Evaluating TV's notable post-Sopranos therapists

The Washington Post

With Lorraine Bracco's Dr. Melfi, The Sopranos "wasn't the first TV series to feature a therapist character, but many practitioners cited it as a refreshingly authentic representation of what therapy actually is," says Bethonie Butler. Before The Sopranos, TV therapists tended to fall into two categories, said clinical psychiatry professor Glen Gabbard, author of the 2001 book The Psychology of The Sopranos. “You were either a buffoon or a killer," he said. Butler adds: "In recent years, therapist characters have proliferated across television, in part because of increasing mental health awareness among TV creators and the larger entertainment industry. But not all TV therapists are created equal: In the decades since Tony started his weekly sessions, we’ve seen portrayals that strike similar authenticity, a few that push boundaries and others that resort to harmful tropes." Some of the most notable TV therapists have been on shows that include Monk, In Treatment, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, 13 Reasons Why, Insecure, Normal People, Never Have I Ever and Ted Lasso.