Cinematherapy

“Stories about boys are
stories about journeys”
Stephen King, during an interview conducted about his story, “The Body”

Cinematherapy:
*commonly known as videotherapy, has been used as a medium for counseling adolescents for quite some time. The roots of this method stem from bibliotherapy, a technique which allows a reader to vicariously experience conflicts and situations in a secure, less direct manner than standard practice counseling (Newton 1995)

Rationale for Film over Books
is a powerful medium in today’s society.
is a significant part of adolescent culture.
presents a visually stimulating experience.
provides an alternative to reading comprehension.
Film is:

Planning is Essential
To ensure that the individual or group will get the most out of the session or sessions.
Film selection
Age appropriate themes and situations
Pre-written pool of discussion questions
Follow-up activities pre-planned
Group and Individual group work
Entire Screenings of Films and Revisiting scenes

“By allowing the participant to view characters with similar personal and social issues, connections can be made, problems can be solved, and discussions can occur which might not have, given the normal everyday circumstances.”
(Newton 1995)

4 Stage Approach(Jeon 1992)
Stage 1: Identification
The viewer sees similarities between themselves and a main character or event.

Stage 2: Catharsis
The realization of emotion by the viewer.

Stage 3: Insight
The viewer makes connections with a character or event.

Stage 4: Universalization
The viewer can understand his/her own situations and may begin to explore effective methods for coping with them.

Edited by Maureen Neihart, Sally M. Reis, Nancy M. Robinson, & Sydney M. Moon
Section I: Issues Deriving From Student Advancement Compared With Age Peers
Section II: Common Areas of Psychological Response
Section III: Gifted Children and Youth With Special Needs
Section IV: Promising Practices and Interventions and Recommendations for Future ActionSocial and Emotional Issues: What Have We Learned and What Should We Do Now?Contributors

Social and Emotional Issues Facing Gifted Adolescents
Underachievement
Bullying
Peer / Family (Relations/Pressure)
Identity Formation
ADHD/ODD/LD
Sensitivity/Over excitability
School Climate
Stereotyping
Siblings
Multicultural
Low SES
Perfectionism
Sports vs. Smarts

Social and Emotional Issues Facing Gifted Male Adolescents
Belief in Self / Image Management
Psychological Androgyny (Gender role conflict)
Self inflicted pressure (for performance)
Being labeled as different
Fear of Male bonding
Cultural Diversity
(Hebert 1991)

Adolescent Males Need:
Peers that share the same interests, beliefs, and points of view.
An environment that provides the prospect to express emotion.

“When gifted children are asked what they most desire, the answer is often, a friend”
Linda Silverman (1993) p. 72

Peers
Boys need close supportive relationships
Friendship and Trust solidify positive decision making in the future.
Boys are influenced by peer approval and suggestion.
Young adolescent males may feel more comfortable around their peers than anyone else.

“If we teach our sons to honor and value their emotional lives, if we can give boys an emotional vocabulary and the encouragement to use it, they will unclench their hearts.”
Kindlon and Thompson (1999) p. 20

EMOTION

Emotion
Common messages have been “Boys don’t cry”, “Act like a man”, and “Your acting like a girl”
Emotional breakdowns are quite common among youth.
Young men need to know it is alright to express emotion when they feel it.
Young adolescent males need to be open to their emotions.
Parents, teachers, and counselors need to be aware of the problems facing adolescent males.
They need to support more, care more, and ask more.

Stand By Me
Coming of Age film
4 main characters whom are all different
Each has a personal growth in the film.
Deals with many Social and Emotional issues.

Explorers
Confident Characters
Science fiction aspect
Three main characters
Shows importance of positive peers groups
Social and Emotional issues present

Follow up Activities
Painting
Sculpture
Creative writing (journaling, scripts, articles, essays, poems, etc.)
Group discussions
Photo essays
Improv role play
Research
Guiding Questions
Adapted from (Milne & Reis 2000)

Other Films
The Bad News Bears (1976)
Big (1988)
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
The Quest (1986)
Red Dawn (1984)
The Sandlot (1993)
The Sandlot 2 (2005)
Wonder Boys (2000)
Goonies (1985)
Dead Poets' Society (1989)
The Outsiders (1983)
Real Genius (1985)
Rookie of the Year (1993)
The Breakfast Club (1985)
Stand and Deliver (1988)
Lean on Me (1997)
Good Will Hunting (1997)

“A knight without armor in a savage land.”
Teddy singing in Stand By Me

Great Places to Find Info on Movies
www.imdb.com
Kid Vids: The best videos for Your Children*
200 selected Film Classics for Children of all ages: Where to obtain them and how to use them*
www.findamovie.com*
*(Milne and Reis 2000)

Gifted Web Sites
NAGC www.nagc.org
National Association for Gifted Children
SENG www.sengifted.org
Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted
Hoagies Gifted www.hoagiesgifted.org
Resource for Parents, Teachers, Educators
Neag Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development
www.gifted.uconn.edu

REFERENCES
Alvino, J. (1991). Social and emotional well being: an inventory into the needs of gifted boys. Roeper Review, 13(4), 174-180.
Baker, J. A. (1996). Everyday stressors of academically gifted adolescents. Journal of Secondary Gifted Education, Winter, 356-368.
Bombyk, D. (Producer), & Dante, J. (Director). (1985). Explorers [Film]. (Available from Paramount Home Video., 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, CA 90038)
Colangelo, N., & Davis, G. A. eds. (1997). Handbook of Gifted Education. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Coleman, L. J., & Cross, T. G. (2001). Being Gifted in School: An Introduction to Development, Guidance, and Teaching. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.
Dalzell, H. (1998). Giftedness: infancy to adolescence – a developmental perspective. Roeper Review, 20(4), 259-264.
Evans, B. A. (Producer), & Reiner, R. (Director). (1986). Stand By Me [Film]. (Available from Colombia TriStar Home Video., 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232-3195)
Gross, M. (2002). Play partner or “sure shelter”: what gifted children look for in friendship. SENG Newsletter, 2(2), 1-3.
Grotevant, H. D. (1987). Toward a process model of identity formation. Journal of Adolescent Research, 2(3), 203-222.
Hebert, T. P., & Neumeister, K. S. (2002). Fostering the social and emotional development of gifted children through guided viewing of film. Roeper Review, 25(1), 17-21.
Hebert, T. P., & Neumeister, K. S. (2001). Guided viewing of film: a strategy for counseling gifted teenagers. Journal of Secondary Gifted Education, 14(4), 224-235.
Hebert, T. P. (1995). Using biography to counsel gifted young men. Journal of Secondary Gifted Education, 6(3), 208-219.
Heydt, S. (2004). Dear diary, don’t be alarmed….I’m a boy. Gifted Child Today, 27(3), 16-26.
Kindlon, D., & Thompson, M. (1999). Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys. NY, NY: Ballantine Books.
Levant, R. F. (1992). Toward the reconstruction of mascunlinity. Journal of Family Psychology, 5(3), 379-402.
Lovecky, D. V. (1991). The sensitive gifted boy. Understanding our Gifted, 3, p.3.
Mendaglio, S. (1993). Sensitivity: bridging affective characteristics and emotions. Journal of Secondary Gifted Education, Fall, 10-14
Milne, H. J., & Reis, S. M. (2000). Using Video Therapy to address the social and emotional needs of gifted children. Gifted Child Today, 23(1), 24-29.
Neihart, M., Reis, S.M., Robinson, N. M., & Moon, S. M. (2002). The Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Children: What Do We Know? NAGC Publication, Washington, DC: Prufrock Press.
Newton, A. K. (1995). Silver screens and silver linings. Gifted Child Quarterly, 48(3), 14-20.
Silverman, L. K. (1993). Counseling the Gifted and Talented. pp. 51-78, Denver, Colorado: Love Publishing
Olszewski – Kubilius, P. (2004). From the editor. Gifted Child Quarterly, 48(3), 165-166.
Pollack, W. (1998). Real Boys: Rescuing Our Sons from the Myths of Boyhood. NY, NY: Random House
Swiatek, M. A. (1998). Helping gifted adolescents cope with social stigma. Gifted Child Today, Jan/Feb, 42-45.
VanTassel – Baska, J. (1998). Excellence in Educating Gifted / Talented Learners. Denver, CO: Love Publishing.
Webb, J. T. (unknown date). Nurturing the social and emotional development of the gifted. Social and Emotional ESPY Class Readings, 525-538.

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Cinematherapy

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