Film And Television As A Psychotherapeutic Tool

Film and television viewing take up a significant portion of the average person’s life on a daily basis. This qualitative study examines the question, “What the experience of using film or television as a therapy tool?” The narrative method was used by the researcher to capture different stories from the participants (12 therapists) in this study. Five themes were recognized with three separate subthemes. Study results indicated that film and television can be used in a variety of ways including: socialization and learning; as educational tools; and for their impact on human behavior, emotion, and cognition. Film and television are also used for rapport building and providing the patients an opportunity to open up to therapy. Several participants used characters from superhero films in order to communicate with patients. Many of the participants were able to come up with additional examples they did not initially realize. Overall, results show there are many different and effective ways to utilize film and television in psychotherapy. The integration of therapy with film and television is thus paramount to solidifying the patient-therapist relationship.