I’ve been to the cinema twice this week and watched two incredibly moving and powerful films,
August: Osage County, with themes of abuse, addiction, co-dependency, disappointment, family, hate, regret, love and hope
and
the Disney animation, 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 got me to reflecting about how movies can help us to find deeper meaning in life, as well as being a valuable tool on our journeys towards healing and growth. Much like with dreams, myths and fairy tales – working with the symbolism of movies can provide access to parts of the psyche that are inaccessible through our conscious thinking.
“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/)
CinemaTherapy suggests that by watching movies consciously, we can:
- decrease stress hormones through laughter
- identify, regulate and heal emotions through cathartic crying
- explore our reactions to the characters and how they relate to those parts of ourselves that we like and dislike
- create a sense of healthy distance from our problems
- develop objectivity
- gain new insights and behaviours
- connect with images and symbols and find their meaning
- understand ourselves at a deeper level of consciousness
- find a sense of positivity and hope
- improve communication
- enhance well-being and
- become more mindful
In therapy
Get to know yourself on a deeper level and try taking a movie that you have connected with to your therapy session. Explore the main themes, the music, the characters, the context, the shooting locations, the symbols etc. Tapping into the creative mind can be particularly useful when you are feeling stuck.
Check out my Movie Therapy board on Pinterest.
