History Main / PsychologistTeacher

* Rather than thinking Jim is lazy like your by-the-books teacher, Strickler from ''WesternAnimation/Trollhunters'' could tell that Jim is simply distracted by his busy life and offers his council should he ever need it, and could even tell that Jim likes Claire and advices him to simply tell her instead of staring all day. Safe to say, Jim legitimately cares about Jim to a degree, even after finding out that [[spoiler:he was the new trollhunter]].

[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/{{Trollhunters}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screen_shot_2016_12_26_at_52638_pm_1.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"If you fancy Miss Nunez, I submit that talking to will be much more effective than staring at."'']]

* ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'': In Creator/JamesMcAvoy's words, [[XMenFilmSeries/ProfessorCharlesFrancisXavier Professor X]] is a social worker in addition to being a principal and a teacher. Charles cherishes everyone under his care, so he invests a substantial amount of his effort to aid his students in coping with their psychological issues (especially the ones caused--or at least exacerbated--by their mutations), and when possible, to find solutions for them. As a telepath, he can employ his empathy to ascertain what kind of nurturing works best on a particular youngster. By catering to their individual needs, Xavier steadily wins their affections, and he also becomes their paternal figure.

* ''Film/XMen'': In Creator/JamesMcAvoy's words, [[XMenFilmSeries/ProfessorCharlesFrancisXavier Professor X]] is a social worker in addition to being a principal and a teacher. Charles cherishes everyone under his care, so he invests a substantial amount of his effort to aid his students in coping with their psychological issues (especially the ones caused--or at least exacerbated--by their mutations), and when possible, to find solutions for them. As a telepath, he can employ his empathy to ascertain what kind of nurturing works best on a particular youngster. By catering to their individual needs, Xavier steadily wins their affections, and he also becomes their paternal figure.

* ''Series/{{Community}}'' parodies this concept with a Professor Whitman, who (in "Introduction to Film") devotes his classes to trying to [[DeadPoetsSociety get students to "seize the day."]]. He theoretically teaches accounting. It's also played straight to a degree, however, since for all that he comes across as a bit of a deluded clown, he's actually savvy enough to realize that Jeff, who has joined his class for an easy grade, is just coasting and has no real idea how to seize the day.
** Also Averted with the actual psychology teacher Professor Duncan, who's completely apathetic to his students apart from Jeff.

* ''Film/XMen'': In Creator/JamesMcAvoy's words, Professor X is a social worker in addition to being a principal and a teacher. Charles cherishes everyone under his care, so he invests a substantial amount of his effort to aid his students in coping with their psychological issues (especially the ones caused--or at least exacerbated--by their mutations), and when possible, to find solutions for them. As a telepath, he can employ his empathy to ascertain what kind of nurturing works best on a particular youngster. By catering to their individual needs, Xavier steadily wins their affections, and he also becomes their paternal figure.

* ''Film/XMen'': In Creator/JamesMcAvoy's words, Professor X is a social worker in addition to being a principal and a teacher. Charles invests a great deal of his effort to aid his students in coping with their psychological issues (especially the ones caused by their mutations), and when possible, to find solutions for them.

* Mr. Duncan from ''Bang, Bang You're Dead''.

* Mr. Keating in ''Film/DeadPoetsSociety'', especially to Neil, although it didn't exactly end well. [[spoiler:given that, ya know, Neil kills himself.]]

* Especially in well-developed countries it seems that especially ''parents'' think of teachers as this. Asking a teacher about their worst experience with a parent will most likely bring up things like the parents expecting the teacher to ''raise'' their child, including teaching them about very basic things like table manners or conversation rules.

* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'': Occasionally parodied with Mr Garrison, who has given terrible/misguided advice (to Stan, when he was worried about his gay dog Sparky), shown little concern for his students' problems and mocked them for it (when he found out Stan was being beaten up by his sister and not one of his parents), or "helped" them as part of his own, not so altruistic agenda (joining the intervention to send Cartman to Fat Camp "just so (he) could see the look on (Cartman's) face".

* A psychiatrist by trade, this is what Fraiser is to the gang of Series/{{Cheers}}

* Mr. Feeny on ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld''. He tries to avoid it in the early shows, imparting life lessons begrudgingly outside of the classroom. After Mr. Turner [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome disappears between seasons]], Feeny fits this trope much more readily, having given up any semblance of trying to maintain a professional distance in his relationships with the main cast of students (to the point that, when he resists telling them he loves them in the GrandFinale, none of them believe him). It gets to the point that he gets upset after an incident involving Cory pushing his father because nobody sought his advice about it.

* Professor Snape attempts this with Draco in the ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'', [[spoiler:though it's less trying to save Draco from the day-to-day problems of a teenager and save his soul from murdering Dumbledore.]]

* Mr. Feeny on ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld''. He tries to avoid it in the early shows, imparting life lessons begrudgingly outside of the classroom. After Mr. Turner [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome disappears between seasons]], Feeny fits this trope much more readily, having given up any semblance of trying to maintain a professional distance in his relationships with the main cast of students (to the point that, when he resists telling them he loves them in the GrandFinale, none of them believe him). it gets to the point that he seems upset after and incident involving cory pushing his father. He's not so much upset with the incident itself, but the fact that nobody sought his advice about it.

* A psychiatrist by trade, this is what Fraiser is to the gang of 'Series/Cheers'

* A psychiatrist by trade, this is what Fraiser is to the gang of [[Series/Cheers]]

* A psychiatrist by trade, this is what Fraiser is to the gang of "Series/Cheers"

* Mr. Feeny on ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld''. He tries to avoid it in the early shows, imparting life lessons begrudgingly outside of the classroom. After Mr. Turner [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome disappears between seasons]], Feeny fits this trope much more readily, having given up any semblance of trying to maintain a professional distance in his relationships with the main cast of students (to the point that, when he resists telling them he loves them in the GrandFinale, none of them believe him).

* A psychiartrist by trade, this is what Fraiser is to the gang of ''Series/Cheers''

[[folder: Anime & Manga]]
* Subverted in ''{{Loveless}}'', for while Ritsuka's sweet teacher Hitomi would like to solve all her students' problems, [[ShrinkingViolet she's too shy to really do anything]].
* [[GreatTeacherOnizuka Mr. Onizuka]] kinda fits this trope [[BunnyEarsLawyer but he is rough at times.]]

* ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura'': Kaho Mizuki occasionally gives clues to Sakura in her dealings with the Clow Cards. As a {{Miko}}, Kaho knows a thing or two about the supernatural, and [[spoiler: uses her Shrine Bell to give Sakura a second chance at the Final Judgment against Yue and avert [[AdultFear everyone losing their memories and relationships.]]]]

[[folder: Film]]
* Mr. Keating in ''DeadPoetsSociety'', especially to Neil, although it didn't exactly end well. [[spoiler:given that, ya know, Neil kills himself.]]
* Miss Johnson in DangerousMinds. Arguably the whole point of the movie was that THESE kids needed a teacher like this, because they and the system had given up on them achieving anything in school (or afterward).

[[folder: Literature]]
* Miss Honey, from Roald Dahl's ''Literature/{{Matilda}}'', is a good candidate.
** subverted when Matilda realizes her teacher needs as much help (or more) as she herself does, and makes it her goal to help her. Double subverted with the ending, when [[spoiler: Miss Honey adopts [[HappilyAdopted Matilda]]]].
* The titular character in ''TuesdaysWithMorrie.''
* Also Miss Perumal, Reynie's tutor, from ''Literature/TheMysteriousBenedictSociety''.

* ''{{Notes on a Scandal}}'' had a clever subversion: Sheba initially tries to help Steven overcome his problems, but then starts to sleep with him instead. And later, it's revealed that he made up most of the aforementioned problems just so he could get closer to her.

[[folder: Live Action Television]]
* Mr. Moore on ''{{Head of the Class}}''.
* Mr. Feeny on ''BoyMeetsWorld''. He tries to avoid it in the early shows, imparting life lessons begrudgingly outside of the classroom. After Mr. Turner [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome disappears between seasons]], Feeny fits this trope much more readily, having given up any semblance of trying to maintain a professional distance in his relationships with the main cast of students (to the point that, when he resists telling them he loves them in the GrandFinale, none of them believe him).
* Mr. Kotter on ''WelcomeBackKotter''.
* About half the teaching staff in ''Series/BostonPublic'', but Mr. Senate especially.
* Miss Bliss from ''Good Morning Miss Bliss'', the precursor to ''SavedByTheBell.''
* Another one is the title character in the long-running Japanese drama ''San-Nen B-Gumi Kinpachi-sensei''.
* In ''TheWire'', Prez tries to be one of these for his students (to the extent that he even starts taking home a neglected kid's laundry), but [[{{Deconstruction}} gradually realizes that he can't invest himself in them so much]].

* Mr. Schuester in ''{{Glee}}''.
** Well. He'd probably like to ''think'' he's this. In fact, though, the only student whose problems he's canonically shown to take much interest in or do much of anything about is Finn Hudson - who's basically Will's mini-me. He's less an actual PsychologistTeacher than a deconstruction of the trope.

[[folder: Video Games]]
* Subverted in ''ShinMegamiTenseiNocturne''. Yuko appears to be the perfect teacher, with her students speaking of her in glowing terms and three of them being close enough to visit her in the [[AbandonedHospital hospital]]. During [[BigDamnHeroes her first appearance]], she literally saves your life and seems to be the one in charge. Unfortunately, [[spoiler:it turns out she has a crippling lack of self-confidence that leads to her being effortlessly manipulated by Hikawa and then Aradia. The irony is that she could have been one of the strongest characters in the game, but ends up being the weakest]].

[[folder: Western Animation]]
* Occasionally parodied with Mr Garrison, who has given terrible/misguided advice (to Stan, when he was worried about his gay dog Sparky), shown little concern for his students' problems and mocked them for it (when he found out Stan was being beaten up by his sister and not one of his parents), or "helped" them as part of his own, not so altruistic agenda (joining the intervention to send Cartman to Fat Camp "just so (he) could see the look on (Cartman's) face".
* [[spoiler:Parodied in the]] FamilyGuy episode 'Fast Times at Buddy Cianci Jr. High', which has Brian becoming the substitute teacher of the remedial class, where he inadvertently inspires the inner-city youths that they can achieve their dreams [[spoiler: as long as their dreams involve low-paying, unskilled labor.]]
* Mr. O'Neil tries to be this in ''{{Daria}}'', often failing miserably.

[[folder: Real Life]]

* Professor [[spoiler:Snape]] attempts this with Draco in the ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'', [[spoiler:though it's less trying to save Draco from the day-to-day problems of a teenager and save his soul from murdering Dumbledore.]]

* Professor [[spoiler:Snape]] attempts this with Draco in the HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince, [[spoiler:though it's less trying to save Draco from the day-to-day problems of a teenager and save his soul from murdering Dumbledore.]]