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

by John W. Hesley, John W. Hesley

Unlock the emotional roadblocks that can inhibit or interfere with the success of therapy Videowork is the therapeutic process in which therapists assign popular films that relate to core issues of ongoing therapy. Clients are instructed to do their "homework" between sessions and prepare for discussion in future sessions. Rent Two Films and Let's Talk in the Morning explores how therapeutic work interwoven with popular films enhances traditional therapy. This much-anticipated revision provides an introduction to using movie rentals in therapy and serves as a ready reference for therapists who want to assign videos as homework. Authors John and Jan Hesley address the dilemmas that you may face when deciding when it is appropriate to assign a film, and offer friendly guidance and detailed information on every aspect of using films as tools in therapy. In addition, this updated * Provides concise descriptions of dozens of popular videos and shows how they can be used as therapy for specific therapeutic needs (divorce, child abuse, substance abuse, etc) * Contains a revised organizational structure, covering therapy topics based on patient issues frequently encountered in therapy, including marital problems, parenting, job stress, abuse, and emotional disorders * Offers suggestions on selecting films, creating assignments, and processing homework * Provides newly released film reviews, along with 40 additional films with brief descriptions, in the "Therapists' Film Reference"

Genres: Psychology, Media Tie In, Counselling, Nonfiction

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

A work of genius! This is exactly the kind of tool that counselors, therapists, and social workers need - it's practical, soundly based in proven theory, applicable in many situations, and able to spur further innovation along the same lines.
The basic idea is that the authors screened a huge number of mainstream movies that portray aspects of issues people bring to therapy, from child abuse to terminal illnesses to relationship problems of assorted types; then they indexed the films by subject and provided a brief thumbnail description of the points a client could absorb from each film and bring back to talk over in future sessions with the therapist, along with suggestions as to the types of clients that might do best with that film (and warnings about who not to ask to watch it) and ways to frame the discussion in therapy sessions after the client watches the film. This is the kind of thing that makes you wish you'd thought of it and written it, and for anyone who uses it in his/her work, I'd expect it to become one of the most thumbed-through and well-worn books on the shelf.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really fun book for anyone who is into movies and works as a therapist or maybe also teachers. It is a way to start a conversation, especially for those who are resistent to reading books or cannot read books. I look forward to trying some of these out!

[Linda Branham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have used this book to help people understand certain issues.
For example for Grief and Loss... Ordinary People is suggested