MOVIE Therapy: Self Healing From Your Own Couch
- Editorial Team
- Jul 29
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 3
Jenny Hamilton's FILM Model offers a fun alternative to therapy: it shows you can achieve therapeutic benefits from the comfort of your own home... self-healing through watching a movie!
on the couch with a favourite movie has long been a popular way to unwind from daily stress. Now, a new counselling model, MOVIE (Mindfully engage, Observe, Voice, Identify, Explore), takes this further by incorporating film and TV watching into therapy. Developed by Jenny Hamilton from the UK, this self-healing model shows that engaging with films in this way can be both enjoyable and therapeutically beneficial.
Hamilton, a practicing counsellor herself, has described her MOVIE model as an accessible and effective form of treatment, one that might work for many different people. She explained : "I first considered film therapy when my clients discussed movies and TV shows. I noticed that doing this could make some issues and feelings easier to talk about. That it could make therapy feel more accessible."
"I noticed that when my clients discussed movies and TV shows it could make some issues and feelings easier to talk about. That it could make therapy feel more accessible."
Movie Therapy: A Developing Area
"But when I looked into the research and literature on film therapy," Hamilton continued, "I struggled to identify clear methods for therapists to follow. This was still a developing area." So, she began to work out a counselling model. One that would integrate elements of mindfulness and 'experiential' as well as 'narrative' therapy. All designed to help encourage patients to immerse themselves in the moment.
Immersing Ourselves in the Moment
The "emotional cleansing" and self-healing effect of immersing ourselves whilst watching a play was already known for example in Greek Aristotelian times. Around then audiences found that watching actors portray familiar actions and emotions helped them, by temporarily forgetting their surroundings, and leading to emotional cleansing and self healing. This emotional release, especially after witnessing a tragedy, was termed "catharsis" and was later developed further by Freud.
Self Healing And New Perspectives
The MOVIE model works in a similar way. It can help people that actively take part in it develop an awareness of what is happening inside and outside of them, Hamilton told us. Or it can guide them to re-experience past emotional situations. It can also help them connect with their own feelings in a ‘more removed’ way, so it can all feel safer and less intense. Plus, by watching actors play situations they might recognise, it can help them gain new perspectives in life.
"I noticed that methods from mindfulness could help people to reflect on thoughts and feelings in relation to a movie," said Hamilton. "And, that narrative therapy could help to consider our own self-stories and how they fit in with wider narratives in society."
MOVIE Therapy Around The UK
Various counselling and educational services in the UK are now integrating the MOVIE model, and people are using it as supervised self-help. Since its launch in 2023, some psychological counsellors in the UK have received training on how best to introduce it into their practice.
"I noticed that methods from mindfulness could help people reflect on thoughts and feelings in relation to a movie. And, that narrative therapy could help to consider our own self-stories and how they fit in with wider narratives in society."
Reader Tip From Jenny Hamilton
Planning to watch a film tonight? Jenny Hamilton has a self-healing suggestion for you. "Next time you watch a movie, try pausing to reflect on what was helpful about watching. For example, maybe it helped you to process your feelings. Or maybe you gained a new perspective on an issue. Think about how this altered mood or perspective could help you going forward."
'Movies on the Couch': The MOVIE model of film therapy
According to the paper Jenny Hamilton wrote on the subject, 'Movies on the couch: The MOVIE model of film therapy,' the therapeutic and self-healing use of movies in psychological therapies, also known as film therapy, is a growing area of interest to therapists and researchers. This kind of therapy is known for being highly accessible and relatable method for many diverse groups. Her own MOVIE model method of film therapy, is described as a widely applicable, trauma-informed framework for individual or group therapy, counsellor education and self-help.
