In this blog, I would like to introduce you a type of therapy called cinema thrapy. Has anyone ever heard of this term? Well, I haven't. I came across for the first time it in my search for a topic on this blog, googling for any relation between films and psychology.
Segen's Medical Dictionary defines the term in this way.
Cinema Therapy
A form of therapy or self-help that uses movies,
particularly videos, as therapeutic tools. Cinema therapy can be a catalyst for
healing and growth for those who are open to learning how movies affect people
and to watching certain films with conscious awareness. Cinema therapy allows
one to use the effect of imagery, plot, music, etc. in films on the psyche for
insight, inspiration, emotional release or relief and natural change. Used as
part of psychotherapy, cinema therapy is an innovative method based on
traditional therapeutic principles.
Although this type of therapy is not known to the public yet in Japan, there are many books and websites on cinema therapy in the U.S. We all appreciate the benefits films grant us every now and then, therapical or not, and may think of cinema therapy as much of a big deal. In its progressive stage, however, cinema therapy is steadily gaining popularity as a type of therapy that people can perceive eagerly and easily in every day life. Cinema therapy lisence certificates give psychologists, nurses, and social workers special credits, which implies that the therapy is in fact being practiced on the spot of medical and welfare scenes.
If you are interested in cinema therapy, these sites may help you get a clearer view of the therapy;
http://www.cinematherapy.com/index.html
a website made by therapist Birgit Wolz, introducing you to lists of cinema therapy movies and other interesting facts.
http://cinema-therapy.com/index.html
a website introducing you to Dr. Gary Solomon, the first person to term cinema therapy.
Lastly, here is a question I want you to think about. Would you use cinema therapy or introduce it to a friend or family member? Why or why not?
Yu, I would like to hear your answers to the above questions first. It seems like the definition above is relevant for anyone who watches movies - in fact they are a sort of therapy if they bring us to a better understanding of ourselves. Movies are also teaching tools, and I guess that is what cinema therapy is designed to do.
ReplyDeleteMs. MacGregor