Premium
Cinema narrative therapy: utilizing family films to externalize children's ‘problems’
Author(s) -
Turns Brie,
Macey Porter
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of family therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1467-6427
pISSN - 0163-4445
DOI - 10.1111/1467-6427.12098
Subject(s) - narrative , character (mathematics) , family therapy , grief , psychology , movie theater , psychotherapist , ethnic group , anxiety , aesthetics , sociology , psychiatry , art , literature , mathematics , geometry , anthropology
Parents frequently bring children to therapy with the notion that their child has a ‘problem’. Children can begin to internalize these labels and negative attributes created by others. This article introduces a method for marriage and family therapists to integrate cinematherapy and narrative techniques. The method provided is to be utilized after a family has viewed a film chosen conjointly by the family and the therapist. This article includes suggestions as to how the family can externalize the movie character's problem, instances when the character defeats the problem and the qualities the character demonstrates while overcoming the problem. A case example has been included demonstrating the effectiveness of the method and clinical implications for future application. Practitioner points Watching movies has become a popular pastime for many families, so client compliance is likely. There are numerous situations that would allow this method to be utilized with the family unit, such as ‘problem’ children, grief and loss and childhood anxiety. Therapists should consider keeping lists of appropriate films that accommodate clients' culture and ethnicity.