1. Cinema Therapy
By: Megan Sprenger & Matt Williams

2. Previous Findings
Some of the changes that may occur
during everyday situations include
“sudden realizations, increases in critical
information, emotional reactions, event
interpretations, solution revelations, and
other change events that are also
intermediate goals of traditional therapy.”
(Lampropoulos & Spengler, 2005)

3. Non-traditional Counseling
From an existential perspective, friendship
has been considered as therapy for human
loneliness and alienation (Lampropoulos &
Spengler, 2005)
According to Lampropoulous and Spengler
one important advantage to religion as a
counseling intervention is the perception
of a divine presence can greatly enhance
the helpee’s expectations for change.

4. Non-traditional Counseling
Bibliotherapy is used similarly as movies
are used Lampropoulous and Spengler
state that the book that stands in for a
counselor may provide the client with a
more enduring, even life long therapeutic
relationship.
Schulenberg states that the implication of
and reference to films is that the
importance of movies extends beyond
their entertainment value.

5. Cinematherapy
Lampropoulous and Spengler found that
clients can identify with the movie
characters who face similar difficulties,
find support and acceptance for their
condition, deepen their emotional states,
achieve catharsis, increase their
awareness of the problem, get
information, find solutions through
vicarious learning, and prepare for action.

6. Cinematherapy
Schulenberg also states that using movies
as a technique in clinical practice allows
clients to view their problems from a
comfortable distance.
Movies as a visual metaphor provide an
entertaining means of educating the
viewer and fostering new attitudes
(Shulenberg, 2003)

7. Clients Not Appropriate for Movies
People with severe mental illness
Domestic violence situations
Recent traumatic experience similar to the
film
People that don’t enjoy films

8. Statistics
100% of the group reported that the
discussion after the movie was either
“excellent” or “very good”
100% of the group reported that they
would recommend the group
When asked what was most helpful one
client stated “seeing that my own grief
experience is normal.”

9. Proposed Diagnostic Criteria for
Complicated Grief
Criterion A: Person has experienced the
death of a significant other, and response
involves 3 of the 4 following symptoms,
experienced at least daily or to a marked
degree:

10. Proposed Diagnostic Criteria for
Complicated Grief
The 4 criteria are:
Intrusive thoughts about the deceased.
Yearning for the deceased.
Searching for the deceased.
Excessive loneliness since the death.

11. Proposed Diagnostic Criteria for
Complicated Grief
Criterion B: In response to the death, 4 of
the 8 following symptoms are experienced
at least daily or to a marked degree:
Purposelessness or feelings of futility about
the future.
Subjective sense of numbness, detachment,
or absence of emotional responsiveness.

12. Proposed Diagnostic Criteria for
Complicated Grief
Criterion B: (continued)
Difficulty acknowledging the death (e.g.,
disbelief).
Feeling that life is empty or meaningless.
Feeling that part of oneself has died.

13. Proposed Diagnostic Criteria for
Complicated Grief
Criterion B: (continued)
Shattered worldview (e.g., lost sense of
security, trust, control).
Assumption of symptoms or harmful
behaviors of, or related to, the deceased
person.
Excessive irritability, bitterness, or anger
related to the death.

14. Proposed Diagnostic Criteria for
Complicated Grief
Criterion C: The disturbance (symptoms
listed) must endure for at least 6 months.
Criterion D: The disturbance causes
clinically significant impairment in social,
occupational, or other important areas of
functioning.

15. Bibliography
Furst, Benjamin. (2007). Bowlby Goes to the
Movies: Film as a Teaching Tool for Issues of
Bereavement, Mourning and Grief in Medical
Education. Academic Psychiatry, 31(5), 407-410
Schulenberg, Stefan. (2003). Psychotherapy and
Movies: On Using Films in Clinical Practice.
Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 33 (1)
35-48
Lampropoulos, Georgios; Spengler, Paul. (2005)
Helping and Change without traditional therapy:
Commonalities and Opportunities. Counseling
Psychology Quarterly, 18 (1) 47-59