Joshua L. Cohen – författare

This book uses film/video-based therapy to help build resilience in facing personal, communal, national, and global trauma triggers. Offering a rich and diverse range of perspectives on trauma, this volume advocates positive social change using therapeutic techniques in filmmaking as well as film/video-based therapy, in conjunction with expressive art therapies such as drama, dance, music, painting, drawing, and more. Chapter authors address issues in one’s home, community, country, and the world using integrative medicine and advocacy using film/video-based therapy and digital storytelling. The book highlights psychological trauma and how one can cope with the overwhelming triggers in today’s world. It represents an articulate and comprehensive analysis of the ways in which traumatic human experience impacts, and is modified by, film and video media. Representing a rich and diverse range of perspectives on trauma through the lens of a camera, the authors document important examples of moments in which artistic expression becomes human resilience.Demonstrating how the language of film can facilitate watching, processing, and discussing images of trauma in therapy, in the home, in the community, and in the world, this volume will be of interest to educators and mental health practitioners with an interest in advancing psychotherapy and counseling techniques.

This book examines the transformative potential of film and video as tools for fostering posttraumatic growth and emotional healing. It features a foreword by Albert “Skip” Rizzo, PhD, a pioneering VR psychologist and global authority on trauma care.Building on the framework introduced in the landmark text Film/Video-Based Therapy and Trauma, this book moves survivors beyond symptom relief toward genuine growth. It demonstrates how the visual language of film can be utilized therapeutically to confront trauma, cultivate resilience, and reimagine personal identity through the dynamic interplay of collaborative story-making, human-driven AI story engines, and immersive virtual reality scenes. It further expands the scope of inquiry to explore film and video-based therapy and storytelling in expressive arts therapies, including drama, dance, music, painting, drawing, and other forms of art. With an emphasis on personal narrative and cultural sensitivity, each contribution demonstrates how visual media can serve as both a mirror and a guide, reflecting inner struggles while revealing new paths toward recovery.Grounded in interdisciplinary theory and practice-oriented insights, this book is an essential resource for mental health professionals, educators, media practitioners, and trauma researchers seeking innovative and inclusive practices. Supplementary clips, lesson plans, and interactive VR demos are available for free at filmandvideobasedtherapy.com.

While film and video has long been used within psychological practice, researchers and practitioners have only just begun to explore the benefits of film and video production as therapy. This volume describes a burgeoning area of psychotherapy which employs the art of filmmaking and digital storytelling as a means of healing victims of trauma and abuse. It explores the ethical considerations behind this process, as well as its cultural and developmental implications within clinical psychology. Grounded in clinical theory and methodology, this multidisciplinary volume draws on perspectives from anthropology, psychiatry, psychology, and art therapy which support the use and integration of film/video-based therapy in practice.

This book uses film/video-based therapy to help build resilience in facing personal, communal, national, and global trauma triggers. Offering a rich and diverse range of perspectives on trauma, this volume advocates positive social change using therapeutic techniques in filmmaking as well as film/video-based therapy, in conjunction with expressive art therapies such as drama, dance, music, painting, drawing, and more. Chapter authors address issues in one’s home, community, country, and the world using integrative medicine and advocacy using film/video-based therapy and digital storytelling. The book highlights psychological trauma and how one can cope with the overwhelming triggers in today’s world. It represents an articulate and comprehensive analysis of the ways in which traumatic human experience impacts, and is modified by, film and video media. Representing a rich and diverse range of perspectives on trauma through the lens of a camera, the authors document important examples of moments in which artistic expression becomes human resilience.Demonstrating how the language of film can facilitate watching, processing, and discussing images of trauma in therapy, in the home, in the community, and in the world, this volume will be of interest to educators and mental health practitioners with an interest in advancing psychotherapy and counseling techniques.