Introduction: Psychotherapy through the lens of cinema.

Abstract

The primary aim of this issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychology: In Session is to demonstrate the myriad ways in which movies, their viewing and discussion, can be used to serve therapeutic and educational purposes. It collects together eight essays, an empirical study, and a film script that offer shifting perspectives on questions that are of interest to all therapists, irrespective of their theoretical persuasions: What can be learned about the transformative powers of psychotherapy by studying how filmmakers inspire deeply felt and memorable experiences in their audiences? What are the beneficial and detrimental effects of the ways in which psychotherapists and their patients have been portrayed in films and TV programs? What psychological functions can be served by recommending that a patient watch a particular film? When is it advisable to inquire about the characters in films who have served as the role models that played an important role in the formation of a patient's sense of self? Can films that portray what is best about human beings inspire life-changing forms of imitative learning? What roles can the viewing and discussion of films play in the education of therapists?