Why So Many Characters in "The Pitt" Could Use EMDR Therapy
Caution – Spoilers here!
My wife and I have been watching the show, The Pitt, which is a popular medical drama streaming on HBO Max. The show follows a 15-hour shift in the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center Emergency Department, dealing with a whole host of patient issues. It stars and is produced by Noah Wyle, the actor from the show ER, and has received widespread acclaim for its writing, directing, and acting, receiving 13 Emmy nominations.
Okay, so I’m going to let you readers in on a little secret about what goes on in my mind. As a trauma therapist, and in particular an EMDR therapist, whenever I hear about a person with behavioral, emotional, or relational issues, I think to myself, “He/she needs to do some EMDR.” This happens ALL THE TIME. Whether it’s people in real life or even fictional characters on TV, never a day goes by without thinking to myself (or saying to my wife), “Oh man, they need to do EMDR!”
The reason for this is that EMDR Therapy is so effective at helping people address their psychological and behavioral issues. For those who are not familiar, EMDR is an evidence-based therapy developed around the idea that current problems are the result of insufficient, maladaptively stored negative experiences from the past.
So, for example, if a person has a fear of driving after a bad car accident, one of the primary things we would seek to do is to reprocess the memory of the car accident. Another example is if a person has insecurities in their relationship. We might explore this, uncover a history of being cheated on by previous partners, and then reprocess these memories. You get the idea.
So, back to The Pitt. And again, if you haven’t seen the show but plan to, please stop reading here because there will be some serious spoilers. Here are some characters who prompted my mind to consider how EMDR therapy would be super helpful for them:
Dr. Michael “Robby” Rabinavitch (played by Noah Wyle)
During the first couple of episodes, we get some clues about some trauma that Dr. Robby experienced here at the hospital four years ago, learning later that his beloved mentor died during COVID while on a ventilator. In one scene, while in the same room where his mentor died, Dr. Robby started having a dissociative flashback, requiring him to rush to the bathroom to splash some water on his face and leaving him frazzled and disoriented. Later in the show, he had an emotional breakdown when he started listing off numerous patients from the past whom he was unable to save, and other traumatic emergency department experiences. He needs to do EMDR therapy to reprocess these traumatic experiences!
Victoria Javadi
This was the young third-year medical student played by Shabana Azeez, who was also the daughter of a prominent surgeon (Dr. Eileen Shamsi) at the hospital. Throughout the show, we learn how much pressure Javadi (they refer to each other by their last names in the show) puts on herself due to her mother’s harsh parenting with extremely high expectations.
This dynamic can have an unintended negative consequence of creating negative core beliefs of “I’m not good enough” or “I have to be perfect”, which then leads to overcompensating behaviors that can be exhausting. Now, in the show, Javadi’s development has also fostered academic excellence, of course, but seemingly at a cost to Javadi’s sense of worth and subsequent need to excel. Javadi could definitely do some EMDR work on her developmental experiences with her mom.
Louie the Alcoholic
In The Pitt, we see a friendly, smiling man named Louie (played by Ernest Harden Jr.) who is brought back to the Emergency Department twice during the same shift for alcohol consumption. He seems to have a positive demeanor, but is very resistant to the staff’s encouragement to quit drinking. While we don’t get to know more about Louie’s background during the show, we can make some pretty hypotheses that he has some deep underlying issues he needs to address. No one drinks themselves to oblivion if they are truly happy and content inside. Pioneers like Gabor Matée have been discussing the link between trauma and addiction for many years, and this concept is what Mangrove Therapy Group is all about. Louie has been medicating himself with alcohol for a long time, and he should do some EMDR to address his underlying trauma and issues!
Dr. Heather Collins
Dr. Collins (played by Tracy Ifeachor) is a smart, reserved, senior resident on the unit, who we soon learn is pregnant again after numerous previous attempts. In one episode, she excitedly plans to purchase this stroller that she has had in her online shopping cart for a long time. Sadly, Dr. Collins has a miscarriage and loses the baby, and she is naturally devastated. When talking about it later to a colleague, she expresses that “I don’t think I can handle it happening again”, alluding to the fact that this has occurred before. EMDR is very effective for all types of perinatal trauma, including miscarriages, abortions, and challenging deliveries, and many other adverse situations. I hope that Dr. Collins can do some EMDR.
Many Mass Shooting Victims
In the final episodes, we see the beloved Emergency Department team cope with a mass casualty event – a shooting at PittFest, which is a popular music festival nearby. As the closest trauma center, The Pitt team is tasked with tending to many grievously injured patients. Jake, the son of Dr. Robby’s ex-significant other, witnesses his girlfriend get shot and tries to keep her alive in the back of a truck on the way to the hospital. She eventually dies, and Jake is extremely traumatized, as is Dr. Robby, who desperately tries to save her. One woman saw her husband, who was in a wheelchair, get shot in the head, and we subsequently find her walking around the hospital in a dazed and dissociated state (a very common reaction to traumatic stress).
There are many EMDR protocols for recent trauma, as well as a specialization within the EMDR field called EMDR Early Intervention due to EMDR’s significant effectiveness at quickly reducing traumatic stress symptoms and getting people back to baseline. The scenes in The Pitt related to the mass shooting led me to think about a protocol called the Immediate Stabilization Protocol, developed by Israeli psychiatrist, Dr. Gary Quinn, which can be used immediately after a traumatic event and can now be used with groups. During my work with numerous Parkland shooting survivors, we used many EMDR recent event protocols.
Start EMDR Therapy in Palm Beach County, FL
The Pitt is a great show. And medical dramas are usually not my thing. I watched one episode and almost gave up on it, but my wife convinced me to give it another shot. And I’m glad I did, as it is an extremely enjoyable show with amazing acting and writing. And yes, my mind thinks about these things I wrote in this blog ALL THE TIME. Do other EMDR therapists? I think so. It’s because EMDR is so effective at resolving underlying trauma. Let’s get to work. Start your therapy journey with Mangrove Therapy Group by following these simple steps:
1. Contact Mangrove Therapy Group
2. Meet with a caring therapist
3. Start reprocessing past trauma and find lasting healing!
Other Services Offered with Mangrove Therapy Group
EMDR therapy isn't the only service offered by our team of therapists at Mangrove Therapy Group. We are happy to offer a number of mental health services, including:
- Trauma, PTSD, and Complex PTSD
- Substance use and process addictions
- Eating disorders and body image concerns
- Grief, loss, anxiety, depression, and self-esteem challenges
- Anger, shame, emotional dysregulation
- “Failure to Launch” issues and life transitions
- CBT and DBT-based support
If you’re ready, we’re here. Let’s help you build a life where your nervous system doesn’t have to brace for impact—and where love starts to feel like a soft place to land. You can learn more from our blog or FAQs page.