Regarding Richard Rogers June 30 letter "Why put down counseling?": Let me thank Rogers for taking the time to respond to my June 24 review of the film "Hesher."

I will admit to being a skeptic when it comes to therapy, and even more so when it comes to medicating depression. I am glad Rogers has had better experiences, but that certainly isn't true for everyone.

What Rogers describes as my "stupid" comments regarding the counseling experience are in fact the film's depictions of it, depictions that came from the director's own experiences in dealing with loss, which do have the benefit of being honest.

My own sentiment was merely that for some people — like the boy depicted in the film — talking and over-analysis don't help, but rather produce the opposite effect, while quiet support may in fact be better.

My advice to Rogers is to see the film. There's a very moving scene where Rainn Wilson confesses his pain and grief at group therapy. I picked up on his son's discomfort, but Rogers may walk away with a very different view of that scene than I did — a good film allows room for that.

The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.

giovanni fazio