6 Best Psychiatrist and Therapy Session Movies

By Vlad Zakh · April 25, 2026

The therapist’s office is a quiet, intimate stage for healing and self-discovery. Good Will Hunting has a troubled young janitor bonding with a therapist, Silver Linings Playbook has a man out of a mental institution falling for a troubled woman, and A Dangerous Method dramatizes Freud and Jung’s relationship. The Prince of Tides, Ordinary People and Spellbound round out the six.

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

TMDB ★ 7.7

A romance built on two genuinely damaged people finding each other.

Directed by David O. Russell · 2h 02m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: YouTube TV, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Starz, Starz Apple TV channel, Starz Roku Premium Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

A Dangerous Method (2011)

TMDB ★ 6.6

The complicated relationship between Freud and Jung plays out through a shared patient.

Directed by David Cronenberg · 1h 39m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Good Will Hunting (1997)

IMDb ★ 8.4 RT 97% Metacritic 71

A brilliant but troubled janitor with a gift for mathematics is guided by a therapist towards self-acceptance.

Directed by Gus Van Sant · 2h 07m · Rated R

Won 2 Oscars25 wins & 61 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Apple TV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, MGM Plus, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel · Rent: JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Prince of Tides (1991)

TMDB ★ 7.0

A man's therapy sessions to help his suicidal sister uncover devastating childhood family secrets.

Directed by Barbra Streisand · 2h 12m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Ordinary People (1980)

IMDb ★ 7.7 RT 90% Metacritic 86

Robert Redford's directorial debut, in which a family unravels after the accidental death of one son.

Directed by Robert Redford · 2h 04m · Rated R

Won 4 Oscars21 wins & 14 nominations

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Spellbound (1945)

TMDB ★ 7.5

An amnesiac psychiatrist suspected of murder must uncover his true identity to clear his name.

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock · 1h 51m

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

6 Best Psychiatrist and Therapy Session Movies

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

A Dangerous Method (2011)

Good Will Hunting (1997)

The Prince of Tides (1991)

Ordinary People (1980)

Spellbound (1945)

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