Film/Video-Based Therapy is a creative approach within mental-health care that combines therapeutic processes with film, video, and immersive media, including virtual reality, to support personal exploration, processing trauma, and healing.
A developing field
The field is nascent, with no consensus on definitions or best practices because video and filmmaking can be used in varied ways in therapy.
Many ways to work with video
Examples discussed include cinematherapy, self-recording for reflection, storytelling, and editing. These varied applications are part of the field’s ongoing development.
Potential benefits discussed
The content discusses potential benefits including increased agency, reconnection, and trauma narrative reconstruction, particularly for non-articulated sensory memories.
Immersive media and multiple forms of therapy
Examples include immersive, multisensory VR applications such as Bravemind for PTSD, alongside a broader discussion of how film and video can be “multiply therapeutic” by combining timeless and time-based art forms.
Education about an evolving practice
The field’s diverse applications and ongoing development create a need for clearer terminology as it evolves. This page presents professional and educational history, not clinical claims or clinical guidance.
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