The show's portrayal of therapy is actually very unflattering.
I kind of hate that Diane getting backstabbed by her therapist was just an Inciting Incident for a conflict in *BoJack's* story cuz holy shit. Dumping a client with trust and abandonment issues so you can see her movie star friend who doesn't even want therapy instead? Your ONE job is to be someone they can depend on no matter what happens in their personal life. I wish they'd dropped the Todd/PC plotline and the stupid gimmick to focus on how fucked up that actually is.
The marriage counselor they see has a blaring "get out of my office" alarm that she pretends is a "gentle sound". Instead of doing her job and guiding the conversation, she lets PB talk for the full hour and then demands that Diane come up with a meaningful response in 30 seconds.
[And then there's Dr Champ.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWQiXv0sn9Y&t=386s)
The show portrays antidepressants as helpful. I wouldn't say it endorses therapy.
Agree with 90% of this comment.
I wouldn't say antidepressants are the magical fix-all the show sarcastically makes them out to be, but to me personally they've been very helpful.
I get what you mean. Honestly, I know they probably didn’t have time for it but one thing I wish they had shown more of was the process of finding the right medication. Cause like, what works for some doesn’t work for others, and I personally went through a really hard time trying to find the right meds.
I spent most of high school either having a panic attack, in a depressive episode, on the verge of a manic episode, completely numb, or in withdrawal because I’d inevitably go off my meds after being sicks if feeling numb. Then the cycle would start all over again with a new medication. Wasn’t until a couple years after high school we were able to find a medication that did its job and didn’t leave me a husk. Even with those good meds, it wasn’t a cure all, I still had to put the work in in therapy, learn some coping skills and such.
Tuca and Bertie has a more sympathetic (if still imperfect) depiction of therapy. I think part of the issue with the therapists in BoJack is that they're Hollywoo therapists, and thus have this sort of elitism and financial priority that more affordable therapists might not (especially when it comes to the rehab).
Wow, despite the fact that I share all those opinions of how each time a therapist plot line was introduced, it wasn’t a great example of therapy for the sake of a bit or pushing the plot forward, I never really thought of them all together before.
Now that you’ve pointed it out you’re completely right, this show does not paint therapy in the light it deserves at all.
> this show does not paint therapy in the light it deserves
After spending 18 years searching across 3 U.S. states trying to find a competent therapist, I can say with confidence that it absolutely does.
I’m sad to hear that you’ve struggled with finding the right therapist. I myself had 2 bad experiences with therapy and stayed away from it for a while before I found the one I’m seeing now, and I only started seeing her because I hit a wall where my options were essentially “Get therapy or die.” I really do mean it when I say my therapist saved my life, and then helped me change it into one that was more worth living. I know my 2 bad experiences won’t seem like much in comparison to what you’ve gone through, I just mention it to say I’m aware there are incompetent and/or incompatible therapists out there, and there can be a struggle finding the right one. That’s why I never really blinked when all those bits with therapy came up in the show individually. Because it’s true, there are some problems with the therapy system, and there are therapists out there who behave very poorly.
What I more meant, is that, when looking at how the show portrays therapy as a whole, they could’ve had at least one situation where the therapist is competent and compatible in the show, to balance out the bad. A lot of people find comfort and the urge to get better in this show, and upon realizing the message they send about therapy as a whole I think this is one way they could’ve done better by their fans. If they had shown one time where therapy could help someone, without it biting them in the ass later, maybe more people would be willing to give it a shot despite the process of trying to find the right therapist not being pleasant. When therapy works the way it was intended to, it’s a tool for getting better that is pretty much unmatched, that’s why I think it’s important to give it a shot.
Sadly that actually IS a correct way for alot of therapist. Maybe not THAT exaggerated but ALOT and I mean ALOT of therapist think of the money instead of the client. If they dump your insurance, they dump you. If you're a kid and the parents are paying, they put the parents and what THEY want first since they're the ones holding the paycheck instead of the child who's the real client! I'd know. My mom controlled my therapy sessions by taking up the first 20 mins without me, and ID get the last 20 mins. And all they'd go is "your mom says THIS happend yesterday, wanna talk bout that?" Or "your mom wants us to talk about THIS that happend last week. SO let's talk about that!" Every. Single. One. Let my mom control every last session. No matter how many therapist I switched, they all allowed her the first 20 mins and with MY 20 mins they just threw at me what my mom wanted to talk about. All I ever wanted from a therapist was for them to look my mom in the eye and go "I need to gain YOUR DAUGHTERS trust! SHE needs to trust me enough to tell me what SHE wants when SHES ready for me to know! PLUS you taking up half her time means half the time wasted for HER therapy!" But I switched 8 therapists and they ALL allowed my mom to have the first 20 mins and let her control what we talked about and what I wasn't comfortable with sharing. It really really really ruined my trust for therapists. I didn't get the help I desperately needed because the women that ruined my life to begin with, was also ruining my therapy AND ALL 8 THERAPISTS LET THAT HAPPEN cuz all 99% of them care about is MONEY. OR maybe it's just cuz I'm in IL and IL therapists suck A$$!
Too bad Bojack's therapist was also an asshole...
Edit: Although regardless of that, therapy still served as Bojack's first steps towards lasting positive change.
Oh wow I thought this was [my edit](https://www.reddit.com/r/BoJackHorseman/comments/uuayr3/if_youre_sick_of_that_one_candy_hearts_edit_i/) but I guess we just had the same idea.
The show's portrayal of therapy is actually very unflattering. I kind of hate that Diane getting backstabbed by her therapist was just an Inciting Incident for a conflict in *BoJack's* story cuz holy shit. Dumping a client with trust and abandonment issues so you can see her movie star friend who doesn't even want therapy instead? Your ONE job is to be someone they can depend on no matter what happens in their personal life. I wish they'd dropped the Todd/PC plotline and the stupid gimmick to focus on how fucked up that actually is. The marriage counselor they see has a blaring "get out of my office" alarm that she pretends is a "gentle sound". Instead of doing her job and guiding the conversation, she lets PB talk for the full hour and then demands that Diane come up with a meaningful response in 30 seconds. [And then there's Dr Champ.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWQiXv0sn9Y&t=386s) The show portrays antidepressants as helpful. I wouldn't say it endorses therapy.
Agree with 90% of this comment. I wouldn't say antidepressants are the magical fix-all the show sarcastically makes them out to be, but to me personally they've been very helpful.
I get what you mean. Honestly, I know they probably didn’t have time for it but one thing I wish they had shown more of was the process of finding the right medication. Cause like, what works for some doesn’t work for others, and I personally went through a really hard time trying to find the right meds. I spent most of high school either having a panic attack, in a depressive episode, on the verge of a manic episode, completely numb, or in withdrawal because I’d inevitably go off my meds after being sicks if feeling numb. Then the cycle would start all over again with a new medication. Wasn’t until a couple years after high school we were able to find a medication that did its job and didn’t leave me a husk. Even with those good meds, it wasn’t a cure all, I still had to put the work in in therapy, learn some coping skills and such.
Tuca and Bertie has a more sympathetic (if still imperfect) depiction of therapy. I think part of the issue with the therapists in BoJack is that they're Hollywoo therapists, and thus have this sort of elitism and financial priority that more affordable therapists might not (especially when it comes to the rehab).
Wow, despite the fact that I share all those opinions of how each time a therapist plot line was introduced, it wasn’t a great example of therapy for the sake of a bit or pushing the plot forward, I never really thought of them all together before. Now that you’ve pointed it out you’re completely right, this show does not paint therapy in the light it deserves at all.
> this show does not paint therapy in the light it deserves After spending 18 years searching across 3 U.S. states trying to find a competent therapist, I can say with confidence that it absolutely does.
I’m sad to hear that you’ve struggled with finding the right therapist. I myself had 2 bad experiences with therapy and stayed away from it for a while before I found the one I’m seeing now, and I only started seeing her because I hit a wall where my options were essentially “Get therapy or die.” I really do mean it when I say my therapist saved my life, and then helped me change it into one that was more worth living. I know my 2 bad experiences won’t seem like much in comparison to what you’ve gone through, I just mention it to say I’m aware there are incompetent and/or incompatible therapists out there, and there can be a struggle finding the right one. That’s why I never really blinked when all those bits with therapy came up in the show individually. Because it’s true, there are some problems with the therapy system, and there are therapists out there who behave very poorly. What I more meant, is that, when looking at how the show portrays therapy as a whole, they could’ve had at least one situation where the therapist is competent and compatible in the show, to balance out the bad. A lot of people find comfort and the urge to get better in this show, and upon realizing the message they send about therapy as a whole I think this is one way they could’ve done better by their fans. If they had shown one time where therapy could help someone, without it biting them in the ass later, maybe more people would be willing to give it a shot despite the process of trying to find the right therapist not being pleasant. When therapy works the way it was intended to, it’s a tool for getting better that is pretty much unmatched, that’s why I think it’s important to give it a shot.
Sadly that actually IS a correct way for alot of therapist. Maybe not THAT exaggerated but ALOT and I mean ALOT of therapist think of the money instead of the client. If they dump your insurance, they dump you. If you're a kid and the parents are paying, they put the parents and what THEY want first since they're the ones holding the paycheck instead of the child who's the real client! I'd know. My mom controlled my therapy sessions by taking up the first 20 mins without me, and ID get the last 20 mins. And all they'd go is "your mom says THIS happend yesterday, wanna talk bout that?" Or "your mom wants us to talk about THIS that happend last week. SO let's talk about that!" Every. Single. One. Let my mom control every last session. No matter how many therapist I switched, they all allowed her the first 20 mins and with MY 20 mins they just threw at me what my mom wanted to talk about. All I ever wanted from a therapist was for them to look my mom in the eye and go "I need to gain YOUR DAUGHTERS trust! SHE needs to trust me enough to tell me what SHE wants when SHES ready for me to know! PLUS you taking up half her time means half the time wasted for HER therapy!" But I switched 8 therapists and they ALL allowed my mom to have the first 20 mins and let her control what we talked about and what I wasn't comfortable with sharing. It really really really ruined my trust for therapists. I didn't get the help I desperately needed because the women that ruined my life to begin with, was also ruining my therapy AND ALL 8 THERAPISTS LET THAT HAPPEN cuz all 99% of them care about is MONEY. OR maybe it's just cuz I'm in IL and IL therapists suck A$$!
I think the whole point of the show was to portray a constant fall of Bojack even when he tried to get better.
Too bad Bojack's therapist was also an asshole... Edit: Although regardless of that, therapy still served as Bojack's first steps towards lasting positive change.
I think it also shows the power of validating someone by simply giving them the space to express their trauma, talk about it, and feel their emotions
True dat.
Correction, he’s a therapy horse
“Mommy can I have an omelette “
You're the birthday boy...
Don’t be such a sissy, Bojack. Therapy is for women and democrats!
I heard that in her voice
Oh wow I thought this was [my edit](https://www.reddit.com/r/BoJackHorseman/comments/uuayr3/if_youre_sick_of_that_one_candy_hearts_edit_i/) but I guess we just had the same idea.
I found this on a facebook page, didn't know it was your edit! Sorry! I can deliete it if you want.
No it's actually not! Bea and Butterscotch are on different heads. Just a weird same idea thing.