogues as well as his interactions with significant others.
The 1980 movie version, starring Timothy Hutton as the depressed and anxious teen and Judd Hirsch as Dr. Tyrone Berger, actually received better reviews than the book. Many still look to Ordinary People‘s fictional therapy as one of the most positive portrayals ever seen on screen. The shrink, by the way, uses elements of both psychoanalysis and psychodynamic therapy.
II. I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb (1998)
Identical twin brothers Thomas and Dominick Birdsey each have mental health issues: Thomas has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia; Dominick has PTSD.
Although the treatment that’s described in the book is respected for its usefulness, it is not consistently flattering. Per Stephen A. Young, MD, PsychiatryOnline: “…(T)he psychiatric establishment is portrayed as a politically motivated and unsympathetic monolith whose main function appears to be locking patients away. The two mental health provider characters who are developed, a social worker and a psychologist, are both portrayed as empathic and skilled patient advocates. [However,] (b)oundary blurring abounds…The psychologist ends up treating the nonhospitalized brother, and the social worker has him over to her house for dinner.”
The TV series adaptation, which has already had its own Minding Therapy post, is worth seeing and features deft portrayals of both brothers by Mark Ruffalo.
III. Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano (2023)
Kirkus Reviews: “Drawn into the orbit of a tightknit family upon falling for Julia, the eldest of the four Padavano sisters, William Waters experiences the kind of family solidarity, affection, and sense of belonging he never had with his own dysfunctional parents. William developed an (initially) effective coping strategy during his lonely childhood and devotes his energies toward succeeding in the only place he feels comfortable: the basketball court. College sweethearts, Julia and William marry and begin a life together directed mostly by Julia’s wishes for stability and status; the plan and relationship are derailed by William’s gradual decline into a crippling depression.”
William’s fictional therapy, both inpatient and outpatient (neither of which is seen in depth but mentioned often enough) become crucial in order for William to resolve deep-seated childhood issues and their effects on his current functioning.
