Successful stories are driven by authentic and interesting characters, so it’s important to craft them carefully. But characters don’t usually exist in a vacuum; throughout the course of your story, they’ll live, work, play, and fight with other cast members. Some of those relationships are positive and supportive, pushing the protagonist to positive growth and helping them achieve their goals. Other relationships do exactly the opposite—derailing your character’s confidence and self-worth—or they cause friction and conflict that leads to fallout and disruption. Many relationships hover somewhere in the middle. A balanced story will require a mix of these dynamics.
The purpose of this thesaurus is to encourage you to explore the kinds of relationships that might be good for your story and figure out what each might look like. Think about what a character needs (good and bad), and build a network of connections for him or her that will challenge them, showcase their innermost qualities, and bind readers to their relationship trials and triumphs.
Therapist and Patient
Description:
A patient visits a therapist to receive treatment and rehabilitation in support of their mental and emotional wellbeing. A therapist’s guidance helps the patient identify their emotions, cope with daily challenges, reduce symptoms of mental illness, and make life choices.
The term “therapist” is a broad one that encompasses social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, life coaches, and more. The label also applies to counselors who deal with marital, family, and substance abuse issues, among others.
Relationship Dynamics
Below are a wide range of dynamics that may accompany this relationship. Use the ideas that suit your story and work best for your characters to bring about and/or resolve the necessary conflict.
A therapist and patient working together willingly to solve a problem
A therapist working with a reluctant patient, such as a teen whose parent is making them attend sessions or an addict partaking in court-enforced rehab
A patient seeing an overworked or incompetent therapist who isn’t really helping
Two willing participants who just aren’t a good fit for each other
A once-willing patient backsliding into destructive habits and no longer being honest with their therapist
A long-term patient becoming frustrated with their lack of progress and pulling away from the therapist
A therapist becoming too emotionally involved in a patient’s situation
A needy patient demanding too much time or attention from their therapist
Challenges That Could Threaten The Status Quo
The therapist quitting their practice
The patient or therapist relocating
Insurance changing for either the patient or the therapist’s practice
Either party developing feelings beyond the professional relationship
The therapist gossiping about the patient
Either party accusing the other of inappropriate conduct
The patient suffering a severe setback (a relapse, family tragedy, job loss, breakup, etc.)
Someone the patient knows receiving care from the same therapist
The patient refusing to participate in a session
The therapist giving the patient bad guidance or wrongly diagnosing them
The patient not following through on their appointments, promises, or the advice of the therapist
The patient coming off of prescribed medication for mental health reasons
The patient’s situation stirring up painful memories for the therapist
The patient giving the therapist a bad review
The patient failing to pay for services
The therapist not having the skills, knowledge, or experience to help the patient
The patient lying to the therapist
The therapist exerting too much control over the patient
Conflicting Desires that Can Impair the Relationship
The patient wanting to stop therapy before the therapist believes they are ready
The therapist wanting to put the patient on medication, and the patient resists
Either party wanting a different amount of time together than the other party
Either party wanting to bring a third party into the sessions, while the other does not
The therapist wanting to refer the patient to someone else
The patient wanting more access to and communication with the therapist
The therapist wanting information the patient is not yet ready to reveal
The patient wanting to finish therapy in order to meet an external requirement, while the therapist wants them to accept help
The patient wanting to keep secrets from the therapist
Either party wanting control
Either party wanting a personal relationship
The patient wanting the therapist to lie on their behalf
The patient wanting to maintain behaviors, believing they can self-monitor them
The patient expecting an unrealistic outcome based on what is possible through therapy
Clashing Personality Trait Combinations
Persuasive and Gullible, Dishonest and Honorable, Courteous and Disrespectful, Judgmental and Oversensitive, Independent and Needy, Ambitious and Lazy, Discreet and Gossipy, Confrontational and Timid, Nurturing and Withdrawn
Negative Outcomes of Friction
The patient quitting therapy
The therapist refusing to see the patient
The patient becoming jaded and cynical about therapy
Decreased trust
The therapist experiencing a crisis of self-doubt from being unable to help
Passive-aggressive behaviors
Secret keeping, which increases tension and anxiety
The patient feeling powerless to change their circumstances
The therapist worsening the patient’s mental health instead of improving it
Paranoia and worry
Either party being overwhelmed by the scope of the issues
Fictional Scenarios That Could Turn These Characters into Allies
Sharing a common experience in their personal lives
Coming together to meet the needs of a third party (a child, a spouse with medical concerns, etc.)
The two parties reaching a financial arrangement that suits them both
Showing a united front for an official entity (a court of law, mediation, etc.)
Cooperating and compromising to meet the patient’s needs in an unconventional way
The therapist leading the patient to a significant breakthrough
The patient agreeing to leave an abusive situation with the help of the therapist
A reluctant patient seeing the need for therapy and fully committing to the process
The therapist helping the patient reach a milestone or goal
Ways This Relationship May Lead to Positive Change
A patient learning that not all relationships are untrustworthy
A patient feeling validated and understood
Both parties learning to compromise
Either party feeling empowered by the success of the relationship
The patient reaching a significant goal with the help of the therapist
Learning to respect one another’s viewpoints
The therapist learning to think outside the box to come up with new treatment methods
The patient identifying a longstanding issue and being able to deal with it
Lessons learned in therapy helping the patient succeed in numerous areas of life
Themes and Symbols That Can Be Explored through This Relationship
A fall from grace, Alienation, A quest for knowledge, Beginnings, Deception, Depression, Disorder, Freedom, Friendship, Health, Hope, Illness, Innocence, Journeys, Loss, Mystery, Obstacles, Perseverance, Recognition, Refuge, Sacrifice, Stagnation, Suffering, Teamwork, Transformation, Vulnerability
Other Relationship Thesaurus entries can be found here.
Need More Descriptive Help?
While this thesaurus is still being developed, the rest of our descriptive collection (15 unique thesauri and growing) is accessible through the One Stop for Writers THESAURUS database.
If you like, swing by and check out the video walkthrough, and then give our Free Trial a spin.
Becca Puglisi is an international speaker, writing coach, and bestselling author of The Emotion Thesaurus and its sequels. Her books are available in five languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. She is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge with others through her Writers Helping Writers blog and via One Stop For Writers—a powerhouse online library created to help writers elevate their storytelling.