I watched again my favourite Frasier episode on Channel 4 where the beautifully pompous but vulnerable Pyschiatrist, Frasier, played by the wonderful Kelsey Grammer, offers Kenny, the lonely and depressed Station Manager some therapy sessions.
Frasier analyses Kenny’s childhood, his relationship with his father and “his feelings of worthlessness”. Kenny is now even more depressed.
Marty, Frasier’s straight-talking, retired Police Officer father, takes Kenny for a beer at the local bar after which Kenny perks up and is not to keen to return to therapy, explaining to Frasier that he “just doesn’t have the time to do both.”
Frasier is furious “the object of therapy is not to forget about your problems but to understand them!” Then Marty suggests that Kenny buys a suede jacket “You feel just great in one and women love the feel of it” Marty explains. Kenny is so happy, he’s fit to burst.
Frasier on discovering that Marty is to blame for distracting Kenny from the therapy to cure his depression, reprimands Marty “After a night out with you – he’s prepared to throw away 3 weeks of intense analysis!” “But he’s happy” Marty explains “I thought you would be pleased – don’t you want to see him happy?”
Frasier is exasperated: “Damn it Dad! I’m not trying to make him happy, I’m trying to cure his depression”!
Watching Frasier should be part of some training course somewhere….
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Eileen Murphy
www.brief-therapy-uk.com
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