What is the theory behind Cinema therapy worksheet?
Cinema therapy is a type of expressive therapy that uses movies as a tool for growth and healing. It can be used in support with other methods to help clients gain valuable insights about their struggles and serve a cathartic purpose. The chosen film must be in line with the client’s needs and serve a purpose to their therapeutic goals. A helpful link for therapists to help in this selection is: https://www.cinematherapy.com/filmindex.html
How will the worksheet help?
The worksheet will help provide the therapists with crucial discussion points to use in the next session that can lead to a deeper understanding of the client’s issues. It is an interesting way to engage clients, and is different from traditional psychotherapeutic activities.
How to use the worksheet?
Instruct the client to watch the assigned movie in a calm and relaxed state. They must be consciously aware of their thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations throughout the movie so they can write them down. Discuss the worksheet with the client later on.
Cinema therapy worksheet
Use the following questions to reflect on your experience after watching the assigned movie.
- Name the movie you were assigned: ______________________________________
- Describe your emotions at the beginning and end of the movie.
| The Beginning | The End |
- Which character could you relate to the most and why?
- Which character did you dislike the most and why?
- During a scene that impacted you the most, describe your
Emotions | |
Thoughts | |
Physical reactions |
References
Borchard, T. J. (2017). Cinematherapy: The Healing Power of Movies and TV. Retrieved on October 15 2022 from https://psychcentral.com/blog/cinematherapy-the-healing-power-of-movies-and-tv#Movies-and-TV-Shows-as-Therapeutic-Tools
Wolz, B. Theory and guidelines for therapists. Retrieved on October 15, 2022 from https://www.cinematherapy.com/theory.html
You can download this worksheet here.