Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is show that embraces that rare combination of irreverence, fallibility and acceptance. But more importantly, the show bravely depicts the complexities and challenges of fostering and sustaining our own mental health.
The main character, Rebecca Bunch, sings and dances her way through some questionable life decisions and some serious negative consequences. But, in a way, she teaches us the process of change and adaptation we all might encounter from time-to-time. In so doing, she enhances our own empathy for mental illness and our mental health literacy.
Rebecca’s journey is faithful to the experience of many, and includes the depiction of a gradual restoring of balance that reflects the commonly experienced “ebbs and flows” of recovery. Rather than quick fixes, Rebecca eventually visits a counsellor, whose job is to engage and facilitate her treatment.
Counsellors trained in cognitive behavioural therapy and dialectical behaviour therapy work with clients like Rebecca to reflect upon, and challenge self-destructive thoughts and behaviour patterns and bolster resilience.