Rent Two Films and Let's Talk in the Morning: Using Popular Movies in Psychotherapy

John W. Hesley; Jan G. Hesley

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0471170437 ISBN 13: 9780471170433

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, 1998

Therapists continually strive for new ways to engage their clients and bring about desirable outcomes in therapy. In the age of managed care, homework is becoming a relied–upon adjunct to brief therapy. Videowork is a therapeutic process in which the therapist assigns films that relate to core issues of on–going therapy for a client to watch between sessions, and then discuss the client′s reactions to the videos in future sessions. This book provides an introduction to using video in therapy and provides a ready–reference for therapists who want to assign videos as homework but need some guidance about what films to select in specific situations.

From the Back Cover:

The complete guide to video work

The use of popular films as catalysts in the psychotherapeutic process has gained increasing support in recent years. Accompanied by informed and sensitive therapeutic counseling, films can help clients get in touch with repressed emotions, find inspiration in the midst of despair, and understand the problems of others. But how can a therapist know when it is appropriate to assign a film? Which films have therapeutic punch? Where should the discussion focus after a client has seen a particular film?

Rent Two Films and Let′s Talk in the Morning answers these questions and many more. It provides friendly guidance and detailed information on every aspect of using films as tools in therapy, including:

• Techniques for using video assignments to enhance traditional therapy
• Concise descriptions of more than 100 popular films available on video
• Suggestions for using each film to meet specific therapy needs
• A quick–reference list of hundreds of films categorized by presenting problem
• Numerous examples of clients who have gained insights from film therapy and how these successes were achieved
• Ways to use films as powerful therapeutic metaphors

The Hesleys′ Web site is www.hesley.com.

Their e–mail address is movietalk@hesley.com.

Synopsis:

In the age of managed care, homework is becoming a relied-upon adjunct to brief therapy. Videowork is a therapeutic process in which therapists assign films that relate to core issues of on-going therapy for clients to watch between sessions and then discuss the clients' reactions to the videos in future sessions. While watching a video will not make the client "all better," therapists can assign films to promote clients' self-understanding, introduce action plans or "seed" future therapeutic interventions. This text offers an introduction to using video in therapy and provides a ready-reference for therapists who want to assign videos as homework but need some guidance about what films to select in specific situations. It shows therapists how they can use video assignments to enhance traditional therapy, and provides concise descriptions of dozens of popular videos, showing how they can be used as therapy for specific therapy needs, such as divorce, child abuse, and substance abuse.