Cinema Therapy in Individual Counseling
What it is and how we can use it?
Movies and film have always played a crucial role in allowing us to experience intense emotions and feelings. In individual counseling, there are many techniques which can elicit growth in a person. Cinema therapy is one of those techniques which can promote self-awareness.
In order to use cinema therapy, you look to the actors on screen and envision yourself in their shoes. By doing this you are experiencing empathy. To be able to see the world through the eyes of another is a crucial piece to being human.
INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING
Movies and film can be therapeutic, used in individual counseling through the practice of cinema therapy. In this counseling practice, an individual needs to use empathy to a high regard and envision themselves living through the movie as the protagonist.
The therapeutic counseling component comes more into play through a sense of reframing. Reframing is where you use past knowledge and experience to choose the behaviors for the future that will allow you to develop more positive self regard and safely recognize behaviors.
CINEMA THERAPY
As you envision yourself through the lenses of the protagonist, you are viewing the choices they are making. Whether it is choices in career, relationships, or experiences, you are being the protagonist through it all. This allows for a sense of reframing to begin that can be re-enacted during similar situations in your real life.
You can use the experience and knowledge of “protagonist” to make effective life decisions and skills for yourself. Thus in turn, you are making the film or movie real but instead you are the director and protagonist and are fully in control of your behaviors. You also look to how the protagonist overcame their dilemmas and translate these into your real life dilemmas and how you can move through them.
USING CINEMA THERAPY
Through cinema therapy you are able to look inward at yourself and begin to see the choices you have with a role model to follow. The next time you are enjoying a favorite movie, film, or television show, try using cinema therapy and place yourself in the shoes of the protagonist. Examine the choices they have. How you can make better choices or the same that will promote a positive you?
Be Proud of Yourself.
For more information on cinema therapy and scheduling an appointment for individual counseling, please call to speak to an Orlando counselor today at 407-592-8997.
