Psychotherapists are frequently portrayed in film as omniscient healers, seductive figures, boundary-violating anti-heroes, or ethically compromised saviours. These portrayals are not merely entertainment; they shape powerful cultural fantasies about therapy that often enter the consulting room.

This webinar offers a critical examination of how therapists are represented in cinema and how these images influence client expectations, trainee therapists’ internal models of practice, and assumptions about therapeutic power and intimacy. Drawing on psychodynamic and relational perspectives, the session explores how cinematic depictions exaggerate authority, collapse boundaries, and dramatise erotic transference in ways that distort the realities of ethical psychotherapy.

The webinar will also examine the broader cultural myths that cinema circulates about psychotherapy—myths of cure, confession, mastery, and emotional omnipotence—and how these narratives subtly influence transference, countertransference, and professional identity. Through selected film examples and clinical reflection, participants will be invited to consider how therapists can recognise, contain, and work thoughtfully with these inherited images rather than unconsciously enact them. This session is designed to deepen clinicians’ cultural and relational awareness, sharpen ethical sensitivity, and support more reflective engagement with the powerful fantasies that accompany therapeutic work.

Venue: Live Webinar (Zoom registration required. Please check your booking confirmation email).

Date: Wednesday, 6th May, 2026 

Time: 6.30 p.m. to 8.00 p.m. (Sydney/Melbourne/Canberra Time)

Cost: Free (Live Webinar Only)

$19 (Live Webinar &/or Access to Recording for 60 days)

CPD Certificate: 1.5 Hours. CPD certificates are issued to attendees who meet one of the following criteria: attend the live webinar with at least 80% attendance, or watch the webinar recording and complete the associated assessment component.

About Dr Kris Rao: Kris is a psychotherapist & a psychoanalyst primarily providing long term therapy for complex trauma disorders. He is also a clinical supervisor for the Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychotherapy (ANZAP) training program. He has a Master of Science in Medicine (Psychotherapy) and a Doctorate in Psychoanalysis. Kris teaches ethics & psychodynamic psychotherapy as adjunct faculty at universities and higher education institutions across Australia and New Zealand.

About eiseEducation: eiseEducation is a global leader in professional development for psychotherapists and mental health practitioners. We offer expert-led webinars, short courses, and training programs designed to deepen clinical skills and support evidence-based practice. With roots in Australia and New Zealand and an expanding global audience, eiseEducation is committed to empowering those who support mental health and emotional well-being around the world. Discover more at eiseeducation.com

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