Can movies be healing?

Movies can be used as a self-help tool to provoke discussion and identification of client issues or even as a tool in patient diagnosis. Throughout my own life I have been impressed by the tremendous potential of films more than any other media to affect my emotions and thought processes. In this paper I am discussing the development and scope of cinematherapy and describe heuristically the emotional impact of several specific movies on myself and the implications for the therapeutic use of these movies.