Thursday, February 14, 2008

In Treatment, week three: Sophie

Talk about the latest "In Treatment" visit for our young gymnast here.
Posted by Alan Sepinwall at 7:24 AM
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9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Poor little Sophie is breaking my heart. She blames herself for her parents' break-up, the break of her father's second marriage, and now the problem with Cy. Also, Sophie saying she was the aggressor with Cy makes me wonder if she's been molested before, or if Cy has played a mindgame with her to make her think what happened is all her fault.

Does Paul have any obligation to report what happened with Sophie & Cy to the authorities, or does even that fall under doctor/patient confidentiality? It seems okay for him to call her mom to talk about his suspicions that she might try to kill herself, but what about the molestation? Is he allowed to tell anyone about that?

Interesting that so far, Sophie is the only patient that doesn't trigger any aggressive response from Paul vis-a-vis his own problems. Is he naturally protective because she's his daughter's age (or close to it)? Or are we simply seeing the side of Paul that's a good therapist, the part of him that isn't cracking up yet? What do you think, Alan (or Alan's other readers)? I know we'll get some hint when Paul speaks to Gina, but I'd like to know what everyone else thinks.

11:19 AM, February 14, 2008
Unknown said...

Sophie's emotional difficulties when her parents broke up should serve as a warning to Paul that if he and Kate break up -- for his "new wife" (Laura) -- his own teenage daughter, Rosie, and 9-year-old son, Max, will suffer similar pain.

12:49 PM, February 14, 2008
Anonymous said...

I think Paul is most professional with Sophie, but he did seem a little more eager than usual to hear her reaction to her parents' divorce- maybe he's thinking about how his kids will react to his marriage crumbling.

1:22 PM, February 14, 2008
Anonymous said...

Paul is definitely obligated to report Sophie's coach for child sexual abuse - psychologists are mandatory reporters, at least in the two states where I've practiced (MO and KY). Can't imagine it's any different where he is.

1:29 PM, February 14, 2008
Unknown said...

The coache's "exual abuse?" Sounds more like rape if she was 16 or under at the time -- depending on the state law. Who knows what other girls he has had sex with? They all have crushes on him, and he has power over him. In some states, it's also a crime for a psychotherapist to have sex with a patient -- even if the patient wants it or consents -- because of the transference issue.

1:50 PM, February 14, 2008
Shawn Anderson said...

Paul is definitely protective of Sophie, as he should be of a minor... but you're right in assuming that it also has to do with her being his daughter's age.

Sophie obviously has a strong desire to be loved, with an emotionally absent mother who (perhaps unintentionally) makes her think that her father's leaving is her fault. She uses the only think she can think of to keep Cy from leaving. While it's possible that Cy didn't fully intend 'it' to happen, he's very guilty of not being the adult in the equation.

I think Paul wants to report it, but Sophie will interpret Cy's arrest/detainment again as her fault. The balance beam is a good metaphor for the situation. Can't shift weight too far in any direction, or she'll fall right off.

3:08 PM, February 14, 2008
Unknown said...

Good point. Paul should report Cy to the cops, but that could push Sophie over the edge, because she still believes Cy is a good man. Also, Sophie will feel betrayed by Paul just as she began to trust him. Now, watch the mother start flirting with Paul -- like every other woman on the show, except his wife.

3:49 PM, February 14, 2008
Anonymous said...

While it's possible that Cy didn't fully intend 'it' to happen, he's very guilty of not being the adult in the equation.


ITA. Also, he let her sleep in his bed with him so much that Dana would look for Sophie in there (which I'm sure sent his wife through the roof). He was already turning Sophie into his "wife"--she shared his bed, his kid, his home. From that standpoint, the sex was inevitable. What a colossal tool Cy is.

6:31 PM, February 14, 2008
Cinemania said...

Cy is beyond a tool. He's a beast. It doesn't matter who the aggressor is in the situation, he's the adult authority figure, and allowing the girl to share his bed goes far beyond an error in judgment and enters into the realm of begging for trouble. It is a passive-aggressive way of nurturing a seduction. The guy's a creep and a predator, and should never be allowed near girls this age again.

As for Paul, I'm not familiar with state law, but up here in Canada, if he didn't report the Cy-Sophie relationship to the authorities, he'd be heading for prison tout de suite.

6:43 PM, February 14, 2008

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