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Lucy Van Pelt
(The idea of online therapy has lots of folks in the industry wondering whether it's any better than Lucy Van Pelt hanging up a sign reading, "Psychiatric Help 5 cents.")
Is "Lucy Van Pelt"a person's name? Why is this particular name used here?
Yes, it is a person's name. Lucy Van Pelt is a character in a comic strip called "Peanuts." Lucy is an enterprising child, so instead of selling lemonade to make money, she sets up a stand and sells psychiatric help (see http://web.tiscali.it/addaveni/lucy.jpg). Obviously Lucy is not qualified as a psychiatrist because she is a little girl, which results in humorous situations in the comic strip.
Thus, the meaning of the sentence is that people providing online therapy may be underqualified and just be looking to make a buck or two over the internet.
Lucy van Pelt is one of the main characters in the American comic strip "Peanuts" by Charles M. Schulz. A recurring scenario in the comic strip was Lucy's "Psychiatric Help" booth where she dispensed advice for 5 cents.
http://www.wm.edu/amst/370/2005/sp1/images/lucy%20doctor%20stand.jpg |