As a new psychotherapist, Lori Gottlieb has a lot of ideas about what a therapist is supposed to be and how a therapist is supposed to act. Therapists are here to help us, of course, but they aren’t supposed to become our friends.

When Lori’s patient Julie comes to her after a year and a half of therapy and tells Lori that she’s dying of cancer, Lori is heartbroken. And when Julie asks Lori to stay with her as her therapist until the day she dies, Lori says yes.

This is an episode about what it means to be both a professional and a human being.

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