In Treatment: Sophie: Session 1

This video begins a session-by-session analysis of Sophie's therapy.

Narrator: Sophie's therapy was successful.

Let's follow along session by session to see why.

Sophie: Here?

Therapist: Oh do you need any help with the uh....

Sophie: No, it's ok.

Sophie: After my accident, I told you on the phone about my accident?

Therapist: Yes.

Sophie: They told me that I need the opinion of a psychiatrist

because the insurance company of the car that hit me has a problem

with my injuries or something like that.

So, that's why I am here.

I'm here for your professional opinion not for...

Therapist: Not for .. therapy?

Narrator: Sophie was rode her bike into the street

and was struck by an oncoming car.

She wants Paul to state in writing that in his opinion she did not attempt suicide.

The session with Paul could have been avoided had Sophie answered

questions posed by a social worker hired by the car driver's insurance company.

But she refused to do so.

Sophie doesn't remember the accident but was told she flew her bike into the street

a phrase that reminds of a previous accident.

Sophie: It reminds me of something about 2 years ago.

A friend of mine took me out on this motorbike and he stopped to get

something at the convenience store.

Anyways, I was really bored so I pretended I knew how to drive it.

You know, you put your hands on the handlebars and it goes like this.

Well, it was one of those monster bikes. Just by turning the handle a little

it just flies.

So, suddenly I like zoom and it takes off and my head whips back like this

and when I looked back down I realized I am riding into the street

I totally crashed into a car.

Narrator: Both accidents could very well could have been suicide attempts

so Sophie probably needs therapy. It's Paul's job to show her

that it is safe to let him treat her. He does this by gently probing her

personality and showing he is on her side.

Paul: Do you feel comfortable talking about yourself?

Sophie: No. (long pause)

My name's Sophie. I'm 16 years old. I've been a gymnast since the age 6 1/2.

I was US Jr. Champion at the age of 12.

I'm an only child.

I dunno. What do you wanna know?

In another few months are the national trials, last chance to qualify for the Olympics.

I'm kinda like an "Olympic hopeful".

Paul: Wow. That's really impressive. Congratulations.

Sophie: Thank you.

Paul: So how is, life in general?

Sophie: What?

Paul: Apart from the gymnastics, how's life?

Sophie: It's great.

Narrator: Paul's interventions are working. Motivating Sophie to test him in various ways.

Sophie: Doesn't sound like you're interested.

Paul: Why would you say that Sophie? I am very interested in everything you have to say.

I mean that.

Sophie: You spoke to my mother already didn't you?

Paul: I didn't speak to your mother.

Sophie: You already know what it says in there.

Paul: I never spoke to your mom.

Sophie: You DID talk to her and you're just letting me sit here.

You know exactly what is in that envelope.

Paul: Was I supposed to talk to her?

Sophie: What did you plan everything? Like I'm some kind of idiot you planned this little charade.

Sophie: What's the point? Whatever. Of course she would send me to someone like you.

I should have listened to my father. He called them a "cult of crazies"

Open the door for me please!

Narrator: Paul and Sophie probe each other and then Paul takes Sophie's side

and begins a therapy called "treatment by attitudes".

Paul: According to what it says here. It looks like you could have died too.

Sophie: Yeah. That would have solved a lot of problems.

Paul: What would it solve?

Sophie: Nothing. I didn't mean anything by it.

Can I talk to you like a normal person? Do you drive your daughter crazy with questions like this too?

Paul: Oh much more crazy believe me.

Paul: You said with the, uh, social worker spoke to you like she knew you.

Sophie: She was such a retard.

Paul: Did she ask you if you think about death a lot?

Sophie: How did you know that?

Paul: According to what it says here, she was trying to prove the accident was your fault.

Good thing you didn't answer any of her questions.

Paul: By the way, everybody thinks about death. I bet you didn't say that though.

Did she ask you if you had any specfic thoughts about death?

Sophie: No.

Paul: Do you?

Sophie: Do I what?

Paul: Everyone thinks about death and, uh, imagines how it will come to them.

Do you have any more specific thoughts about it?

Maybe you have certain thoughts you would like to talk about.

Narrator: Paul continues working on Sophie's attitude by suggesting that she may have wanted

to get angry with her mother. He then probes for her sources of support

bringing the session to an end.

Paul: Before when you angry when you thought she had called me

I asked myself, "Why didn't she call?" It makes sense that she would call me first.

Sophie: I don't....what do you mean?

Paul: I'm just trying to figure out why you got so angry when thought she called me.

Sophie: I don't get it. You mean she did call?

Paul: No, no no.

Sophie: Did she call or not? Tell me already!

Paul: No, she didn't call.

Sophie: So why we back to this again?

Paul: Because I got the feeling when you got angry you wanted your mother

to call just so you can get angry with her.

Sophie: You have no idea what I'm looking for.

You just DON'T get it.

Paul: So why don't you explain it to me then.

Sophie:She thinks what's written there is true.

Paul: What's true?

Sophie: Whatever it says-suicidal tendencies, blah, blah, blah.

Paul: That's what your mother says is true?

Sophie: She thinks this accident is a wonderful opportunity to get rid of this "sports thing"

That's what she calls it.

Paul: But what does that have to do with this report?

Sophie: She's afraid. She doesn't believe that...she thinks that because

of all this competition and perfectionism, she thinks I wanted to kill myself.

And that is Bullshit.

Paul: Who do you call?

Sophie: Who do I call for what?

Paul: When you need to talk to someone?

Sophie: 411

Paul: 411?

Sophie: Yeah. The reason is my father's moved so many times in the past

few years I can never remember his latest phone number.

It's like a family joke. We call 411.

Paul: How do you get on with your dad?

Sophie: He's always there for me.

Paul: What do you mean he's "always there for you"?

Sophie: He's there. He knows what's happening to me. Like when I had the accident,

he called me when I was in the ambulance. He knew something had happened.

That's what they told me.

Paul: Oh. So it's like you guys have a kind of telepathy together?

Sophie: He's the only person in this world who truly loves me.

And the only one who believes that the accident was not my fault.

The only one except, Sy.

Paul: Who's Sy?

Sophie: This is Sy.

Paul: Sy is a mermaid?

Sophie: No. Sy drew it.

He's my coach.

Dana colored it. That's his daughter.

I used to be her babysitter.

Paul: So Sy is the only person apart from your dad who loves you?

Or he's the only one who thinks you didn't crash your bike on purpose?

Sophie: I don't know. Is that important for your professional opinion?