Wolz also provides many examples of movies that fit each of the previously mentioned categories. The client no longer feels as alone because they see their own experience reflected.Ĭulture should also be considered, and clinicians should choose movies where the clients will see their own culture and identities represented (Dunham & Dermer, 2020). The client internalizes the character’s experience and develops a connection between their shared experience. The client may find that they learn through the character’s experiences. The client identifies with the character because of their shared behavior and goals and notices the character’s feelings and emotions. Researchers have presented four main stages that occur during the process of cinema therapy (Sacilotto et al., 2022).
Optimism examples in movies movie#
They are encouraged to watch the movie actively, noticing what they feel and think in the process. Choosing to watch a film with a partner, friend, or family member may create an opportunity to improve communication.Īfter selecting and assigning the movie, the client moves into the observation stage. Questioning negative beliefs and rediscovering your strengthsīy following a character through their ups and downs, a client may feel less alone and find that they also share the strengths that the character discovers.Ĭharacters often show where communication can break down.A movie may provide the emotional release needed.Ī movie may provide a hopeful and uplifting solution to the problem, providing the client with inspiration and optimism. Sometimes we are going through a grieving process, but allowing ourselves to feel the emotions fully can be difficult. Rather than a pure escape, it is an opportunity to find a fresh perspective. Wolz (n.d.) suggests that films can be chosen as a way to laugh about and create distance from a problem a client may obsess over. She has identified five guidelines for choosing a film for your client. This tool can also be used for couples and families (Dermer & Hutchings, 2000).īirgit Wolz (n.d.), PhD, MFT, is a psychotherapist who writes about cinema therapy and facilitates cinema therapy groups. The client watches the film independently and brings their input to the next session. The therapist assigns a film to a client, choosing it specifically to reflect a core aspect of the client’s work. The client reads the book and discusses it with the therapist, using the story to gain insight into their own choices and thoughts.Ĭinema therapy was developed as an offshoot of bibliotherapy and follows in the footsteps of these older practices using movies instead of theater or books. The therapist suggests a book to the client that contains characters living through a similar experience. In more modern times, therapists have used bibliotherapy in a similar fashion. A catharsis or purging of emotion would result through this process of empathy, and audiences would leave the theater with a feeling of purification (Wu, 2008).įreud renewed the concept of catharsis with his theory that unearthing and releasing repressed emotions would lead to relief and eventual happiness (Wu, 2008). It was believed that audiences would experience relief when they shared the emotions of the players. In ancient Greece, the theater was used as a means of catharsis. These science-based exercises explore fundamental aspects of positive psychology, including strengths, values, and self-compassion, and will give you tools to enhance the wellbeing of your clients, students, or employees.
Optimism examples in movies plus#
Let’s explore how this therapy works and what the benefits are, plus we’ll add a few suitable recommendations.īefore you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Positive Psychology Exercises for free. This information can be brought to a therapy session and used to explore the client’s inner world. They may relate to the characters or find that their experience is quite different. Clients watch a film with the intention of seeing themselves reflected.
We can peer into other worlds, both real and imagined.Ĭinema therapy uses this impact as a catalyst for healing. When we gather to watch a film, it’s a collective experience and one that can have a profound impact on our emotions and our thoughts. Movies may be an escape from reality for some, but they are also deep reflections of our culture and our inner lives as human beings.
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