Basic Trope: An evil psychologist.
- Straight: Dr. Afflictio is a psychologist that tortures his patients instead of helping them - he is often known for giving out lobotomies and painful electric shocks like they're candy.
- Exaggerated:
- Dr. Afflictio is The Sociopath that often kills his patients solely For the Evulz.
- All of the psychologists are evil.
- Downplayed:
- Dr. Afflictio has a tendency to be a Dr. Jerk of a psychiatrist, scolding his patients for not aiding his work.
- Dr. Afflictio isn't necessarily evil, but doesn't understand his patients' problems very well and often ends up making things worse for them.
- Dr. Afflictio is completely amoral, and his advice reflects this. He rarely makes things worse for his patients, but very often helps empower his patients to make things worse for others.
- Dr. Afflictio is paid kickbacks by a Predatory Big Pharma firm to overprescribe drugs even if they would do not good... Specifically, their drugs.
- Dr. Afflictio genuinely cares for his patients and does indeed gives advice that make them feel better... by influencing them to indulge in their dark desires.
- While not malicious, Afflictio is a psychopath in the clinical sense of superficial charm masking Lack of Empathy and scruples, but learned to channel those traits into a prosocial life path in a career where he can discuss other people's serious problems while on the inside remaining emotionally unaffected and impartial.
- Justified:
- Afflictio's qualifications as a doctor are rather esoteric at best.
- Afflictio is a case of The Cobbler's Children Have No Shoes - he went into the field mostly to figure out his own dysfunction, and he knows enough to be blind to what he doesn't know about himself because he still doesn't have the insight to recognize it.
- The story takes place in an era where it was quite normal for psychologists and other mental health professionals to treat their patients poorly.
- Inverted: Dr. Afflictio is a very nice psychologist that is known for helping patients with any issues they may have.
- Subverted: Dr. Afflictio is believed to be evil for whatever reason, but when actually encountered he's Good All Along.
- Double Subverted: Dr. Afflictio has a Face–Heel Turn, though.
- Parodied: Dr. Afflictio gets his psychology degree and immediately becomes a Serial Killer.
- Zig-Zagged: Dr. Afflictio is in a Heel–Face Revolving Door.
- Averted:
- There Are No Therapists, literally.
- The psychologists aren't evil.
- Lampshaded: “I’m sorry doc, I think I’m supposed to be the head case here, not you.”
- Invoked: A cabal who stands to benefit from a mental health crisis deliberately sends their worst sadists to be psychologists.
- Exploited: A villain who has clearly pulled strings to get the Insanity Defense is sent to Afflicto’s office as a way to give him the karma he deserves.
- Defied: Dr. Afflicto seeks professional help for his own issues before he sees a patient.
- Discussed: ???
- Conversed: ???
- Implied: Dr. Afflictio never appears onscreen, but is stated to be a psychologist that many people are afraid of.
- Deconstructed:
- Because of Dr. Afflictio, many people begin to deny needing counselling out of fear, which leads to an increase in mental health problems, and more people start to become Driven to Suicide.
- Dr. Afflictio loses his license once one of his patients speaks out, and winds up facing hefty fines and/or jail time.
- Dr. Afflicto got into the job after experiencing trauma of his own, hoping to help other people through theirs. However, Afflicto’s lack of experience in the field, incomplete reconstruction of his own mental health and the horrible traumas his patients relate to him wore down his sanity until he was willing to do whatever it takes to make someone tick.
- Reconstructed:
- Afflicto may be stripped of a license, but getting recruited by a villainous faction lets him do all the “psychology” he wants with no oversight.
The Psycho Psychologist will see you now.