I found myself reflecting today on two incredibly moving and powerful films,
- August: Osage County, with themes of abuse, addiction, co-dependency, disappointment, family, hate, regret, love and hope
and
- Frozen, with themes of hidden and frozen painful feelings, depression, perfectionism, suppressed potential, letting go of the false self, becoming real, female empowerment, relationships and love
It led me to think about how films can open up deeper layers of meaning in our lives, while also offering something genuinely therapeutic. Like dreams, myths and fairy tales, movies speak in symbols, reaching parts of the psyche that aren’t always accessible through logic or conscious thought.
Cinema can bypass our usual defences. We find ourselves identifying with characters, reacting emotionally, or sitting with something that lingers long after the credits roll. In that way, film becomes less about entertainment and more about encounter.
“Cinema therapy can be a powerful catalyst for healing and growth for anybody who is open to learning how movies affect us and to watching certain films with conscious awareness. Cinema therapy allows us to use the effect of imagery, plot, music, etc. in films on our psyche for insight, inspiration, emotional release or relief and natural change. Like music, poetry, stories, myths, jokes, fables, or dreams, cinema therapy allows us to gain awareness of our deeper layers of consciousness to help us move toward new perspectives or behaviour as well as healing and integration of the total self.” (http://www.cinematherapy.com/)
Cinema therapy suggests that by watching films consciously, we can:
- decrease stress hormones through laughter
- identify, regulate and process emotions through cathartic crying
- explore our reactions to characters and how they reflect parts of ourselves we accept or reject
- create a healthy distance from our own difficulties
- develop greater objectivity
- gain new insights and possibilities for behaviour
- connect with imagery and symbolism in meaningful ways
- understand ourselves at a deeper level
- access a sense of hope and possibility
- improve communication
- enhance overall wellbeing
- become more present and mindful
In therapy
Get to know yourself on a deeper level by bringing a film that stayed with you into the therapy space. Explore the themes, characters, music, setting, and symbolism. Notice what resonated, what stirred emotion, and what felt familiar. When words are hard to find, working creatively in this way can gently open something that has been waiting underneath.
Check out my Movie Therapy board on Pinterest.
