The Soprano's Through a Mental Health Lens.

Guest Written by Creative Director: Allison Goncalves

Ever since I started working in the mental health industry, I began watching my favorite shows and movies through a different lens. While I am not a licensed therapist, I create mental health content, which forces me to research and spend a lot of time in the mental health space. What is one step above surface level? I became that level of equally familiar and passionate about mental health and wellness. My first summer working at Clarity Wellness, I was living in a renovated school bus that did not have an AC unit. I spent about a month at my in-laws who were in Canada and had HBO Max at the time. I had never watched The Sopranos before, and felt like it was great timing to watch all 86 episodes.

If you’re not familiar with The Sopranos, here is what IMDB says, “New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano deals with personal and professional issues in his home and business life that affect his mental state, leading him to seek professional psychiatric counseling.” I found it interesting that from the very first episode, he is in therapy, clashing with his societal image. The show uses Tony to depict the real stigma against mental health. Therapy, in his world, is seen as weakness—something unmanly and potentially dangerous. Tony suffers from panic attacks, his stress manifesting physically. He sits across from Dr. Melfi, who holds space for Tony. We expect him to be honest, vulnerable, and reflective in her office, three things that are liabilities in his world. This shifts the show from a crime story into something more introspective: a character study of a man divided against himself. Tony is shaped by unresolved childhood trauma. His relationship with his emotionally manipulative and cold mother tells a lot. Tony’s resentment towards her is obvious, but so is his inability to fully process the damage she caused. Instead, that pain leaks out in rage, control, and a persistent sense of emptiness.

The show also explores mental health beyond Tony. His son, Anthony, goes to therapy and gets diagnosed with ADHD. While Tony’s nephew, Christopher, struggles with addiction, illustrating the difficulty of breaking free from substance abuse. The ongoing discussions over medications like Prozac seemed ahead of their time. What pulls you in is the fashion, gabagool, and violence. Then you stay because of the realism each character brings, the way sadness and humor exist together, and the moral ambiguity explored in Dr. Melfi’s office. Tony’s anxiety, defensiveness, need for control, and flashes of self-awareness followed by retreat are all recognizable human traits. In that sense, The Sopranos isn’t just a story about a man in therapy; it’s a study of how hard it is to change, even when we know exactly why we should. Tony wants relief from his anxiety, but he resists the very self-awareness that could help him achieve it. The most tragic moments aren’t the deaths, but the missed opportunities for growth when he comes close to understanding himself and then turns away.

I do appreciate the way mental health is portrayed onscreen. Progress is uneven. Breakthroughs are temporary. People repeat patterns they know are harmful because those patterns feel familiar. It makes you come to a slightly horrific conclusion that therapy cannot help everyone. In the same way, religion cannot help everyone. In the same way that AA cannot help everyone. If they do not wish to be truly helped.

I hope you all have a Tony Soprano summer. Specifically going to therapy, eating sandwiches in the sun, taking your meds, wearing robes, and talking poolside with friends and family for hours. Use him as an example to turn towards change. When given insight into yourselves, actually use it. Don’t find ways to avoid it like Tony.

R.I.P James Gandolfini