Contributing to the saturation of wives-focused television series in the 2010s was “Mob Wives,” a docu-series following the lives of Italian women married to men serving prison sentences for mob-related crimes.
The reality show starred main protagonists Drita D’Avanzo, Carla Facciolo, Karen Gravano and Renee Graziano, daughter of infamous Bonanno crime family consigliere Anthony Graziano, and detailed tumultuous friendships and marriages, chaos and brutal banter.
“I received a call from a producer,” Kelly Gorsky, a specialist in therapy, psychology and anger management, told Fox News Digital. “He said, ‘I have a complicated situation, a complicated potential client. Can you handle a difficult person, and would you be open to possibly treating them on a TV show?”
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Since 2007, Gorsky has treated clients through her private practice.
With over 1 million viewers per episode, Season One of “Mob Wives” aired recorded sit-down sessions between Gorsky and Graziano.
“I learned to be challenged,” Gorsky said. “I actually learned composure, self-filtering, self-control, self-regulation, even when a client attempts to place you in very uncomfortable circumstances.”
Season One offered viewers a look into the stages of grief as a major story line unfolded in Graziano’s life. Her former husband, Hector “Junior” Pagan, was revealed as an FBI informant who wore a wire and snitched on her father. Graziano detailed her struggles to Gorsky during weekly sessions.
She acknowledged one key takeaway was learning how to support a client through the most challenging and unusual circumstances.
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“Whatever they wanted to use out of that 50-minute session, it was out of their discretion,” she said. “They got to use whatever content they wanted.”
Unsure about the value of sessions recorded in an industrial building for viewers’ entertainment, Gorksy didn’t sign on for additional seasons.
The show aired for six seasons. The final episode aired one month after beloved “Mob Wives” cast member Angela Raiola, known as “Big Ang,” died from complications of lung cancer.
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Gorsky authored the book “Anger Management: 101,” providing insights on how individuals can avoid engaging in or propelling arguments. She details coping skills, tools and information for an alternative to anger, which she initially applied to her own life.
“I had a tremendous amount of anger, friction, yelling, screaming, arguing, and it was just a roller coaster,” she said, describing her childhood. “It wouldn’t stop.”
“Anger is a pretty healthy emotion that provides you with a cue that something is wrong,” Gorsky said.
The court-approved book is written in short chapters, and clients are encouraged to work through them gradually.
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“The end goal is to make better decisions because you have better skills to resolve conflicts,” Gorsky said.
“Even if you’re the most reactive individual, most of the time, everything is preplanned,” she said. “All your plans, situations, people, events, gatherings; you know whom you’re with. You know who the people are. You know what the usual conflicts are.”
Gorsky recommends planning management of expectations and responses versus flying blind and welcoming the alternative.
“Usually circumstances are predictable,” she said.
