5 Times Ted Lasso's Dr. Jake Crossed the Line & Should've Been Disbarred
These five things he did were a total breach of ethics.
A beacon of positivity and a source of laughter for millions of fans, Ted Lasso has intentionally focused on the theme of mental health, educating viewers about the importance of therapy for improving one's life and self-esteem. But besides highlighting the positive effects of therapy, the series also doesn't shy away from the fact that some professional counselors are prone to malpractice. In particular, Dr. Jake Bryanson represents an utter disgrace of the profession.
Here are five instances when Dr. Jake abused his power as a therapist.
He counseled Ted and Michelle even though he had been her personal therapist for years.
In the course of the show, it is revealed that Dr. Jack was initially Michelle's personal therapist. He was affiliated with her and couldn't be impartial to counsel them both as a couple. It's obvious that Dr. Jake shouldn't have taken their case as a couple — that is, unless it was his intention to break them up.
He didn't end sessions with Michelle after developing feelings for her.
It's highly likely that Dr. Jake developed feelings for Michelle during their private sessions. Had he been a good professional, he would have finished their sessions immediately. But instead, he kept on being her confidant, and we know where this led to.
He cajoled Michelle into breaking up with Ted.
In case you don't find the above two points compelling enough, fans also argue that Dr. Jake abused Michelle's trust and made her believe she was better off without Ted. In other words, he manipulated her into ending the marriage.
He purposefully misadvised Ted to get some distance from his wife.
Back in Season 1, Ted revealed that one of the reasons why he took the job at Richmond, across the Atlantic from his home, was because his wife's therapist advised him to give her some space and spend time apart. This was effectively the end of their marriage, which was apparently a part of Dr. Jake's cunning plan.
He got involved with the wife from the couple he had counseled.
As soon as the two got divorced, Dr. Jake started dating Ted's ex-wife and his former client. Not only is this act totally heinous from a moral point of view, it is also a breach of his duties as a counselor. Fans unequivocally agree that his license should have been revoked immediately after this.
Unfortunately, Ted Lasso came to an end and never got a chance to address these cases of malpractice. But fans will never forget — Dr. Jake was an absolute jerk!