''Couples Therapy'' is an American television series on the
Showtime
Showtime or Show Time may refer to:
Film
* ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film
* ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur
Television Networks and channels
* Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
network. The series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on April 18, 2021. An extended third season premiered on May 13, 2022. It was shown on
BBC Two
BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...
in the UK and is available to watch for free in the UK on the
BBC's
iPlayer
BBC iPlayer (stylised as iPLAYER or BBC iPLAYER) is a video on demand service from the BBC. The service is available on a wide range of devices, including mobile phones and tablets, personal computers and smart televisions. iPlayer services del ...
service.
Overview
Couples Therapy shows parts of the therapy sessions of three to four couples per season. The producers and therapist of the series wanted to show what a therapeutic process actually looks like. They didn't want to show drama to the audiences, but the deep work that real therapy entails.
Dr.
Orna Guralnik
''Couples Therapy'' is an American television series on the Showtime (TV network), Showtime network. The series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on April 18, 2021. An extended third season premiered on May 13, 2022. It was shown o ...
, the couples therapist, meets her patients for the first time when they enter her practice. Her practice features many cameras hidden behind a one-way mirror that surrounds the room. The couples participate in a 20-week therapy program.
The one-hour-sessions are recorded, cut for television and edited into nine episodes. The television series is filmed in New York.
[
There are some rules about the therapy sessions. The couples are not allowed to have any more in-depth discussions about their children, because the children cannot give their consent to the therapy treatment and their life being discussed on television.][ The couples have no contact with the crew members. They only meet the couples therapist Dr. Orna Guralnik. Dr. Orna Guralnik has a counselor, Virginia Goldner, with whom she discusses the therapy process. In the Covid Special she has another counselor, Dr. Kirkland Vaughans.]
In June 2021, it was announced that there would be a third season of Couples Therapy. It started on May 13, 2022.
Idea and realization
Director Josh Kriegman came up with the idea for the series. His parents are both psychotherapists. From an early age he had heard a lot about this work. He was fascinated by the therapy processes and what can be achieved by it. He hoped that he would be able to show the therapy process on television. He thought a long time about how this would work in an authentic way.
Along with the directors Eli B. Despres and Elyse Steinberg, Kriegman planned a reality TV series for Showtime
Showtime or Show Time may refer to:
Film
* ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film
* ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur
Television Networks and channels
* Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
.
At first they wanted to find the right therapist. So the production team interviewed a few therapists in New York. They contacted Dr. Orna Guralnik through her Psychoanalytic Institute. At first Guralnik only wanted to be the counselor for the therapist, but after a few discussions with the directors, she decided to be the therapist and not the counselor. It was important to her that the TV series is very close to real therapy instead of relying on dramatization.
The couples of the series were chosen from thousands in a selection process.[ The selection processes for each couple took about four months in total. When selecting the couples, it was important to the producers that they had emotional intelligence. They also wanted to find couples who didn't just want to be on TV, but had real problems. The viewers should also be able to identify themselves with the couples.][ A variety of couples should be shown, who differ in age, sexual orientation, gender identity or ethnicity. The couples should be open to exploring their relationship. Not all couples were shown in the series. For example, they filmed six couples for the first season and only four couples were shown on television.
The therapy room was designed very similar to Dr. Orna Guralnik's own office. The books, the distance between the therapy chair and the couch for the couples were all taken from Guralnik's own office. The cameras were hidden behind one-way mirrors and were placed all around the room so that they could record every corner of the room.
]
Cast
; The therapist
* Dr. Orna Guralnik is a psychologist
A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and interpretation of how indi ...
, psychoanalyst
PsychoanalysisFrom Greek language, Greek: + . is a set of Theory, theories and Therapy, therapeutic techniques"What is psychoanalysis? Of course, one is supposed to answer that it is many things — a theory, a research method, a therapy, a bo ...
, and the couples therapist of the television series. She describes herself as a systemically oriented couples therapist. As such, she does not view a couple as an individual but as a system.[
; The counselors
* Dr. Virginia Goldner is the counselor of Dr. Orna Guralnik. Guralnik talks to her about the therapy processes, her own feelings and counter-transferences. Virginia Goldner is a psychoanalyst. As such, she does individual, couples and family therapy. She is also a professor at New York University's postdoctoral program in psychotherapy and psychoanalysis.
* Dr. Kirkland Vaughans is the counselor of Dr. Orna Guralnik in the Covid Special. Guralnik contacted him after the murder of George Floyd. Guralniks patients were dealing with their own experiences of racism after hearing of the murder.][ Vaughans is Professor of Psychology at Adelphi University in New York, Director of the Postgraduate Program in Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy, and Clinical Supervisor at the ''National Institute for Psychotherapies''.
; Peer Advisory Group
* Nuar Alsadir, ]PhD PHD or PhD may refer to:
* Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification
Entertainment
* '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series
* ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic
* Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group
** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...
, LP
* Cynthia Chalker, MSS, LCSW
This list is of professional and academic credentials in the field of psychology and allied fields in North America, including education, counseling, social work, and family therapy.
Degrees
Although undergraduate (Bachelor's) degrees for psycho ...
* Ken Cormbett, PhD
* Kali Cyrus, MD, MPH
* Stephen Hartman, PhD
* Tom Inck, PhD
* Eyal Rozmarin, PhD
;The Couples
* Season 1
** Annie & Mau
** Lauren & Sarah (Sam)
** Evelyn & Alan
** Elaine & DeSean
* Covid Special
** Lauren & Sam (Sarah) – from Season 1
** Elaine & DeSean – from Season 1
** Lara & Trey
** Michelle & James
* Season 2
** Michael & Michal
** Tashira & Dru
** Matthew & Gianni
* Season 3
** Ping & Wil
** Molly & Josh
** India & Dale
** Cyn & Yaya
Series overview
Season 1 (2019)
The COVID Special (2020)
Season 2 (2021)
Season 3 (2022)
Awards
TCA Awards
* 2021: TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Reality Programming
International versions
On July 26, 2022, the Australian streaming portal Paramount+ began airing a series of the same name. The psychotherapist is Marryam Chehelnabi. Her therapeutic work is based on the therapy methods of John Gottman. Chehelnabi's supervisor is Lea Crisante. The second season of the series is scheduled to air in November 2022.
See also
* List of programs broadcast by Showtime
Showtime is an American premium cable and satellite television network. Showtime's programming primarily includes theatrically released motion pictures and original television series, along with boxing and mixed martial arts matches, occasional ...
References
External links
*
{{Showtime Network programming
2019 American television series debuts
Showtime (TV network) original programming