Couples Therapy - Season 5 - Premier Sept 10 2014 - General Discussion

Amberish wrote:

mindless wrote: snip ...

As for Juan Pabs, what on earth was that BS story he shared? He broke up with a childhood girlfriend and two months later his best friend started dating her? While that may be an awkward situation, how exactly was his trust broken? And then we have the so called therapists sympathizing with him and acting as if his big trauma answers all their and Nikki's questions. Whut? He looked so awkward bashing stuff, because he wasn't really angry at all. I don't know what he's done to get Dr. Jenn basically eating out of his hand. I watched the extra clip of him talking to her once again about the cultural differences and how he's falling in love but not in love and yadda yadda. She seemed to just be lapping it up with no real input. It's just strange.

I know, I know. That was the most rediculous story! Geez ...

Juan Pablo is Dr. Jenn's star attraction, as surprising as that seems and that seems to be tempering her judgement, I guess.

It's Evel Dick's reactions to Juan Pablo and Nikki that I find the most compelling of all. And, he know longer has to say a word and only give a look that tells it all.

I totally, totally agree with both of you. and the bolded-- TB has 10 mil. viewers vs 700k for CT. Of course Dr. Jenn wants to "help" JPa in order to attract more viewers for the show.

Well I've watched the episode. JuanPa's childhood "trauma" sounds like complete bullcrap. So your friend dated your ex a few months after you. It's not anything major. Dr. Jenn makes it sound like some serious traumatic issue. As for Nikki's childhood. She's a classic frontrunner. I know how that feels. That's exactly how I was. Major difference being I wasn't spoiled by my parents and those around me. Nikki doesn't seem to really know how to handle "no" or difficulties because she hasn't had to. She better get over that because she's not always gonna be spoiled and told everything is okay. Nikki really is a brat. That story of her getting kicked off the cross country team because she thought she was above the rules is a perfect example.

I still get the vibe JuanPa enjoys it too much when Nikki gets mad, shows negative behaviors, or snaps. It's like he wants everyone to see her as the bad guy and him as a victim. But if people are buying that I have some swampland in Arizona to sell them. Dr. Jenn seem to be buying it hook, line, and sinker.

umngirl wrote:Well I've watched the episode. JuanPa's childhood "trauma" sounds like complete bullcrap. So your friend dated your ex a few months after you. It's not anything major. Dr. Jenn makes it sound like some serious traumatic issue. As for Nikki's childhood. She's a classic frontrunner. I know how that feels. That's exactly how I was. Major difference being I wasn't spoiled by my parents and those around me. Nikki doesn't seem to really know how to handle "no" or difficulties because she hasn't had to. She better get over that because she's not always gonna be spoiled and told everything is okay. Nikki really is a brat. That story of her getting kicked off the cross country team because she thought she was above the rules is a perfect example.

I still get the vibe JuanPa enjoys it too much when Nikki gets mad, shows negative behaviors, or snaps. It's like he wants everyone to see her as the bad guy and him as a victim. But if people are buying that I have some swampland in Arizona to sell them. Dr. Jenn seem to be buying it hook, line, and sinker.

Harsh, but a pretty good assessment.

For their lives going forward I give Nikki somewhat of a pass because she does such good work in the world. She will grow into her goodness. Not so sure about JuanPa's future. He's a caring father but does not have a huge caregiver's responsibility as his ex and his family do the heavy lifting. His career prospects are 50/50. If he gets lucky he may earn a reputation as a good promoter and make a decent career....if he is not lucky, and most are not, he will be on the margins. I don't believe for a minute that they will remain a couple.

From what i see, nikki and juan pablo, treach and cicely and deena and chris are still together. Looks like jenna and john and steph and dick are no longer together (tbh dick and stephanie dont even look like they were EVER together. U can tell when they were hugging she looked so uncomfortable) whatever this show represents, some couples remain together. So excited to see how it all ends and i wonder if there will be a reunion show?

glazedover wrote:

umngirl wrote:Well I've watched the episode. JuanPa's childhood "trauma" sounds like complete bullcrap. So your friend dated your ex a few months after you. It's not anything major. Dr. Jenn makes it sound like some serious traumatic issue. As for Nikki's childhood. She's a classic frontrunner. I know how that feels. That's exactly how I was. Major difference being I wasn't spoiled by my parents and those around me. Nikki doesn't seem to really know how to handle "no" or difficulties because she hasn't had to. She better get over that because she's not always gonna be spoiled and told everything is okay. Nikki really is a brat. That story of her getting kicked off the cross country team because she thought she was above the rules is a perfect example.

I still get the vibe JuanPa enjoys it too much when Nikki gets mad, shows negative behaviors, or snaps. It's like he wants everyone to see her as the bad guy and him as a victim. But if people are buying that I have some swampland in Arizona to sell them. Dr. Jenn seem to be buying it hook, line, and sinker.

Harsh, but a pretty good assessment.

For their lives going forward I give Nikki somewhat of a pass because she does such good work in the world. She will grow into her goodness. Not so sure about JuanPa's future. He's a caring father but does not have a huge caregiver's responsibility as his ex and his family do the heavy lifting. His career prospects are 50/50. If he gets lucky he may earn a reputation as a good promoter and make a decent career....if he is not lucky, and most are not, he will be on the margins. I don't believe for a minute that they will remain a couple.

This is JMO, but I worked for a horrible man who is a hematologist oncologist, he was wonderful to his patients and abysmal to everyone else. He actually told one of my friends when his wife was in the hospital that unless his wife was hemorrhaging or on a respirator then he had no excuse to miss work.

So yes Nikki does good work, doesn't make her a good person in the rest of her life. I am learning that lesson.

I don't know what I think of Nikki, but lets be honest, after hearing about Jenna and Treach's horrible childhoods, she had the cluelessness to sit there and talk about getting in trouble with track because of powder puff football. Either she is either so unaware of other peoples feelings or doesn't give a darn. I will go with clueless for now, but a little humility and empathy might go far for her.

umngirl wrote:JuanPa's childhood "trauma" sounds like complete bullcrap.

Agreed; not necessarily that I think the story itself is bullcrap - rather the assertion that this was a traumatic childhood event is bullcrap. If that's the best that JPG could come up with as a traumatic event then I don't believe his childhood was at all traumatic. That Dr. Jenn seems to buy in to this trauma is just one of those things that makes me see Couples Therapy as a Reality TV show with very little semblance of real therapy - it's nothing but a TV show.

umngirl wrote:I still get the vibe JuanPa enjoys it too much when Nikki gets mad, shows negative behaviors, or snaps. It's like he wants everyone to see her as the bad guy and him as a victim. But if people are buying that I have some swampland in Arizona to sell them. Dr. Jenn seem to be buying it hook, line, and sinker.

It's hard to tell if this is a recent trend or if it's always been this way, but it seems as if the relationship between Nikki and JPG is one where both of them seem to take some perverse delight in the bad behavior of the other to make the other seem "at fault" and themselves the victim. That's really not healthy for either of them. In addition most of the conversations between Nikki and JPG seem to end in frustration and someone (usually Nikki) storming off in a huff. Even if that doesn't happen, they never seem to be able to discuss much of anything important in a way that they understand each other. If you can't communicate I don't know how you can begin to resolve anything. I think they are both at fault in this.

Lucas15 wrote:

umngirl wrote:JuanPa's childhood "trauma" sounds like complete bullcrap.

Agreed; not necessarily that I think the story itself is bullcrap - rather the assertion that this was a traumatic childhood event is bullcrap. If that's the best that JPG could come up with as a traumatic event then I don't believe his childhood was at all traumatic. That Dr. Jenn seems to buy in to this trauma is just one of those things that makes me see Couples Therapy as a Reality TV show with very little semblance of real therapy - it's nothing but a TV show.

umngirl wrote:I still get the vibe JuanPa enjoys it too much when Nikki gets mad, shows negative behaviors, or snaps. It's like he wants everyone to see her as the bad guy and him as a victim. But if people are buying that I have some swampland in Arizona to sell them. Dr. Jenn seem to be buying it hook, line, and sinker.

It's hard to tell if this is a recent trend or if it's always been this way, but it seems as if the relationship between Nikki and JPG is one where both of them seem to take some perverse delight in the other's bad behavior to make the other "at fault" and themselves the victim. That's really not healthy for either of them.

I agree. Personally, I don't watch any other reality shows, but TB. So most of the people on CT-- I've never heard of before.

The show is for entertainment and making money, I don't take it too seriously.

After watching ALL 4 previous seasons, IMO, the people who go on this show, for the following reasons:

1) $$$$
2) camera time
3) repairing the "image"
4) working on the "relationship"

Again IMO, 100% of them do it for the first 3.
At best 50 % of them for all of the above.

Season 1: 100% of the "couples" broke up.
Season 2-4: I have to do more research when I have time.

Yeah... I agree. This show is so fake. I am not saying Dr. Jenn is. Yet she probably throws in the towel with most of these couples who only want extended media attention.

And regarding the star couple... I don't know what to think anymore.

Then again, I never understand the way Juan's Bachelor season was edited. His F2 got more of a "finalist" edit with so many extensive make-out sessions, discussions of a future post-show and wild aquatic activities that any other contestant would have to question Juan about. Nikki's edit was basically "I'm not here to make friends" (aside from a few), but unlike Vienna and Courtney, she wasn't often shown... on screen... particularly affectionate with Juan. Yeah, there was some kissing and hugging, but it was edited to be "cooler" than Clare, Sharleen or even buddy Andi.

Juan explaining at the end of the season that he doesn't want a public spectacle of his kissing Nikki did make half sense to me.

I guess.

At least one way I looked at it: the editors, with Juan and Nikki possibly participating, purposely downsized the resulting relationship for a number of reasons. TV viewers who were spoiled by Reality Steve would question if he goofed like he did in Desiree's season. Maybe after the hullabaloo over his gay bachelor comment, the editors purposely snipped more of his scenes with Nikki and over-emphasized his Clare scenes to make them more "perverted" (or "intense") for viewers. Mind you, that "let's not kiss" scene in the pool BEFORE the ocean romp hardly looked edited-for-effect. He was definitely enjoying "being in the moment" with her in ways Andi seldom did on screen with Nick or Des with Brooks.

BUT... all in the past is in the past. It is all about Juan WITH Nikki now...

... and on Couples Therapy.

Remind me because I am a bit of a space cadet.

Have they shown a lot of kissing and hugging scenes between these two on THIS show? There is no Reality Steve or standard Reality TV audience to keep in "suspense" with the Editing Department. All couples fight. We know that. Have these two also complimented each other on screen? At least Cicely praises Treach quite a bit, despite her stubbornness about his "cheating". On the plus side, Juan did sound understanding in one episode about Nikki hating the camera crew... at least in voice-over. Also Nikki defended Juan in past tense regarding the negative backlash he received on his show. Yet have either told us on screen WHAT they LIKE about the other?

I dunno... I am trying to UNDERSTAND them. There is a chance they COULD succeed. I just need help. Lots of help.

Well... at least we have an "official" report from PEOPLE:

http://www.people.com/article/jenn-berman-couples-therapy-juan-pablo-nikki

During the latest season of VH1's Couples Therapy, viewers have watched former Bachelor Juan Pablo Galavis and girlfriend Nikki Ferrell struggle over how he expresses his affection. (Hint: He still hasn't said "I love you.")

But Jenn Berman, the no-nonsense psychotherapist behind the show, says they're coming along as a couple.

"Juan Pablo and Nikki have evolved through their therapy," she tells PEOPLE. "But there's more work to be done. There are some specific things about Juan Pablo that have caused him to hold back, but both he and Nikki open up more and more as they go through therapy."

Lesson No. 1? Stop being so concerned about public opinion.

"I've told them to stop reading blogs and fan sites about them. I don't think it's in their best interest for them to look at the things that people say about them online," she says. "Juan Pablo has a very thick skin and is able to intellectualize things a little bit, so it affects him less. Nikki is a nurse from Kansas; it's unfamiliar territory for her. They live in a fishbowl, and that makes it hard."

Ferrell, in particular, has struggled while watching the show, even taking a hiatus from Twitter and other social media. In the five seasons of Couples Therapy, Berman has seen it before – and says Ferrell's reaction comes as no surprise.

"We had an amazing and intense period [of counseling] that felt very private," she says. "When it airs, I struggle a little bit because it's so personal. When it's on TV, it's very hard to see how you might come across during these private moments."

As for the future of their relationship? "They are both really trying to make this work," says Berman, who also runs a private counseling practice and has her own radio show on the Oprah Network. "It's a process; I think that we all owe it to ourselves and our partners to be constantly working on ourselves. We should be evolving and growing. And Juan Pablo and Nikki are growing as individuals, and growing as a couple."

How long has it been since Nikki and Juan Pablo have been seen together in public?

JBF wrote:Then again, I never understand the way Juan's Bachelor season was edited. His F2 got more of a "finalist" edit with so many extensive make-out sessions, discussions of a future post-show and wild aquatic activities that any other contestant would have to question Juan about. Nikki's edit was basically "I'm not here to make friends" (aside from a few), but unlike Vienna and Courtney, she wasn't often shown... on screen... particularly affectionate with Juan. Yeah, there was some kissing and hugging, but it was edited to be "cooler" than Clare, Sharleen or even buddy Andi.

What if Clare was actually "supposed" to be F1 and Nikki F2?

Amberish wrote:How long has it been since Nikki and Juan Pablo have been seen together in public?

I think it's been a while. SM also seems to be a lot of independant activity.

"What if Clare was actually "supposed" to be F1 and Nikki F2?"

I think he had a stronger sexual attraction to Clare, but Nikki was a better choice for Camila. JPG said that a woman with a good career was also important to him. After all, he doesn't have a career.

In all fairness, JPG has a very busy career before TB and continues to post show without any assistance from TPTB. He is very involved in baseball, collect's baseball bats among other items, for under privileged children, and is very involved in a lot of the professional athletes activities with charities, within the baseball organization and other sports such as soccer and boxing. He travels extensively for work. Right now he's going back and for to KC and San Fran for the WS.