A clinical look at grief, therapeutic alliance, self-disclosure, countertransference and the ethics of caring Shrinking is warm, funny and emotionally intelligent-and also a catalogue of choices that a real therapist should not copy. Its most useful question is not whether Jimmy’s rule-breaking occasionally helps. It is whether care can remain brave, honest and human without making the client carry the therapist’s grief. The puzzle is a fitting image for Shrinking: people ra

A psychological look at shame, perfectionism, identity and the courage to be seen Beneath the neon battles, impossible choreography and dangerously catchy songs, KPop Demon Hunters tells a tender story about the exhausting work of looking flawless while fearing that the truth will make love disappear. HUNTR/X look effortless on stage. The story asks what that polished image costs when one member believes she must hide part of herself to remain loved. Official promotional sti

An attachment-informed look at emotional safety, “the ick,” interfaith identity and the difference between chemistry and compatibility Joanne and Noah have the kind of chemistry romantic comedies are built to sell. The more interesting question is what happens after the spark-when two adults must decide whether love can make room for faith, family, vocation and the selves they were before they met. Joanne and Noah’s attraction is immediate. The harder work is deciding what t

A warm clinical guide to worry, adolescence, identity and making room for every emotion Pixar’s colourful sequel gives Anxiety the keys to a teenager’s inner control room. The result is funny, painfully recognisable-and much more psychologically thoughtful than a simple story about defeating worry. Anxiety works best as part of an emotional team-not as the permanent chief executive. Original editorial illustration created for My Mind Elevation. THE SHORT ANSWER Anxiety is no

A clinical look at Jamie, shame, masculinity and youth violence Netflix’s four-part drama does not hand us a neat diagnosis. It asks a more unsettling question: how can an ordinary child, an ordinary family and an ordinary school become part of an extraordinary act of violence? The series makes us hold two truths at once: Jamie is a frightened child, and he is responsible for a fatal act. Photography: Ben Blackall/Netflix. Official promotional still: © Netflix. THE SHORT ANS

When the wish to be loved turns into a cage Curry Barker’s supernatural horror film turns the dream of perfect reciprocation into a nightmare. What can it teach us about longing, idealisation, consent and the difference between intense desire and love? A familiar doorway becomes threatening when affection no longer respects distance. Official promotional still: © Focus Features. THE SHORT ANSWER Obsession is not a clinical case study. It is a supernatural horror metaphor. It