STARRING

DIRECTOR

LENGTH

CATEGORY & RATING

AWARDS

POTENTIAL THERAPY RELATED ISSUES

QUESTIONS

Write short essay answers to any four of the following six questions.

1. Narcissists can often be quite intelligent, attractive, and accomplished. This may cause difficulties and challenges in therapy by eliciting various counter transference issues in therapists such as: self worth, competency, relationship problems, career difficulties, appearance, or sexuality. Can you cite any examples from the film which illustrate this?

2. Ripping off a “mask” of a client suffering with the early and unconsciously constructed psychic defense strategy known as narcissistic personality can be severely traumatizing and highly counterproductive. Viewing the carefully crafted mask (the false self) as being a plaster cast supporting an inner broken bone (the true self), one should only remove it cautiously when confident that the bone inside has been sufficiently developed. With this in mind, how might one clinically interpret the following dialogue from the film? Respond briefly and simply.

3. Don Juan: “Your people have taken my mask off Don Octavio. They had no right to do that. I never remove my mask in public. Do you understand the consequences of this?”
Mickler: “Not fully.”
Don Juan: “Well, I'll be cursed. Think how you would feel if you were made to take off this mask that you are wearing!”
Mickler “Oooooh, our masks really get us in Dutch don't they? How long have you been wearing yours?”
Don Juan: “Since I was sixteen, on the day I left my mother, the dark beauty.”
As therapists effect the worlds and lives of their clients, clients too often profoundly effect the lives and worlds of their therapists. In an uncharacteristic and unguarded blurring and reversal of therapist/client roles, Don Juan sits in the chair of Dr. Mickler. Don Juan tells him, “You are a great lover like myself, even though you may have lost your way, and your accent.”
Are there any examples from this film which depict the manner in which Dr. Mickler's “legendary lover” effects the life of his therapist?

4. Describe a treatment plan for one of the characters in the film assuming he or she came to you for psychotherapy.

5. What did you learn from the film that you believe will enhance your clinical skills?

6. How might clients benefit from viewing the film and discussing it in therapy?

DIRECTIONS

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