Mental Health Monday - Therapy Fit for a King

Over the weekend I finally had a chance to see the Academy Award winning movie “The King’s Speech,” the true story of the life-changing experience of Britain’s King George VI with a no-nonsense speech therapist. Although it’s a stammer that brings the king to therapy, the psychological underpinnings and emotional scars which feed the speech defect do not go ignored by the movie; nor does the film downplay the power of the therapeutic relationship as an agent of transformation.

Lionel Logue, the speech therapist, was a far cry from most of the doctors with whom King George (or Bertie, as he was called) had previously worked. In Logue’s work with Bertie, he did a number of things right, therapeutically. For starters, Logue was genuine: he did not “beat around the bush” or waste time with false pretenses—something which many in Logue’s position may have been inclined to do, given the status of his famous client. He was also accepting of Bertie (for the most part), yet he did not let his acceptance of the client prevent him from appropriately pushing Bertie further. Along this line, Logue demonstrated something called “unconditional positive regard,” a term client-centered therapists use to describe the concept of holding individuals in high regard and focusing on their intrinsic worth despite their limitations. Logue was also empathetic, the key to good, effective therapy. He felt his client’s pain and delighted in Bertie’s successes. He allowed himself to experience what the King was experiencing to the fullest extent possible. Therapists with these traits are the “real deal,” and often are quite effective as agents of change in their clients’ lives.

Now Logue had his downfalls, too, and ethical shortcomings (which will not be discussed here so as not to spoil the movie for those who--like me--have fallen behind on their Redbox rentals). If you have not already seen it, do yourself a favor and rent “The King’s Speech” sometime soon. The film is a testament to the powerful ability of therapy to change lives. The next time you’re in the market for a therapist, ask yourself if the person sitting across from you is the “real deal”—genuine, accepting, warm, and empathetic. Find a professional with these qualities because, in therapy, every client deserves to be treated like royalty.