The Psychologist Episode 1 Recap
> The Psychologist Recap
The city radio broadcasts a public service announcement for the Hai City Yunkai Psychological Rescue Center, highlighting alarming statistics from the World Health Organization. In 2019 alone, over 700,000 people globally died by suicide, equating to one death every 40 seconds. Suicide remains a leading cause of death, primarily stemming from complex issues such as family disputes, marital conflicts, interpersonal discord, and mental disorders.
The broadcast emphasizes that most suicidal individuals experience conflicting emotions, both a desire to escape suffering and a will to live, often sending out distress signals that, if ignored, can lead to irreversible consequences. The public is encouraged to call the 24-hour free hotline, 82951332, for professional assistance and support. Amidst the urban landscape, a barefoot girl, visibly scarred and with vacant eyes, wandered slowly on a pedestrian walkway.
Observing her from his black motorcycle at a crossroads, radio announcer Qian Kaiyi instinctively intervened, pulling her to safety just as a truck was about to strike her. At the Hai City Yunkai Psychological Rescue Center, a delegation including municipal officials and Director Ding, led by Mr. Yang, arrived for an inspection. They visited the bustling hotline office, where counselors were engaged in calls. During the tour, an alert sounded as a caller, You Na, expressed suicidal intentions.
He Dun swiftly took over the call from another counselor, immediately establishing her credentials as a psychological counselor from the Chinese Psychological Society. You Na stated her desire to jump from a rooftop. He Dun skillfully engaged her by asking why she chose "today" for such an act, a technique Mr. Wang, head of the Suicide Intervention Center, later explained to Director Ding as designed to lower emotional defenses by prompting logical thought.
He Dun, noting You Na's youthful voice, connected with her by mentioning how her own younger siblings might face similar helplessness. She gently urged You Na to move to a safe location while maintaining the call. Simultaneously, the police, alerted by the center, quickly traced You Na’s phone signal and obtained teacher Qian Kaiyi’s contact information.
He Dun, after checking You Na's social media platforms, immediately called Qian Kaiyi, identifying herself as Employee No. 82 and explaining the urgency of the situation. She informed him that You Na had been persuaded off the rooftop and was heading to the equipment storage room. During their continued phone conversation, He Dun realized You Na had a knife and her suicidal impulse, despite moving, remained high.
He Dun instructed Qian Kaiyi to play You Na’s favorite song within eight minutes. He quickly rushed to the school, even rappelling down a shaft to get to the broadcast room in time. Continuing her phone conversation with You Na, He Dun acknowledged You Na's feelings of betrayal and lack of trust from others, which You Na claimed led her to want to jump to prove them wrong.
He Dun then proposed a game, asking You Na to rate her suicidal impulse on a scale of 0 to 100. You Na gave it a 95. He Dun then asked about the remaining 5 points, the flicker of desire to live. You Na admitted she thought of her parents and couldn't bear to imagine their sorrow if she died.
He Dun then painted a vivid, grim picture of the physical consequences of jumping, describing how unrecognizable a body would be after such an impact, before reiterating You Na’s connection to her parents. You Na then re-rated her impulse at 20 points, still expressing sadness but acknowledging she didn't want her parents to see her dead.
With the comforting music now playing in the background, He Dun reassured You Na that many people cared for her and asked her to open the door for the police, who were there to help. You Na complied, opened the door, and thanked the police. He Dun concluded by emphasizing the need for comprehensive, systematic offline psychological counseling. Later, at the police station, You Na seemed calmer.
She told Qian Kaiyi that He Dun's advice on self-awareness helped her and even proposed a new broadcast assignment titled "The Uncontrolled Self." She added that she understood Mr. Kang, her regular teacher, was busy with his wedding, not avoiding her. However, she then asked Qian Kaiyi if "he" believed her. Although Qian Kaiyi had only been a substitute teacher for three days, he acted as a responsible educator.
A friend called Qian Kaiyi, informing him that You Na's parents were threatening to complain to the education bureau, but Qian Kaiyi remained committed to addressing the situation by writing a report for his leaders. Returning home from buying groceries, He Dun encountered Auntie Wang, a market vendor, who mentioned that He Dun’s mother, Ms. Zhao, had called earlier that morning to reserve meat and also enjoyed the mangos Auntie Wang had just given He Dun.
Entering her home, He Dun found her mother lying on the floor, head bleeding. In a panic, He Dun grabbed her mother's phone to call for emergency services. However, a voice message from Auntie Wang on her mother’s phone, combined with her earlier observation of someone talking to her mother at the market and the freshly aerated fish tank water, made He Dun suspicious.
She then feigned a distressed phone call, loudly announcing she was breaking up with her boyfriend Chen, which immediately roused her mother. He Dun then confronted Ms. Zhao, accusing her of faking her death for the third time, finding the prank unfunny. Ms. Zhao, in turn, expressed anger at He Dun's perceived lies and demanded her daughter find a tall, rich, and handsome son-in-law.
He Dun, lighting candles on a birthday cake for her mother, playfully agreed to Ms. Zhao’s demand, but only if her mother promised to drink less alcohol. Ms. Zhao was visibly touched, affectionately stroking He Dun’s head and calling her "Junjun," a term of endearment, as He Dun's eyes welled up with tears. The next day, He Dun received a call from a young boy, Lele, whose mother, Zhang Yan, was a former client of He Dun.
Lele was distraught, asking why his mother was leaving him and his older sister, Qianqian. He Dun had previously counseled Zhang Yan, who was terminally ill with stage four lung cancer, and in a flashback, it was revealed He Dun had agreed to Zhang Yan’s request to help her and her husband tell their children they were getting a divorce as a way to hide her illness.
When He Dun arrived at Luo's Pickled Rice Noodles, where Lele was, she found Qianqian live-streaming, publicly shaming He Dun and accusing her of being a "professional homewrecker" who broke up their happy family. Lele pleaded with He Dun not to let his mother abandon them, while Qianqian aggressively warned He Dun not to touch her brother. He Dun, acknowledging she had made the suggestion, faced Qianqian’s accusations of causing immense harm to her and Lele.
Overwhelmed by the public confrontation and the exposure of the confidential client relationship, He Dun’s colleague, Ai, arrived to escort her away. Qianqian yelled that He Dun would face retribution. Later, He Dun submitted her resignation to Mr. Wang, admitting she had violated confidentiality rules by privately contacting a client outside the center and exposing their counseling relationship.
Despite Mr. Wang suggesting she could start over and her mentor, Professor Ji, having spoken up for her, He Dun felt the incident’s impact was too great and refused to involve Professor Ji. Later, a friend tried to cheer He Dun up, suggesting a "dopamine feast" at the Tipsy House bar, which offered a significant discount for ladies.
Meanwhile, Qian Kaiyi called the Yunkai Psychological Rescue Center, attempting to reach Employee No. 82 (He Dun), but was informed that she had resigned and her contact information was confidential. Later, You Na confronted Qian Kaiyi at the radio station, staining his suit jacket, indicating further emotional turmoil.
