Cinema therapy is a powerful healing modality that may sound unfamiliar to you because most treatment programs do not offer it. At The Guest House, however, you can navigate trauma recovery through cinema therapy. Our program uses this innovative modality to add a fun and unique dimension to your healing journey.
Healing Through Cinema Therapy
Enjoying movies is a major part of the human experience. Movies can pull you in and help you escape life’s woes. They can also broaden your horizons and expand your mind by teaching you many different things.
When it comes to recovery, cinema therapy is unlike any other healing modality. This method can bring a new perspective to your journey, which can help you to overcome your struggles more successfully.
What Is Cinema Therapy?
According to a 2021 research review published in Frontiers in Psychology, cinema therapy and video treatments are “artistic therapeutic techniques.” Individuals are “exposed to their psycho-physical difficulties through the stories of the characters on the screen.” Through cinema, this method presents issues and situations that mirror your own, shedding new light on your struggles.
When using cinema therapy, you will be exposed to audiovisual material that mirrors your own traumas and difficulties. This can allow you to see your experiences in a whole new light.
How Does It Work?
With cinema therapy, commercial films are used as a recovery modality. The materials used will depict issues similar to your own so you can attempt to understand them through a third-person perspective.
Characters on the screen will face similar obstacles to yours, which can include childhood trauma, neglect, abuse, or addiction. As you experience this, you can discover new ways to cope with your struggles. Viewing these concerns from a detached perspective allows you to arrive at new insights.
Frontiers in Psychology notes that cinema therapy is offered in the presence of a therapist. This trained professional will choose a commercial film for you to view alone or with a specific group of people. The therapist watches along with you, providing you both with the same viewing experience. The therapist may then be able to talk about your situation more easily because they may have gained a better understanding of what you’ve been through.
The Benefits of Cinema Therapy
Even though cinema therapy is a relatively new treatment modality, research has been conducted over the last few years that points to its benefits for healing trauma.
According to a 2022 research review also published in Frontiers in Psychiatry, the “association and identification with characters in movie and television clips may facilitate empathy,” which is step one. Furthermore, cinema therapy has the effect of “increasing awareness, understanding and reflection and addressing unresolved feelings such as grief, loss, shame and guilt.”
Trauma Recovery Through Cinema Therapy
When cinema therapy is offered in a group setting, you can discuss sensitive situations and work through your emotions with others who have had similar experiences. This increased sense of community can help alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation. This group experience can also help reduce the guilt and shame commonly associated with trauma.
Cinema therapy also provides many benefits for therapists. This modality can create a dialogue with patients who were once closed off. Your therapist can also gain a better understanding of your trauma when they can relate it to a shared experience occurring on the big screen.
Self-Development and Trauma Release
In the aforementioned Frontiers in Psychiatry article, researchers sought to examine the effectiveness of cinema therapy on uniformed professionals who had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or moral injury. Researchers found that individuals had an opportunity to deepen their self-development and self-exploration as they viewed a film’s characters going through similar circumstances.
Another benefit of recovery through cinema therapy is the emotional release of trauma in the body and mind. This happens because trauma can live in the body as energy and memories long after you’ve experienced it. Cinema therapy can help to bring those emotions to the surface. From there, you can work through them and eventually free yourself from them.
According to Frontiers in Psychiatry, cinema therapy can also help foster critical thinking skills and build confidence in “future decision-making and action-taking measures.”
Recovery Through Cinema Therapy at The Guest House
Cinema therapy is an emerging therapy that is not offered at most recovery facilities. However, you will find this innovative modality at The Guest House along with many other unique and powerful healing techniques for your mind, body, and spirit.
The Guest House specializes in cutting-edge therapies designed to help you get to the root of your struggles with trauma, addiction, or mental health issues. Our cinema therapy program will allow you to journey through recovery at your own pace while still stretching you outside of your comfort zone.
Cinema therapy is guided by expert, trauma-trained staff members who specialize in this modality. You can participate in this program individually or as part of a group. During those sessions, you can share your feelings and process your thoughts and emotions without fear of judgment.
Traditional and Holistic Healing Options
At The Guest House, we encourage you to explore the recovery options that work best for you. We create plans for each one of our guests on a completely individualized basis. This allows you to create your own toolkit for lasting success.
Our tried-and-true talk therapies will help you gain a better understanding of the circumstances that brought you to our program. You will also learn how to create realistic goals that set you up for an enriching and purpose-filled future.
Along with traditional therapies, you will find a wide range of holistic healing modalities at The Guest House. Our program is designed to help you expand your mind, deepen your spiritual connection, and heal your relationship with yourself. At The Guest House, you can utilize the practices that work best for you and your unique life journey.
Cinema therapy is an emerging artistic therapeutic modality that can help you overcome your struggles. When film characters have life experiences that mirror your own, it can be easier to process your trauma. At The Guest House, cinema therapy is one of our many modalities that can help you find lasting success in your recovery. You can watch a film with a group or individually, led by a staff member specifically trained in this modality. After watching the film, you can reflect upon your own experiences and gain a fresh perspective. Combined with our wide range of cutting-edge therapies, cinema therapy can be a great addition to your recovery toolkit. Call us at (855) 483-7800.