Gina quotes from In Treatment

Gina

I always ask myself, 'If they were to diagnose therapists whose marriages fell apart, how many cases of erotic transference would they find?'

Paul

What does that mean?

Gina

That sometimes erotic transference in therapy is a test of your married life. If a therapist can't handle a situation where his patient falls in love with him, it may indicate some breakdown in his private life.

Paul

There was a time when I used to talk about my patients, when Ian was a kid. I would share... share details.

Gina

Kate. You don't mean Ian.

Paul

Both of them at the dinner table. I see that look of horror on your face. No, I was pretty discreet actually. I never mentioned any names. If someone mentioned rats, I'd say, 'I had a patient with a fear of rats', 'dreamed about rats every night.' You know, stuff like that.

Gina

You don't do that now?

Paul

No. But I remember when Ian was about 10, he asked me, 'Dad, what's an alcoholic?' And I told him about this patient of mine who needed a drink actually to get out of bed in the morning. [pause] One day this man came up to the office and he was... kind of staggering and Ian said, 'Dad, is that the alcoholic?'

Gina

You're using me as your accomplice. Not in a practical way. But emotionally, to help you move on from them [your patients]. That way you're free to be with Laura.

Paul

You know, I don't even want to say to that. I mean, what... are you doing? Is this what you call help? 'cause that's why I came here. I came here for you to help me. I keep saying this. But through some misguided line of reasoning, through some narcissistic... need of yours to save the day, to put yourself at the front and the center, we've ended up here. In this same place... just to confirm that you, Gina, are right. As always.

Paul

I fantasize about Laura. Look, it's like a gynecologist. It's easier for women to believe that their male gynecologist doesn't have any sexual desire for them. Of course, they want him to find their bodies attractive as well.

Gina

Paul.

Paul

Don't they?

Gina

Don't break down the relationship between a woman and her gynecologist. That's the deep end.

Gina

Easier to see patterns when they're not ours.

Paul

Or we see them but we can't avoid them. That's worse.

Gina

The way you took critique, it made you furious. You know, it was one professional assessment. And you took it personally. So personally, I had to wonder if it wasn't an echo of an earlier rejection.

Paul

Please, Gina. Not this again. I know exactly where you're going with this.

Gina

A son who feels he's disappointed his father. A son who feels he hasn't lived up to his father's expectations. It's something you would want to address.

Paul

Please don't minimize what you said to me. I wasn't reacting to something in my past in relation to my father.

Gina

One review drove you out of the institute.

Paul

That letter pissed on eight years of my work. Despite it, though, I did become an excellent therapist. Some people might say that... I became a better therapist than you.