Utilizing Cinema Therapy In The

Correctional Setting

Kim Stokes MSW LISW-S

John Dye MRC LICDC

Ohio Reformatory For Women

* Addressing the specific needs of women research indicates that 86 percent of the women served have co-occurring disorders.

* Depression and anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder, grief issues are just a few are of the specific issues that women are faced with in Recovery.

Hierarchy for Prison ReformPersonal &

Societal Wellness

Self Development

Service Delivery

Stability & Order

Safety

1479 Collins Ave, Marysville, OH

Ohio Reformatory for Women

Vision: To create a culture of growth and integrity.

Mission : The ORW community will create a safe and enriching environment for all.

Icebreaker• My name is and my favorite movie is?

• This is why?

Introducing “Cinema Therapy”

*Cinematherapy is a therapeutic approach being used by many therapists and counselors.

It is an extension of bibliotherapy, a technique developed by psychiatrist Karl Menninger,

“Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force. The friends who listen to us are the ones we move toward. When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold and expand”.

Karl A. Menninger

Other professionals that have

contributed to Cinematherapy

• Dr. Gary Solomon Professor of Psychology at the College of Southern Nevada

• Dr. Birgit Wolz Marriage and Family Therapist

Loch Lomond, CA

Introduction to Cinema Therapy, Dr. Birgit Wolz, PhD, MFT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fRY7feuXJA

Cinema Alchemy* Evocative* Prescriptive *Cathartic

Have you ever watched a movie at home or left a movie theater full of emotions, enlightenment and inspiration?

Did you want to share your impressions and feelings right away with some significant other?

Did the movie help you reflect on your own life experiences, tribulations and triumphs?

This is what inspired the development of the group that is called “Movies with a Purpose”.

Recovery ServicesPresents

“Movies With A Purpose”

* “Movies with a Purpose” is offered at the Recovery Services group room.

* Group tables are taken down and chairs will be arranged to provide comfort but still provide a learning environment.

* Food and drink will be allowed.

Announcing “Movies with a Purpose”

an example of a flyer

Cinema therapy is the process of using movies made for the big screen or television for therapeutic purposes.

“Movies With A Purpose” participants will view a therapeutic movie each week for 8 weeks, followed by a discussion about the movie. Participants are expected to be actively engaged in the post discussion. Weekly homework assignments apply. The group will begin on Friday Oct 4, and run through Nov 22. We will meet at Recovery Services on Fridays at 8:30 a.m. till 10:30 am.

Please come to Recovery Services to signup. Only 15 participants can attended this next session.

Preparing clients for “ Movies with a Purpose”

*Encourage participants to clear their minds of anything that was happening prior to coming to group or what they will be doing after.* Relax become comfortable in their surroundings.* Watch the movie with a consciences awareness. *Allow enough time for the group members to process feelings and thoughts at the end of the movie. * As a clinician you don’t want to trigger emotions and feelings and send the client back to the cottage without the proper support and opportunity to process.

* “Movies With a Purpose” has many possibilities.

* “Movies with a Purpose” is educational and therapeutic but also recreational.

* The group will meet once a week for eight weeks.

* The selection of movies will be indentified prior and structured but also flexible depending on indentified need of participants that the facilitator has identified.

* All movies will have a mental health, addictions or comedy theme.

*“Movies with a Purpose” would best function with a limit of 10 participants but 15 would be the cut-off.

The type, goals , facilitating of “Movies with a Purpose”?

Guidelines when selecting

Clarify your intent when assigning a film in which a client might mistake the role identification.

Discuss positive and negative reactions to a film. Use material according to your theoretical orientation.

Some evocative questions are :

How did this movie help you , positively or negatively?

Did the film have a unique message to you?

What new ideas for behaviors did the film introduce?

Did you experience something that connected you with health or wholeness ,

your inner wisdom or your higher self as you watched?

Recreational Therapy Outcomes for People with Addictions.

• Increase ability to have fun while sober.

• Increase ability to choose non chemical alternatives for achieving goals.

• Improve use of free time and leisure planning.

• Improve self esteem and self actualization.

• Increase ability to cope with stress without chemical use.

• Decrease anxiety and depressive symptoms.

• Increase skills for socializing drug free.

Activities #2 Homework Handout

Group Activities: 1

Debriefing

• To ask about what was learned may include:What do you know now that you didn't know before?

• What attitudes and feelings do you have about the experience that you didn't have before?

• Are you aware of any other changes that occurred in knowledge, skills, attitudes, or feelings as a direct result of this experience? If so, explain.

• How did you actually learn what is most important to you? • To ask to evaluate the group may include:

What part of this project was most valuable for you?• How has this group been helpful to you?• How have you contributed to this group?• What are some things that would have made the group experience

better for you?

Activities # 3

Journaling Prompt - Imagine yourself in a place you like to be (not necessarily someplace you like to *go*). What do you like about it? What are the most intriguing/appealing aspects? In contrast, think of a place you do *not* like being. What makes you not like being there? Think how you can use this to develop ideas for writing.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

An example of the evaluations that will be used. The following questions are formatted into a document that can be rated on a scale of 1-5.

• Was the facilitator open to participant’s ideas, viewpoints, and opinions?.• Showed skill in supporting and motivating individuals within the group?.• Encouraged rapport among group members.• Helped generate a positive atmosphere that facilitated learning.• Guided the group process without being too directive.• Gave group the appropriate freedom to set their own direction within appropriate

limits.• Was good at facilitating interaction within the group when needed.• Was skilled at getting everyone in the group involved.• Asked good questions when needed.• Was a good listener.• Encouraged wrap up sessions.• Did the facilitator choose movies that were relevant to the group’s issues?• Encouraged us to be prepared for each session.• Reinforced us appropriately.• Overall, the facilitator did a great job?• Other Comment (information given is anonymous)

*Without meaningful activities associated with the group it just becomes someplace to go and watch a movie.

* It can become a balancing act to keep the group some what recreational/leisure in nature and also therapeutic.

* Keeping the group material current can be fun but also challenging.

*Movies would need to be watched by the facilitator so discussion questions can be created and key notes emphasized.

* Not just any movie will do. The facilitator should also consider if the client has the ability to understand the content of the movie.

* Balancing , Glamorization & Objectivity.

Challenges & Pitfalls

Utilizing Movie & TV Clips to Teach Recovery Concepts

The Benefits Of Using TV & Movie Clips in Teaching Recovery Concepts?

Selecting Appropriate TV and Movie Clips

MOM PRISM AWARDS SWANKDAYS OF OUR LIVES

Video Clip #2https://www.youtubeom/watch?v=LkPTKPX_i6c

Preparing To Use Movie & TV Clips in Therapeutic Programming

• Possible pitfalls in using media clips.

• Getting and staying organized.

Criminal Thinking Errors

Mollification : Making excuses, blaming, justification.

Cutoff: Ignoring responsible action.

Entitlement : a sense of being above the law.

Power Orientation: asserting power.

Sentimentality: self serving acts of kindness.

Super optimism: extreme optimism.

Cognitive Indolence: lazy thinking.

Discontinuity : getting sidetracked

Mollification

If I wasn’t selling drugs,someone else would be.

Mollification: making

excuses ,justification,

blaming.

Video #3

5 Rules for Rationale Thinking

Example Exercise1. Are your thoughts based on objective reality/facts?....................... Yes/No

2. Are your thoughts helping protect your life and health?..................Yes/No

3. Are your thoughts helping you achieve your short and long-term goals…. Yes/No

4. Are your thoughts helping you keep out of conflict with others?....... Yes/No

5. Are your thoughts leading you to feel the way you want to feel without the use of alcohol and drugs……..Yes/No

If you cannot answer yes to three or more of these questions, you were thinking in a irrational way. This “wrong thinking” can keep you from making the positive lifestyle changes you wish to achieve.

I can change this thinking error by:

• Accepting personal responsibility for the consequences of my actions.

• Realizing that life is not fair and that unfairness is not an excuse for criminal behavior.

• Facing my past failures and future personal goals honestly and courageously.

• Being willing to face the consequences my actions had on victims, victim’s families, my family and the community.

Cutoff

Screw it! I’ll just go get high and I won’t care what I do.

Cutoff: ignoring responsible action, eliminating sensitivity to consequences.

Video # 4

5 Rules for Rationale Thinking

Example Exercise1. Are your thoughts based on objective reality/facts?....................... Yes/No

2. Are your thoughts helping protect your life and health?..................Yes/No

3. Are your thoughts helping you achieve your short and long-term goals…. Yes/No

4. Are your thoughts helping you keep out of conflict with others?....... Yes/No

5. Are your thoughts leading you to feel the way you want to feel without the use of alcohol and drugs……..Yes/No

If you cannot answer yes to three or more of these questions, you were thinking in a irrational way. This “wrong thinking” can keep you from making the positive lifestyle changes you wish to achieve.

I can change this thinking error by:

*realizing that most things of real value require time and effort to achieve.

• recognizing that life has frustrations and accepting the need to work through them.

• Understanding that I control my feelings and behavior by the way I think.

• Remembering that every decision I make has consequences.

• Working on specific techniques for controlling my anger and the stress in my life.

Entitlement

I don’t care that other people

have been waiting longer than me. I’m ready now!!

Entitlement : a sense of being above the law, an exception to the rule.

Video #5

5 Rules for Rationale Thinking

Example Exercise1. Are your thoughts based on objective reality/facts?....................... Yes/No

2. Are your thoughts helping protect your life and health?..................Yes/No

3. Are your thoughts helping you achieve your short and long-term goals…. Yes/No

4. Are your thoughts helping you keep out of conflict with others?....... Yes/No

5. Are your thoughts leading you to feel the way you want to feel without the use of alcohol and drugs……..Yes/No

If you cannot answer yes to three or more of these questions, you were thinking in a irrational way. This “wrong thinking” can keep you from making the positive lifestyle changes you wish to achieve.

I can change this thinking error by

• respecting the rights and the property of others.

• developing some empathy by “putting myself in the shoes of other person”.

• evaluating what I have earned, not what I want.

• taking an accurate and objective look at what is mine and what is not.

Door Prize

ReferencesCapuzzi, D. , D. Gross, and M. Stauffer. Introduction to group work . Love Publishing Company,

2010.

Sharp , C. (2003). Cinematherapy: Metaphorically promoting therapeutic change. Counseling Psychology Quarterly, 15(3), p269-276.

Solomon, G. (2001). Reel Therapy. How movies inspire you to overcome life’s problems. Fairfield: Asian Publishing.

Suarez, E. (2003). A princess in god's eyes cinema therapy as an adjunctive tool. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 22(3), p259-261.

Niemiec, R. (2010). Understanding death attitudes: The integration of movies, positive psychology, and meaningful management. Death Studies, 35, 387-401. doi: 10.1080

Cape, G. (2009). Movies as a vehicle to teach addiction medicine. International review of Psychiatry, 21(3), 213-217.

Dermer, S. (2000). Utilizing movies in family therapy: Applications for individuals, couples and families. The American Journal of family Therapy, 28, 163-180.