A Reel Healing: The Therapeutic Power of Cinema
Thursday, June 20, 2024.
One of the best-kept secrets in mental health is that watching movies can be good for you.
How do movies heal? In this post, we’ll explore Cinema Therapy, a fascinating and effective approach to mental wellness.
What is Cinema Therapy?
Cinema Therapy is the clinical use of movies as a therapeutic tool.
This innovative approach harnesses the multi-sensory impact of film to influence thoughts, feelings, and values. Watching movies can activate areas of the brain involved in emotional processing, empathetic responses, and problem-solving, making it a potent mental health intervention.
The Evolution of Cinema Therapy
Cinema has always been more than just entertainment. As an art form, it generates empathy by inviting viewers to identify with film characters and plot themes. Through an appropriate mental health movie, vicarious empathy is aroused, allowing viewers to identify and describe strong emotions about recurring issues relatively quickly and profoundly.
Early Pioneers
Dr. Gary Solomon, MPH, MSW, Ph.D., was the first mental health professional to write about using movies as therapy. He coined and copyrighted the term "Cinematherapy®" and wrote "The Motion Picture Prescription: Watch This Movie and Call Me in the Morning," an encyclopedia of mental health movies. His follow-up book, "Reel Therapy," continued to categorize a new collection of films for therapeutic use.
Another significant contribution came from the clinical team of John and Jan Hesley with their 2001 book "Rent Two Films and Let’s Talk in the Morning." This book offered therapists a thoughtful guide for matching cinematic content with presenting clinical issues.
Modern Innovators
Birgit Wolz, Ph.D., is another giant in the field of Cinema Therapy. Her 2005 book, "E-Motion Picture Magic," introduced the Cinema Alchemy Model, which describes three distinct approaches to Cinema Therapy: Evocative, Prescriptive, and Cathartic.
Dr. Ronald Rogge’s groundbreaking research further legitimized Cinema Therapy. His ongoing study, known as the PAIR Program, found that couples can significantly improve their relationships by watching movies together and discussing them, cutting the divorce rate in half over the critical early years of marriage.
How Cinema Therapy works
Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), researchers have examined brain activity while people watch movies. A 2008 study found that certain movies have a significant impact on brain activity and eye movements (Hasson et al., 2008). Different areas of the brain light up as the movie influences the viewer’s thoughts and feelings.
The Healing Process
Cinema Therapy can heal in various ways. It can evoke powerful emotions, allowing individuals to process and articulate their feelings. For example, a 2010 study used Cinema Therapy over six sessions to help children cope with their parents' divorce. The children showed improved emotional recognition, processing, and coping skills (Marsick, 2010).
In another study, Wesley Buskirk discussed how seriously ill and traumatized children could find comfort and self-identification through Cinema Therapy. By connecting their real conflicts with fictional ones, these children experienced emotional relief and improved recovery times.
The Neuroscience Behind Cinema Therapy
From a neuroscience perspective, the effectiveness of Cinema Therapy depends on the intensity with which the client resonates with the movie’s plot and how skillfully the film is acted, directed, and edited. The multi-sensory experience of watching a movie engages different brain pathways, creating a force multiplier effect across seven modes of information processing: story, language, visual-spatial, musical, temporal, story arc, and meta-emotional.
Cinema Therapy in Practice
Therapists may prescribe certain movies as homework or screen movie clips in sessions as clinical interventions. This approach helps clients explore their emotions in a safe and controlled environment.
Cathartic and Evocative Cinema Therapy
Cinema Therapy is categorized into cathartic and evocative approaches. Cathartic Cinema Therapy focuses on emotional release, often through tears or laughter, while Evocative Cinema Therapy delves into the unconscious layers, allowing for deep emotional exploration and healing.
The Hero’s Journey and Healing
Great myths and epic narratives often serve as allegories for the human experience. Films that follow the Hero’s Journey resonate deeply with viewers, helping them uncover their authentic selves and navigate their personal challenges. As Anghelo Taylor wrote in "The CinemaTherapy Manifesto," the filmmaker's internal quest during the filmmaking process can lead to a therapeutic experience for viewers.
Relaxing Judgment and Expanding Empathy
Roger Ebert once said, “For me, the movies are like a machine that generates empathy. It lets you understand a little bit more about different hopes, aspirations, dreams, and fears. It helps us to identify with the people who are sharing this journey with us.” Cinema Therapy allows viewers to relax their judgments and expand their empathy, making it a powerful tool for personal growth.
Final thoughts
Cinema Therapy is a powerful tool for mental health, offering a unique way to process emotions, build empathy, and promote healing. Whether you're watching a movie for cathartic release or as part of a therapeutic intervention, the multi-sensory experience of cinema can profoundly impact your mental well-being.
As we continue to navigate these deeply challenging times, Cinema Therapy provides a promising avenue for mental health support, helping folks and couples find comfort, connection, and insight through the magic of movies.
Be Well, Stay Kind, and Godspeed.
REFERENCES:
Buskirk, W. (2014). Using cinema therapy with seriously ill and traumatized children. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 55(3), 267-275.
Ebert, R. (2002). Awake in the Dark: The Best of Roger Ebert. University of Chicago Press.
Hasson, U., Landesman, O., Knappmeyer, B., Vallines, I., Rubin, N., & Heeger, D. J. (2008). Neurocinematics: The neuroscience of film. Projections: The Journal for Movies and Mind, 2(1), 1-26.
Hesley, J. W., & Hesley, J. G. (2001). Rent Two Films and Let's Talk in the Morning: Using Popular Movies in Psychotherapy. Wiley.
Marsick, C. (2010). Cinema therapy with children: Using popular films to treat emotional disorders in youth. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 39(4), 584-590.
Rogge, R. D., Cobb, R. M., Lawrence, E., Johnson, M. D., & Bradbury, T. N. (2013). Is skills training necessary for the primary prevention of marital distress and dissolution? A 3-year experimental study of three interventions. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 81(6), 949-961.
Solomon, G. (1995). The Motion Picture Prescription: Watch This Movie and Call Me in the Morning: 200 Movies to Help You Heal Life's Problems. Aslan Publishing.
Solomon, G. (2001). Reel Therapy: How Movies Inspire You to Overcome Life's Problems. Aslan Publishing.
Taylor, A. (2005). The CinemaTherapy Manifesto: For Filmmakers, Psychotherapists and Movie Lovers. Cinema Alchemy Press.
Wolz, B. (2005). E-Motion Picture Magic: A Movie Lover's Guide to Healing and Transformation. Movie & the Mind Press.
A popular blog post from the deleted OG couples therapy inc. blog.
What is cinema therapy?
A Reel Healing: The Therapeutic Power of Cinema
One of the best-kept secrets in mental health is that watching movies can be good for you. How do movies heal? In this post, we’re diving deep into Cinema Therapy, a fascinating and effective approach to mental wellness.
What is Cinema Therapy?
Cinema Therapy is the clinical use of movies as a therapeutic tool. This innovative approach harnesses the multi-sensory impact of film to influence thoughts, feelings, and values. Watching movies can activate areas of the brain involved in emotional processing, empathetic responses, and problem-solving, making it a potent mental health intervention.
The Evolution of Cinema Therapy
Cinema has always been more than just entertainment. As an art form, it generates empathy by inviting viewers to identify with film characters and plot themes. Through an appropriate mental health movie, vicarious empathy is aroused, allowing viewers to identify and describe strong emotions about recurring issues in a relatively quick and profound way.
Early Pioneers
Dr. Gary Solomon, MPH, MSW, Ph.D., was the first mental health professional to write about using movies as therapy. He coined and copyrighted the term "Cinematherapy®" and wrote "The Motion Picture Prescription: Watch This Movie and Call Me in the Morning," an encyclopedia of mental health movies. His follow-up book, "Reel Therapy," continued to categorize a new collection of films for therapeutic use.
Another significant contribution came from the clinical team of John and Jan Hesley with their 2001 book "Rent Two Films and Let’s Talk in the Morning." This book offered therapists a thoughtful guide for matching cinematic content with presenting clinical issues.
Modern Innovators
Birgit Wolz, Ph.D., is another giant in the field of Cinema Therapy. Her 2005 book, "E-Motion Picture Magic," introduced the Cinema Alchemy Model, which describes three distinct approaches to Cinema Therapy: Evocative, Prescriptive, and Cathartic.
Dr. Ronald Rogge’s groundbreaking research further legitimized Cinema Therapy. His ongoing study, known as the PAIR Program, found that couples can significantly improve their relationships by watching movies together and discussing them, cutting the divorce rate in half over the critical early years of marriage.
How Cinema Therapy Works
Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), researchers have examined brain activity while people watch movies. A 2008 study found that certain movies have a significant impact on brain activity and eye movements (Hasson et al., 2008). Different areas of the brain light up as the movie influences the viewer’s thoughts and feelings.
The Healing Process
Cinema Therapy can heal in various ways. It can evoke powerful emotions, allowing individuals to process and articulate their feelings. For example, a 2010 study used Cinema Therapy over six sessions to help children cope with their parents' divorce. The children showed improved emotional recognition, processing, and coping skills (Marsick, 2010).
In another study, Wesley Buskirk discussed how seriously ill and traumatized children could find comfort and self-identification through Cinema Therapy. By connecting their real conflicts with fictional ones, these children experienced emotional relief and improved recovery times.
The Neuroscience Behind Cinema Therapy
From a neuroscience perspective, the effectiveness of Cinema Therapy depends on the intensity with which the client resonates with the movie’s plot and how skillfully the film is acted, directed, and edited. The multi-sensory experience of watching a movie engages different brain pathways, creating a force multiplier effect across seven modes of information processing: story, language, visual-spatial, musical, temporal, story arc, and meta-emotional.
Cinema Therapy in Practice
Therapists may prescribe certain movies as homework or screen movie clips in sessions as clinical interventions. This approach helps clients explore their emotions in a safe and controlled environment.
Cathartic and Evocative Cinema Therapy
Cinema Therapy is categorized into cathartic and evocative approaches. Cathartic Cinema Therapy focuses on emotional release, often through tears or laughter, while Evocative Cinema Therapy delves into the unconscious layers, allowing for deep emotional exploration and healing.
The Hero’s Journey and Healing
Great myths and epic narratives often serve as allegories for the human experience. Films that follow the Hero’s Journey resonate deeply with viewers, helping them uncover their authentic selves and navigate their personal challenges. As Anghelo Taylor wrote in "The CinemaTherapy Manifesto," the filmmaker's internal quest during the filmmaking process can lead to a therapeutic experience for viewers.
Relaxing Judgment and Expanding Empathy
Roger Ebert once said, “For me, the movies are like a machine that generates empathy. It lets you understand a little bit more about different hopes, aspirations, dreams, and fears. It helps us to identify with the people who are sharing this journey with us.” Cinema Therapy allows viewers to relax their judgments and expand their empathy, making it a powerful tool for personal growth.
Final thoughts
Cinema Therapy is a powerful tool for mental health, offering a unique way to process emotions, build empathy, and promote healing. Whether you're watching a movie for cathartic release or as part of a therapeutic intervention, the multi-sensory experience of cinema can profoundly impact your mental well-being.
As we continue to navigate challenging times, Cinema Therapy provides a promising avenue for mental health support, helping individuals and couples find comfort, connection, and insight through the magic of movies.
REFERENCES:
Buskirk, W. (2014). Using cinema therapy with seriously ill and traumatized children. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 55(3), 267-275.
Ebert, R. (2002). Awake in the Dark: The Best of Roger Ebert. University of Chicago Press.
Hasson, U., Landesman, O., Knappmeyer, B., Vallines, I., Rubin, N., & Heeger, D. J. (2008). Neurocinematics: The neuroscience of film. Projections: The Journal for Movies and Mind, 2(1), 1-26.
Hesley, J. W., & Hesley, J. G. (2001). Rent Two Films and Let's Talk in the Morning: Using Popular Movies in Psychotherapy. Wiley.
Marsick, C. (2010). Cinema therapy with children: Using popular films to treat emotional disorders in youth. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 39(4), 584-590.
Rogge, R. D., Cobb, R. M., Lawrence, E., Johnson, M. D., & Bradbury, T. N. (2013). Is skills training necessary for the primary prevention of marital distress and dissolution? A 3-year experimental study of three interventions. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 81(6), 949-961.
Solomon, G. (1995). The Motion Picture Prescription: Watch This Movie and Call Me in the Morning: 200 Movies to Help You Heal Life's Problems. Aslan Publishing.
Solomon, G. (2001). Reel Therapy: How Movies Inspire You to Overcome Life's Problems. Aslan Publishing.
Taylor, A. (2005). The CinemaTherapy Manifesto: For Filmmakers, Psychotherapists and Movie Lovers. Cinema Alchemy Press.
Wolz, B. (2005). E-Motion Picture Magic: A Movie Lover's Guide to Healing and Transformation. Movie & the Mind Press.
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Research:
Buskirk, Wesley D. (2017) “Movies in Medicine: Cinema Therapy for Children Suffering From Chronic Health Conditions,” Cinesthesia: Vol. 6: Iss. 1, Article 4. Available at: http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/cine/vol6/iss1/4
Hasson, U., Landesman, O., Knappmeyer, B., Vallines, I., Rubin N., & Heeger, D.J. (2008) Neurocinematics: The Neuroscience of Film. Projections. 1-28. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3167/proj.2008.020102
Marsick, E. (2010). Cinematherapy with preadolescents experiencing parental divorce: A collective case study. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 37(4). 311-318. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0197455610000687
Robertson, B. (2016, March 29). All things connect; The integration of mindfulness, cinema, and psychotherapy. Counseling Today. Retrieved from https://ct.counseling.org/2016/03/all-things-connect-the-integration-of-mindfulness-cinema-and-psychotherapy/
Yang, H., & Lee, Y. (2005). The use of single-session cinematherapy and aggressive behavioral tendencies among adopted children. American Journal of Recreation Therapy, 4, 35-44.
