Depiction of Therapeutic Intervention in the film "Good Will Hunting"

Mahati Garimella

Remedial for Exam

Good Will Hunting is a story about a 20 year old orphan named Will Hunting, who suffers from an attachment disorder (film didn’t specify the particular disorder) and a fear of abandonment. He was abandoned by his family, and had experienced severe physical abuse as a child, in the hands of his foster father. As an adult he often displays aggressive behaviour, and gets involved in several altercations and fights. His aggressive behaviours go to an extent, where the court ultimately sentences him to jail. However, when a professor at MIT (named Lambeau) discovered Will’s mathematical genius, he negotiates with the court to let Will come out of jail. The court releases Will on two conditions - (i) he will assist the MIT professor in his mathematical research, and (ii) he will go through therapy. This blog post will primarily discuss the film’s portrayal of the therapeutic intervention Will went through.

Following the conditions laid down by the court, Will starts therapy under a therapist called Sean, who is an old friend of Lambeau. Although it is not entirely clear, which school of therapy Sean subscribes to, his therapy evidences many marks of an “Existential approach”.

“Existential psychotherapy” is a school of therapeutic intervention, which places emphasis on the unique identity of each individual; it focuses on their freedom of choice, search for meaning and self-fulfillment. The treatment does not directly aim to alleviate the client’s symptoms (or “cure” them); it attempts to make them aware of their condition, their current actions and choices, and help them realise their freedom, so that they can reach their potential.

Existential therapy emphasises on the I-to-Thou relationship, in which people have the deepest respect for each other and a great sense of relatedness. As a part of the therapeutic process, therapist’s self-disclosure is considered to play an important role; as advocates of freedom and authenticity, the therapists don’t hold themselves back - they express their values and beliefs, give advice, make interpretations, and suggestions. Most importantly, the therapist is required to attentively listen to the clients with empathy, respect, and a non-judgemental attitude.

The therapy sessions portrayed in the film, provide a realistic insight into the key elements involved in existential therapy. During the initial sessions, Sean tried to establish a genuine authentic relationship with Will, so that he becomes comfortable enough to trust him (Sean). Additionally, he makes sure not to directly persuade Will to speak to him, i.e., Sean recognised and accepted Will’s silence during sessions. During one particular session, Will didn’t speak a word. Recognising the resistance, Sean didn’t push Will to speak; he too kept silent. In one way, Sean’s acceptance of his silence, aids in the healthy development of the therapist-client alliance. This is because, the therapist is being “accepting” towards this kind of behaviour on part of the client; thelps the client feel more comfortable and accepted in the therapeutic setting.

The therapeutic relationship Sean created involved intimacy, openness, and real human exchange. For instance, during one of the sessions, Sean starts talking about the details of how he met his wife; and he describes the event with a lot of joy and excitement in his tone. Further, self-disclosure, on part of Sean becomes evident, when he tells Will about his wife’s death, and the physical abuse he went through as a child. Thus, throughout the intervention, Sean didn’t hold himself back; instead he openly expressed his emotions - he attempted to create an I-to-Thou relationship.

However, his open expression, in a few instances, could easily be perceived as breaching of professional ethics. For instance, Sean, provoked by Will’s disrespecting remarks towards his wife, physically abused him (pushed him to the wall, holding his neck), during the first therapy session. Although, Will didn’t seem to be triggered by the incident, such an action on part the therapist certainly risks disturbing the client’s mental state. Especially given that Will was physically abused by his foster father as a child, Sean’s behaviour poses an even greater risk to Will. Furthermore, Sean expresses his annoyance with Will by ending one of the sessions abruptly (before completion of the regular duration), claiming “You’re wasting my time...you and your bullshit”.

In spite of Sean acting in such contentious ways, Will develops a comfortable and amiable relation with him; thus, there was a successful establishment of a positive therapeutic alliance. In this way, the film normalises several questionable behaviours on part of the therapist. Additionally, it pays no heed to the client’s right to confidentiality. Sean often discusses Will’s condition with Lambeau openly. Thus, the film ignores a critical aspect of the therapeutic alliance - the details of the client’s condition shouldn’t be revealed to anyone without his/her will.

On the whole, the film makes a good attempt in capturing the essence of the “existential approach” to therapy. However, although it attempts to portray clinical conditions and therapeutic intervention through a positive lens, it fails to capture the professionalism involved in the dynamics of the therapist-client relationship.