Therapy Done Right

Lo dejamos acá

Does Verón ever work like a psychoanalyst? What kind of psychotherapy would employ such interventions? Family psychotherapy? Does the film represent a psychotherapist's or a patient’s fantasy, or both? How many professional boundaries does Verón violate?

Emcee: "... requires passion, curiosity... the award for Excellence in Psychology goes to Ulises Verón." 
Screen: ”EXCELLENCE IN PSYCHOLOGY AWARD...” (0:00)

Verón: "... Argentina is the home to more psychoanalysts than any other country... suffering from some kind of disorder, be it mental or behavioral... I had a patient... a well-renowned psychologist... abandoned his patients... a patient... continuous counseling twice a week... found him dead... habitual... as his therapist... his patients... Honestly... " (0:02)

Verón tells Eugenio, "... I’m... your wife’s therapist." 
”... Don’t worry...” 
”... you’re a narcissist and a pathological liar...”
”... I'm Mónica's therapist...” 
”... you’re the smartest man...” (0:05)

Verón in session with patient Florencia (0:08)

By telephone, Verón’s daughter and receptionist Paula tells someone, "... I’m worried..." 
Paula tells Verón, ”... booked you a first-time patient consultation.” (0:08)

By telephone, Verón’s driver tells someone, "... don’t worry about me." 
: ”... Don’t be too worried.” (0:09)

Television host, introducing Verón: "... the best psychologist..." (0:10)

Mónica, in session with Verón: "... after being passed out..." (0:13)

Author Martín Bouchard, in his first encounter with Verón: "Of all the psychologists in Buenos Aires..." 
Verón: ”... in this type of therapy... make smart choices...” 
”... making smart choices...?” 
Bouchard: ”... I have a problem with alcohol. I’m always drunk while I write... Hemingway said it’s best to write while in a drunken stupor... you’re completely sober...” 
”Honestly, I don’t know... I keep increasing the dose... The more drunk I am...” 
Verón: “... Your conflict with alcohol?... drinking to be drunk...” 
”... Don't worry about that...” 
Bouchard: ”... with other psychologists... gave you that psychology award...” 
”... Ulises Verón is my therapist... Don’t worry...” (0:15)

Verón tells Paula, "... thank you for the vote of confidence." 
”... Don’t worry.” 
Paula, referring to Bouchard: "... accept him as a patient?" (0:20)

Bouchard tells Verón, "... honestly, I thought you’d reject me as a patient." 
Verón: ”... nothing to worry about here.” 
”... a good psychologist charges...” 
Bouchard: ”... how obsessed I am with your approach...” 
Bouchard: ”... they feel emotions...” 
Verón: ”You’re subconsciously prioritizing...” 
Bouchard: ”I thought people went to therapy to talk about their parents.” (0:21)

Session with patient Florencia (0:25)

Verón tells Florencia, "Don’t worry..." 
Verón tells Florencia’s mother Norma: ”... Florencia’s psychologist.” 
Norma: “... you need a psychologist for?” (0:26)

Norma: "... Therapy?..." 
Verón: ”... applying this form of exposure therapy...” 
Norma: ”... for a psychologist to help?” 
Florencia reads: ”The microaggressions...” 
”... You are... narcissistic... competitive... through my therapist...” (0:27)

Bouchard tells Verón, "... a little burst of euphoria..." (0:33)

Verón tells Paula, “... don’t worry...”
Verón tells patient Claudio Iturbide, ”... dividing my patients... any type of therapy...” 
”... a man with some intelligence...” 
”... Be strong. Okay? Be strong.” (0:39)

Bouchard tells Verón, "To be honest... bad writer’s block... drank way too much..." (0:46)

Bouchard tells Verón, “... honestly..." 
”... the story of a psychologist, but not just a regular psychologist... his patients... has a patient who... psychologist starts stalking.... The psychologist...” 
”A psychopath...” 
Verón: ”...Psychopathy is a true disorder... diagnosing it...” 
Bouchard: ”... a madman, completely obsessed with solving his patients’ problems... this type of therapy...” (0:49)

Paula’s friend Thiago answers Verón, "Psychology." (0:53)

Verón asks Thiago, "... you’re a future psychologist?..." 
Thiago: “... too many psychologists...”
Verón tells Paula, ”... I’m curious...” 
Thiago: ”... a ton of psychologists... where psychologists grab the reins in the lives of their patients... for our patients...” 
”... All other therapists... if therapy can really help their patients...” 
Paula asks Thiago, ”... a messiah complex?” 
Thiago: ”... a messiah complex... in the words of Lacan...” 
Paula: “... Lacan was quite lucky...” (0:54)

The interviewer tells Bouchard, "It’s a beautiful metaphor..." (0:59)

Verón tells Bouchard, "... prolonging your therapy..." 
Bouchard: ”... you’re ending the treatment...” 
Verón: ”... Don’t worry about me...” (1:00)

Session with Florencia (1:02)

Bouchard, appearing intoxicated, tells Verón, referring to the critics and the book, "... They’re obsessed with it..." 
”... pointless talk therapy?” 
”... you’re not my psychologist anymore...” (1:04)

Does Verón think Bouchard plans to kill himself? (1:07)

Verón tells Bouchard, "... I was worried about you." 
”... a completely therapeutic decision...” 
Bouchard: ”Therapeutic?...”
”You’re completely mad...” 
Bouchard’s head strikes a hard object, rendering him unconscious. (1:09)

In a session with Mónica, Verón appears to hallucinate Bouchard. (1:15)

Host: “... renowned psychologist Ulises Verón...”
The host tells Verón, "Don’t worry about it.” 
Verón appears to hallucinate Bouchard.
The host reads: ”... multiple traces of alcohol... he was a patient of yours...” 
Verón: ”... he was my patient... I’m in shock...” 
Host: “... a major shock...”
Claudio: ”... I’m a former patient...”
”... You know I’m on antidepressants... escitalopram, fluoxetine.” 
Verón: ”... the one who overmedicated you...” (1:17)

Verón appears to hallucinate Bouchard. (1:21)

Paula tells Verón, "... fight with a patient..." 
Verón: ”... not with a patient... not my patient...”
Paula: “... the illusion you have...” 
Paula reads to Verón: ”... for his patients...” 
”... Of all the patients... like your patient who froze to death...” 
”... never your patient?... wakes up and tells everybody?...” (1:22)

Verón fills a syringe. (1:25)

After injecting Bouchard intravenous port, Verón tells Bouchard, "... I put a bit of a stimulant in your IV..." (1:28)

Bruno Alarcón tells Emilio, "... I’m Erica’s psychologist." 
”... you’re a narcissistic son-of-a-bitch.” 
Emilio: ”... I’m Erica’s psychologist.”
”Erica’s psychologist.” (1:30)

Bouchard tells the actor playing Alarcón, "... Try not to worry..." (1:31)

Verón tells the actor playing Alarcón, "... your self-esteem is at rock bottom." 
Alarcón, referring to his mother: ”No, she passed away.” (1:32)

Verón and Bouchard, appearing intoxicated, engage in heavy drinking. (1:34)