gradPSYCH - September 2011 - (Page 28)

“Obsessed” Premise: With the help of mental health professionals, each episode of this A&E reality show peers into the mind of a patient with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Objects of fixation include odd numbers, electrical outlets and incessant tapping. Professional take: It may feel overly dramatic at times, but this show gets much closer to reality than most “reality” fare, says Ondrusek, who once worked with the show’s executive producer, Rob LaPlante. By chronicling therapy in an episodic manner — showing the problems, the intake, the treatment and posttreatment — Ondrusek says, “Obsessed” generally captures how legitimate therapy “requires time, work and adequate therapeutic intervention.” Part of the show’s credibility, he adds, comes from the fact that therapy doesn’t always work or the client relapses, illustrating a fundamental truth of treatment: “There’s not a magic cure.” Unfortunately, plenty of fans watch “Obsessed” not to learn about therapy but to revel in other people’s problems — and that can make psychologists squirm. “It’s a big piece of the attraction,” notes Farley. “Hoarders” Premise: This other OCD-themed offering from A&E takes viewers into the lives of compulsive hoarders who are buried beneath the things they collect, be they clothing, newspapers, trash or cats. Each episode tends to be set in motion by a crisis, such as a threat of eviction or an investigation by child and family services. Professional take: Hoarding expert Randy Frost, PhD, says he believes “Hoarders” should be credited for making people aware of a serious and oft-misunderstood problem. “It’s clear that they aren’t just lazy and messy but have no control over behavior,” says Frost, the author of the 2011 book “Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things.” But Frost also says the program oversimplifies treatment for hoarding, often portraying a big one-weekend cleanup as some kind of major breakthrough. “We know that is not the case,” says Frost, “because that doesn’t change [long-term] behavior.” Frost is also a little uncomfortable with what he describes as the show’s “exploitative” undercurrent — something Farley recognizes, too. Given the visual redundancy of this one — scene after scene of houses stuffed to the rafters — Farley believes this show says more about our own voyeurism than anything else. Although professional psychologists are brought in to help, most of the show seems to fixate on jaw-dropping clutter and filth. “You have this interesting show,” says Farley, “but you don’t see what works with these people over the long term.” “Intervention” JOHN F. KENNEDY UNIVERSITY Change Your Today. ■ Master of Arts Counseling Psychology – Holistic Marriage and Family Therapy Integral Psychology Sport Psychology www.jfku.edu ■ Online Certiﬁcate in Exercise and Sport Performance Doctor of Psychology 800.696.5358 ■ Internships Available © 2011 JFKU 9453 Future. Premise: Each episode in this A&E reality series chronicles the life of someone struggling with addiction who’s about to face an intervention staged by friends and family. The addict is given a choice: either get treatment or risk estrangement from loved ones. Professional take: The show’s value, says Dennis Marikis, PhD, is in shining a light on the challenges people face in overcoming addiction. But the praise stops there for Marikis, a therapist who consulted on one of the program’s as-yet-unaired “celebrity” editions. As with many reality shows, the nuance and complexity of the patient’s problems disappear in the editing process, he says. “That’s the part that’s always To learn more, visit misportrayed — the messiness and the hard work of it all, on the therapeutic side and the side of the people being treated.” Even though treatment may carry on for or call months, the show is boiled down to a few Four California campuses tidy, powerful moments of self-realization. Marikis worries that some viewers may walk away from the show thinking treatment is a A Nonproﬁt University Accredited by WASC short and easy process. An Afﬁliate of The National University System Unfortunately, he says, “real life isn’t like www.nusystem.org that.” n Dave Jamieson is a writer in Washington, D.C. 28 • gradPSYCH • September 2011 http://www.jfku.edu http://www.nusystem.org http://www.jfku.edu

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of gradPSYCH - September 2011

GradPSYCH - September 2011
Contents
Interns: Be sure to track your hours
Students often notice but only sometimes blow the whistle on peers’ ethical violations
Psychology student spearheads coming-out project
Internship application costs rise
Odd Jobs
Media Picks
Chair’s Corner
Research Roundup
Matters to a Degree
The new academic job market
Applier beware
Does TV accurately portray psychology?
Safer travels
How to handle a tough audience
Free Money for Education
Meet your new advocates
Bulletin Board
Jobs, internships, postdocs and other opportunities
The Back Page

gradPSYCH - September 2011

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