Survivors’ Anthem Series #23: “Therapy” - Andrew Garfield & Vanessa Hudgens (tick, tick…BOOM!)
- Shannon Brown
- Mar 7
- 3 min read
When Love, Guilt, and Healing Get Complicated
Some survivor anthems are powerful declarations.
Some are quiet reflections.
And some are a little chaotic… because healing itself can be messy.
This is Survivors’ Anthem # 23:
“Therapy” — performed by Andrew Garfield and Vanessa Hudgens in tick, tick…BOOM!
Written by Jonathan Larson
Film Directed by Lin Manuel Miranda
And while this song is meant to be funny and theatrical, it also touches on something deeply real for me.
When Feelings Get Tangled
On the surface, “Therapy” is a comedic duet between two people trying to navigate the complicated emotions of a relationship.
The song moves quickly, bouncing between frustration, guilt, defensiveness, and affection. It’s exaggerated and theatrical, but underneath the humor is something very human: two people trying to understand each other while carrying their own emotional histories.
For me, the heart of the song comes down to a feeling many survivors know well.
That strange emotional loop that sounds something like this:
I feel bad that you feel bad about me feeling bad about you feeling bad.
It sounds absurd when you say it out loud, but emotionally it can feel incredibly real.
The Weight of Survivor’s Guilt
Recently, I had a very open conversation with my mom about more of what happened to me growing up.
Those conversations aren’t easy. When survivors finally start speaking honestly about the past, emotions surface that have been buried for years.
One of the most surprising realizations for both of us was that we were carrying guilt for each other.
I carried guilt for the pain my experiences caused her.
She carried guilt for not knowing everything that was happening to me.
And suddenly we were both sitting there realizing something important: neither of us should have been carrying that guilt in the first place.
But survivors often do.
We take responsibility for things that were never ours to hold.
When Humor Meets Truth
That’s why “Therapy” resonates with me.
Yes, the song is funny. Yes, it’s theatrical and dramatic. But underneath the humor is a very real depiction of how complicated emotions can be when people care deeply about each other while also working through pain.
Healing conversations sometimes feel like that song.
Messy.
Emotional.
Full of interruptions and realizations.
But those moments are also where understanding begins.
Love and Healing Can Coexist
What that conversation with my mom ultimately reminded me is that healing doesn’t have to be about blame.
It can be about honesty.
It can be about two people acknowledging the pain of the past while also recognizing the love that remained.
We realized we had both been protecting each other in our own ways, and in doing so we had each taken on guilt that didn’t belong to us.
That realization doesn’t erase the past.
But it does bring compassion into the present.
A Thank You
To Jonathan Larson - thank you for writing stories and songs that explore complicated human emotions with honesty and humor. I will forever be a RENT fan.
And to Andrew Garfield and Vanessa Hudgens for bringing this song to life in such a dynamic and human way in tick, tick…BOOM!
And to Lin-Manuel Miranda for directing a film adaptation that introduced Jonathan Larson’s work to an entirely new generation.
Sometimes the songs that help us heal are not the ones we expect.
Sometimes they simply help us understand ourselves a little better.
What This Anthem Means to Me
For me, this anthem represents a different stage of healing.
The stage where tangled emotions begin to untangle.
Where guilt starts to loosen its grip.
Where two people can sit across from each other, acknowledge the pain, and realize that love was never the enemy.
Healing doesn’t always look dramatic.
Sometimes it looks like an honest conversation.
What’s Next in the Survivors’ Anthem Series
Each anthem in this series represents a different stage of healing.
Some songs helped me survive.
Some helped me process anger and grief.
Some helped me reclaim my voice.
This one represents understanding.
The moment when complicated emotions begin to make sense.
And the realization that sometimes the most healing thing we can do… is talk.
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