Jennifer Melfi

Jennifer Melfi, M.D., played by Lorraine Bracco, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. She is the psychiatrist of Mafia boss Tony Soprano. Melfi is herself Italian-American; her family has roots in Caserta. She received her Ph.D. from a correspondence school. She is probably the person closest to truly understanding Tony Soprano. Over the years, Tony Soprano has been able to confide in Melfi many things that he has told no one else... not his associates and certainly not his wife, Carmela. However, Melfi and Soprano have an unusual, on-again-off-again relationship. He inwardly fears Melfi prying into his life during their sessions, but he also fears the results from not dealing with the problem. As a result, she watches him go through frequent mood swings during their time together, sometimes acting playful, other times violent – sometimes acting responsive, other times being cold and distant. For her part, Melfi has tried hard to help Soprano as much as... full article at wikipedia