She didn't seem stuffy, most psychiatrists only listen or interject questions to help self reflection. From what I heard they don't give actual advise, and definitely aren't advisers. It's frustrating to not 'cure' mental issues, but it's realistic. And for Bree to confide in another woman for an hour about all the details of her life, even that is a big deal. She truly didn't seem like there was anyone else who she could talk to on that level.
Also, sex workers aren't just street walkers or brothel workers, they can be anyone in need of money.

Bree would have probably felt more comfortable discussing her issues with another woman than a man. Since female psychiatrists were quite rare in 1970, she probably did not have too many options other than seeing this lady.

Im certainly open to the idea a lot of shrinks out there are/were kidding themselves as much as they were kidding their customers. But, yes, the woman in Klute comes across as particularly stuffy.
"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan

It's a style of therapy that isn't common anymore, but was still popular in the 1970s. The doctors were usually called "analysts," and they were there to encourage the client to talk. So, in the movies at least, it's a lot more monologue than is expected in contemporary therapy.

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A phony and a fraud? Are you kidding? There are thousands of people in NYC alone paying $200/hour to be asked questions just like that.
Fact is, much of psychology/psychiatry as they're practiced today are as grounded in science as the Oracle at Delphi. They ask ultimately pointless questions like those above, and have no more real understanding (and often less) of motivation and what lies under emotions than anyone else. But they are dealing with unhappy/desperate/gullible people who walk in the door believing or hoping this person can help. So the patient continues to see them and pays them a lot of money while being strung along in an aimless process yielding very limited results.

Back to what she looked like are we?

Would she? In 1970/71, maybe. But of course the "psychiatrist" was obviously a phoney and a fraud. Just f-cking look and listen to her ("what do you want to do when youre angry?").
"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan

I'm confused, what does her hair style have to do with the originator's question?
Back to the originator's post, we're not given anything regarding Bree's background, but her leaving at the end indicates that she was a New York transplant.
I think in her backstory, something Fonda was very big on creating, Bree most likely came from a fairly well off tradisional suburban family. She was educated and well trained and came to New York to become an actress, but became addicted to prostitution, not for the money, but rather for control in a life that had never experienced intimacy.
I believe her choice of psychiatrist is an indication of her background, for she was going ultimately to treat her addiction and knew it needed to come from someone who could provide competent mental health care.
Considering that period in New York city, there were a multitude of choice Bree could have taken in term of treatment, most of which would have lead to other addictions, but in the last scene with doctor, we see that she ultimately made the correct choice, for she makes the emotional connection with Klute with the aid of the psychiatrist.

Plenty of women were already wearing that haircut at the time.
Actually, you are wrong. Vidal Sassoon created this style for Jane Fonda's character in the movie. It caught on, and became a style from there. It's documentedyou can look it up.

"It was the first time that the style was shown, so it must have been a powerful scene at the time."
Not really. Plenty of women were already wearing that haircut at the time.

"..Bree was still turnin' tricks just so she could give the hag a hundred bucks an hour"
LMAO!
I should've left my phone @ home cause this is a Dizastah!

I can't imagine how awesome that would have been in '71. And it was being sported by film legend Henry Fonda's daughter. I didn't see Klute until 1979, unfortunately, but even then (I was such an early 70's freak) I got goosebumps when I saw Jane's 'new' look. Quite a change from her Barbarella locks

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hi rhinestone~ i finally rented this flic on dvd after always catching just the ending on tvenjoyed it! regarding the shrink, i agree she looked very old-fashioned for even then! but one thing to keep in mind was, it came out in '71, probably was shot in '70& fashions was jumping from the 60's into the 70's. the shrink was attired in the look of the past decade/60's(60's were more lacquered & artificial while early 70's become more natural, no heavy hairspray, no girdles & sometimes no bras. bree was younger & wearing a new natural shaggy hairdo, no bra & a more hippy-ish look, midis, etc. even in the model go-see in the beginning of the film, bree is the only one w/her hair like that, no bra, natural or not much makeup. so basically, the old chick "was livin' in the past, man"-LOL

It looked like she was sitting in a chair at a right angle to Bree's, so she had to turn her head all the way to the right when she talked to Bree.
Wasn't she sitting in a swivel armchair, so she could turn and rest her elbow on her desk while talking to Bree? This didn't seem odd to me.

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It might have been better to not have shown the psychiatrist at all and just have had Fonda talk to the camera.

The OP is probably very young and surprised that the lady psychiatrist didn't act like a bubbly Valley girl type.instead acting like what a real female psychiatrist would have acted like 45 years ago.
The bad news is you have houseguests. There is no good news.

True, Fonda insisted on the psychiatrist being a woman and she is in half shadow throughout the film just an ideal device for Bree to speak aloud her conflicts etc.

Having the psychiatrist be a woman was Jane Fonda's idea. She didn't think that the Bree we meet at the beginning of the film would trust a azman enough to open up to him emotionally.
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Roy Scheider's character.

Haven't seen the movie in ages but don't remember her having a pimp.