Eleanor Oliphant Might Be Completely Fine
But using therapists to resolve your plot isn’t
Ordinarily, I avoid reading books and watching movies that portray head shrinking because I’m careful to maintain a work/life balance. But I couldn’t ignore reading Gail Honeyman’s book, Eleanor Oliphant. Too many people recommended the novel as a delightful portrayal of someone with serious troubles.
I soon saw they were right, and so was I. Eleanor is truly delightful, but the book did remind me of work. Over my years as a therapist, I’ve sat with dozens of Eleanors and many of them were delightful, too. By Eleanors, I mean disturbed and painfully lonely young women, awkward around people, scarred by horrifying secrets. The world is full of Eleanors.
I found the book easier to read than many case notes. When most shrinks write about their Eleanors, and everyone else, for that matter, they rely on far too many buzzwords and jargon. In my own writing, I try to avoid those words that therapists use and, instead, trust plain speech to describe human thoughts, feelings, and behavior.
Oddly, using common language freshens things up for me. Imagine my dismay when I hear the speech of ordinary people sprinkled with psychiatric jargon. If I’ve got to hear another person talk about codependency, narcissism…
