Cinema narrative therapy: utilizing family films to externalize children's ‘problems’

Abstract

Cinema narrative therapy: utilizing family films to externalize children's 'problems' Brie Turns a and Porter Macey bParents 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.探

Memorable, Meaningful, Pleasurable: An Exploratory Examination of Narrative Character Deaths

“…Thanatologists often cite media as a useful educational tool for practitioners and individuals who provide support for the bereaved (Cox et al., 2005; DiBartolo & Seldomridge, 2009; Masters, 2003; Turns & Macey, 2015). However, suggestions for using media to approach death-related grief and end-of-life topics tends to be broad, referring to media as simply a mechanism or context through which to initiate conversations about death.…”

“…A comparison of character deaths that incorporates a more careful understanding of the varied nature of viewers’ responses to character death that specifically contrasts meaningful versus pleasurable character deaths can aid thanatology research by helping to identify what features of character deaths would maximize their utility in counseling contexts. Understanding why (a) individuals feel sad about the death of some fictional characters, (b) happy about the deaths of others, and (c) which type of character death is most easily brought to mind can help improve and focus the use of media in clinical settings (DiBartolo & Seldomridge, 2009; Masters, 2003; Turns & Macey, 2015).…”

Movies On the Couch: The MOVIE Model of Film Therapy

“…Here we may facilitate re-authoring of personal stories, look at helping the client to develop coping strategies, and draw out what can be learned from the story or image to take forward. Turns and Macey (2015) note that new possibilities emerge for clients when watching movie characters solve familiar problems in ways not previously considered. To facilitate this, we may ask the client to notice if anything changed or shifted from exploring the movie in this way and what they could take forward from this.…”

Movies as a Therapeutic Technique in School‐Based Counseling Groups to Reduce Parent–Adolescent Conflict

“…Movies have been used in individual, group, and family therapy (Ballard, ; Turns & Macey, ) and with adults (Sharp et al, ), adolescents (Molaie, Shahidi, et al, ; Powell, Newgent, & Lee, ), and children (Marsick, ). Issues have included depression (Powell & Newgent, ), bereavement (Molaie, Abedin, & Heidari, ), and children of divorce (Marsick, ).…”