FILM THERAPY: HISTORY AND 16 HEALTH BENEFITS - ARTE - 2024

The filmoterapia is the use of film as a way to supplement psychological therapy, including watching movies, scenes or short and subsequent analysis as homework or your own professional consultation. It is used as another means or tool that can help the person among other things to reflect on different aspects of life.

Psychology and cinema come together in film therapy, in fact both were born almost at the same time, at the end of the 19th century. The origin of psychology as a discipline appears in 1879 when the physiologist, philosopher and psychologist Wilhelm Wundt created the first experimental psychology laboratory in Germany.

And on the other hand, the beginning of cinema is considered to have occurred in December 1895 when the Lumière brothers created a series of projected images in their laboratory. This link continues in subsequent years in which both psychology and cinema are consolidated.

The Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov presented his theory on conditioned reflexes in Madrid in 1904 and it was at this same time that Alfred Binet built the first tests to measure intelligence in his office.

While all this was happening, the conjurer Georges Méliès set up a recording studio in Paris where he created films such as Journey to the Moon, which led him to consider him the precursor of cinematographic science fiction.

This bond has been maintained over the years, as there is a close relationship between the two. Psychology is part of different phases of the process of creating a film, for example, in the development of the personality and characteristics of the characters, in the creation of the script or in the interpretation of the actors themselves.

On the other hand, many films have been made that have had and have as their main theme psychology, the role of the psychologist, the therapeutic process or mental disorders.

In 1947, Dr. Gary Solomon had already discovered the benefits of cinema in the therapeutic process and was using films as a way to reach the subconscious of people.

The beginnings: film therapy

It was in 1998 when Hesley and Hesley began to use terms such as video-work or cineterapia (cinematherapy in English) and popularized them with their book Rent a couple of movies and see you tomorrow.

They propose to the patient the viewing of films or scenes that they consider appropriate for each case in order that the person can feel identified or recognize some aspect of themselves and that it leads to further reflection.

Instead of other activities or tools they prescribe this activity as homework because they consider that it serves to reinforce and accelerate the effectiveness of the therapeutic process.

They also argue that the use of cinema in therapy has several advantages over other tools, for example, that it is easy to access, is familiar, and is also an activity that most people find enjoyable.

According to these authors, some of the aspects to which the use of this strategy contributes are that it provides role models, helps to reformulate problems, reinforces or extinguishes a certain behavior, or improves communication.

Other therapists such as Ulus (2003) include movies regularly as resources for group therapy.

The ability of cinema to generate positive behaviors

On the other hand, Mangin (1999) points out that if films can generate negative behaviors (for example, induce violence), their proper use will have the ability to generate the opposite effect and develop positive behaviors.

This same author indicates that the impact of films occurs more emotionally than intellectually. As other advantages, he points out that of allowing indirect treatment of issues that are difficult to address directly, such as substance abuse.

Do psychologists use film therapy?

In 2004 Lampropoulos, Kazantzi and Deane conducted a survey in the United States on the use of cinema in therapy to 827 psychologists and psychiatrists. 67% indicated that they used the cinema as a habitual resource in the treatment of their patients.

Furthermore, 88% of the interviewees considered that the use of this tool was beneficial for therapy because it contributes to its effectiveness. Only 1% answered that the use of cinema could be harmful to the therapeutic process.

Investigation

According to García-Martínez and Moreno-Mora (2011), experimental research has shown some facts that allow us to justify the use of films as a tool in the therapeutic process.

As numerous studies show, human beings tend to attribute intentionality to any animated or apparently animated object and this effect is already established in childhood (O'Neill and Shultis, 2007).

Therefore, it is easy to attribute intentions, desires and similarities to the characters we see in the movies, be they human or animated. On the other hand, numerous studies on personality investigate the possible effect of the mass media (especially the cinema) in the elaboration of the identity of individuals (McAdams 1995).

In recent years, experiments and research have been carried out that generally conclude that a film can connect significantly with a person, it can reflect aspects of their life, values, emotions, experiences, situations that sometimes cannot or cannot express in his own words.

Talking about a movie can provide the freedom to express opinions, debate and express opinions through the characters and situations that appear in it.

Main benefits of film therapy

Below we list some of the main benefits of the use of cinema in the therapeutic process as well as in other contexts or aspects of general life.

1- Reflect on vital situations

Cinema helps us to reflect on situations that are part of life and that can be difficult to deal with, such as grief, abuse or illness. It opens a door to reflection, learning and a possible debate in which each one can contribute their experience or analysis.

2- Important role in socialization

The cinema plays a fundamental role in the socialization processes. It transmits values ​​and reference models, many times it is the actors themselves who with their behaviors and attitudes serve as models. It also has a great diffusion capacity due to its ability to reach practically the entire population.

3- It's entertaining

It is a very common mode of entertainment. On many occasions, watching a movie is a way to disconnect from everyday life, to step into someone else's shoes, or to travel to other places.

It is a way to get away for a few minutes from the problems of day to day that allows us to relax and enjoy a time of mental rest.

4- It serves to become aware of strengths or values

It serves as a means of making one's own strengths or values ​​aware. The viewer can feel identified with one of the characters or with the situations that the film reflects.

This can help the person develop internal motivation or use personal resources that they would not have thought they had.

5- We expose ourselves to our fears

Many movies expose us to our fears or fears. Although it is unpleasant and sometimes painful, it is the right way to start to overcome them. It helps us understand the origin of this fear, how it occurs or even strategies to face it.

6- Spread the use of Psychology

Learn about mental disorders through the cinema and spread the use of psychology. In many films there are symptoms, characteristics and consequences of mental pathologies.

On the other hand, many actors and actresses have played the role of psychologists and therapists in movies. In some the profession is clearly mentioned, in others only scenes appear in a consultation or a small part of the treatment.

Sometimes what appears in the film has little to do with reality, but in any case it serves to disseminate and bring the profession closer to the public.

7- Encourages the expression of emotions

The cinema encourages the expression of emotions. During the viewing of a movie, the viewer can go through feelings as varied as surprise, anguish, fear, frustration or sadness in a few minutes. The expression of these emotions relieves us and makes us be in contact with the most intimate of our being.

8- Effective in group therapies and therapeutic communities

Viewing movies or scenes has proven to be highly effective in group therapy and therapeutic communities. In the treatment of drug addiction it is usually used on a regular basis.

After watching the film, a debate is established to reflect on what has happened in it, being easier to approach the subject by talking about the character than about oneself.

The use of cinema as a form of prevention is also increasingly common. Teaches, warns and awareness of the possible consequences of a behavior or a specific situation.

It is often used to prevent problems such as gender violence, eating disorders or drug addiction.

9- It is a didactic medium

The use of films as a teaching medium is very common. It is a resource that is very attractive to students and helps to awaken their interest in different topics.

Using it to later carry out a debate or common reflection can help to internalize such important issues as social values, or appropriate coexistence behaviors.

10- It is a way to feel identified

The viewer may feel identified with some of the characters because they go through a process similar to yours. In this way, different points of view can appear in the face of the same conflict, learn alternatives of action that would not have been raised, or take distance from the problem when seeing it from the outside.

It helps to be more creative and flexible by using your imagination to find different options. In short, discover that other people may be going through the same problem and the different ways that exist to solve it.

11- Improve motivation

Seeing a movie in which the protagonist strives and struggles to achieve his objectives or goals can be a good motivation to decide to do the same. Sometimes the force of what it transmits is so powerful that it generates a motivation for change in the person.

You can see in that protagonist a role model or realize the beautiful aspects of life, value the small details or pleasures of day to day or start living in a more conscious way. It can help to find options that had not been considered and even change the course of life.

12- Movies offer hope

Many movies offer us hope. They teach us that life is complicated but that it is always possible to start over. They also show us people who are going through a very difficult life moment and how they get through it, which instills a feeling of value and well-being.

13- Contributes to the development of empathy

On many occasions we do not understand how a person acts or how to behave in a situation. Movies teach us that there are as many ways of acting as people, and that each of us has certain reasons for doing it, whether we share them or not.

Understanding this helps us to be more empathetic, to put ourselves in the shoes of the other and thus be able to understand things such as why someone has made a decision that in principle we did not understand.

14- Dose of humor and laughter

Different studies have shown the benefits of laughter both physically and mentally. It has also been shown that watching a comedy accompanied by other people gives us more pleasure and generates more "laughter" than if we do it alone.

15- Improve social relationships

Going to the movies or watching a movie with other people helps us share time and space with friends and family. They also tend to generate different points of view and different conclusions or analysis, which contributes to communication and socialization with other people.

16- Films help to expand our knowledge

Movies serve as a medium of information. They teach us countries, customs, cultures different from ours or historical events that we would not have known otherwise.

References

1. Ulus, F. (2003) Movie therapy, movie therapy!, Canada. Trafford Publishing.
2. Hesley, JW, Hesley, JG (2001). Rent Two Films and Let's Talk in the Morning: Using Popular Movies in Psychotherapy. New York: John Wiley & Sons
3. Mangin, D. (1999). Cinema therapy: How some shrinks are using movies to help their clients cope with life and just feel better. Health and Body.
4. Lampropoulos, G., Kazantzi, N., Deane, F. (2004) Psychologists' Use of Motion Pictures in Clinical Practice. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice. American Psychological Association 2004, Vol. 3
5. García-Martínez, J. and Moreno-Mora, D. (2011) Work with films in psychotherapy. Sevilla University. Journal of Psychotherapy.
6. Clyman, J. (2013) Cinematherapy: A useful tool in group therapy. Psychology today.
7. Berg-Cross, L., Jennings, P., & Baruch, R. (1990). Cinematherapy: Theoryand application. Psychotherapy in Private Practice, 8
8. Solomon, G. (1995). The Motion Picture Prescription. Santa Rosa, CA: Aslan Publishing
9. Image source