| Clinicians who view the work of psychotherapy through the lens of positive psychology may struggle with a myriad of clinical obstacles that can interfere with therapeutic objectives such as helping a client to increase positive emotion or to express gratitude. The use of popular films within the context of psychotherapy, often referred to in the literature as cinematherapy , typically involves the clinician inviting the client to watch a film which is later discussed in session. When utilized in this way, films may stimulate conversation, provide a rich and varied source of therapeutic metaphor, augment therapeutic interpretations, and allow the client to address areas of concern in a way that is indirect, and therefore less-threatening. The principal objective of this study is to build a theoretical model that explains how popular films can facilitate the work that is done within the context of positive psychotherapy. To accomplish this, I have conducted one semi-structured, qualitative interview with a clinician who has used popular films within the context of psychotherapy. This interview was transcribed, coded, and analyzed using a format most consistent with a grounded theory approach. In addition to the interview data, I have coded and analyzed seven peer reviewed journal articles relating either to the use of popular films in psychotherapy or bibliotherapy. The results of this analysis have been used to generate a theoretical discussion that explores the question: How can popular films facilitate the clinical objectives of positive psychotherapy?;This project is organized as follows: In chapter one, I begin with a personal statement, which is followed by introductory information; chapters two and three provide a review of the literature relevant to media psychology and positive psychology, respectively; In chapter four, I discuss the concepts and rationale that serve as a foundation for the methodology described in chapter five; The results of the data analysis can be found in chapter six; and finally, in chapter seven, I discuss the findings and provide a summary of the overall project. |
