Screenplay Minding Therapy

Adapted from the novel, the screenplay MINDING THERAPY is still available for an enterprising filmmaker!

LOGLINE:

A burnt-out therapist, misguidedly avoiding her own head-shrinking, has her life turned upside down when the father who abandoned her dies.

SYNOPSIS:

Daryl Stone, a burnt-out therapist with a demanding schedule at a mental health clinic in Providence, faces two new life-changing events. Her mom, Nina, requests she come home to Louisville for the funeral of Daryl’s father—though Daryl never knew him—and Daryl meets and falls for a very appealing woman, Angie, who’s also a therapist. But Daryl, whose regular food binges don’t help her self-esteem, is already solidly entrenched in a dysfunctional relationship with another woman who lives with her boyfriend and claims she’s straight.

While home at Nina’s, Daryl feels supported by Uncle Jack, her father’s brother, but learns disturbing family revelations, such as Daryl’s father had married Nina’s (now former) best friend, and it was Nina who’d kept Daryl away from the dad. Already shaky and now well on her way to a total meltdown, Daryl finally starts therapy, hoping for a quick fix. To a certain extent this superficial approach works, in that she ditches the old girlfriend, gets into a promising romance with Angie, and even seriously considers developing her own private therapy practice.

But Daryl has had it with her mom’s secrets and lies. In an attempt at resolution and closeness, Nina decides to visit her avoidant daughter, bringing Jack with her. If only Nina would just cop to Jack being her boyfriend, geez, Daryl thinks. Meanwhile, Nina’s homophobia is sorely tested having to see Daryl and Angie together. And then another revelation Nina never intended: Jack is gay! It’s a good thing that Daryl hasn’t totally blown off therapy: she really needs to understand how her own intimacy issues stem from her family background. Relatedly, there’s been an interlude with her ex that Angie doesn’t yet know about. In the end, though, Angie is not only forgiving, she wants a commitment. Daryl agrees to live with her.

FEEDBACK FROM BITCHFEST (2024)

“We truly loved your screenplay! It’s such a unique concept with great depth and it was an absolute pleasure to read.”

FEEDBACK EXCERPT FROM SCRIPTMATIX (2024)

“It felt like a deeply human story that resonated with me on a personal level, evoking a range of emotions from empathy and compassion to hope and introspection. Overall, the screenplay’s emotional resonance is a testament to its compelling storytelling, well-developed characters, and its ability to tap into universal themes and experiences.”

FEEDBACK EXCERPT FROM ATLANTA INTERNATIONAL SCREENPLAY AWARDS (2023)

“…The narrative’s most compelling element lies in its nuanced exploration of Daryl’s complex inner world and the intricate web of relationships that shape her existence. As we observe Daryl navigating mundane activities, the narrative skillfully unveils layers of her personality, revealing a character brimming with contradictions and internal conflicts.

The strained relationship with her mother, Nina, serves as a poignant focal point. Through tense exchanges about dieting and the symbolic change in Daryl’s childhood bedroom, the narrative candidly portrays the palpable distance between mother and daughter…”

FEEDBACK EXCERPT FROM HOLLYWOOD SCRIPT (2009)

“…a spunky but deep ‘little story’ that keeps you fully engaged from start to finish. It’s brave, absorbing and ever so honest. In some circles the lesbian aspect of things may make it seem narrow and niche. But it’s anything but…it’s simply a very rich human experience resonating all the realities and verities of existence in a diversified fashion, touching on such things as loneliness, obsession, addiction, passion, career issues, unfinished family business and of course love and sexuality. The protagonist is very relatable, deeply sympathetic, sharp-witted, funny, tragic and as normal as apple pie. Situations and difficulties never stop their entertaining progression, all within a very compelling story. Hip and relevant, with a Bridget Jones’s Diary kind of flavor (because Daryl is funny and is on a similar kind of quest.) Would make a terrific film.”

A SELECTION OF CONTEST SUCCESSES

Having put my submissions on hold for over a decade, I recently resumed, realizing there is a greater interest today in LGBTQ content. Awards are listed below:

***Winner, Best LGBTQ Screenplay, Hollywood Best Indie Film Awards, July 2026

**Honorable Mention, Sunvale Screenplay Contest, July 2026

*Semi-Finalist, Planet Cinema NYC, February 2026

Quarter-Finalist, Vail Screenplay Contest, December 2025

*Official Selection, New York Film & Cinematography Awards, December 2025

*Official Selection, Hollywood Stage Script Film Awards, August 2025

*Official Selection, Oxford Script Awards, July 2025

*Official Selection, Hollywood Best Indie Film Awards, July 2025

*Nominee, LA Independendent Film Channel Festival, April 2025

**Finalist, Cambridge Script Festival, Spring 2025

*Nominee, San Diego Independent Cinema Awards, March 2025

*Nominee, Denver Indie Film Festival, March 2025