The protagonist of "Mental", Dr. Jack Gallagher (played by Chris Vance), is an energetic and brisk psychiatrist. Despite his young age, he has already become the director of the psychiatric treatment center at a famous hospital in Los Angeles. Similar to the limping Gregory House, Jack Gallagher has a stubborn and unruly personality, preferring to use non-traditional "unconventional methods" to treat patients. Although his methods are later proven to be very effective, the conservative female president, Nora Skoff (played by Annabella Sciorra), doesn't approve of them and strongly demands that he switch to traditional methods. Despite frequent disagreements at work, they have a history of romantic involvement. In each episode, Gallagher encounters a new psychiatric case, with unfamiliar patients and strange symptoms.