SINGAPORE : The next time you head down to the cinema, or watch a movie on DVD, you might find that apart from being entertained, you could perhaps also learn some valuable lessons which may help to improve life as you know it.

Developed by American psychotherapist, Dr Gary Solomon, some 18 years ago, ‘Cinema Therapy’ has been used successfully to treat patients with emotional and mental problems.

In 2005, counsellors from charity group HOPE Worldwide founded ‘Movie Therapy’ in Singapore, with an above all aim to help people become better parents.

“We look for suitable sections in a movie,” explained John Louis, a counsellor for ‘Movie Therapy’, “(and) when the parents actually watch it, what it does is it induces an awareness in them.”

“That will help them to be in tune with their children and how they feel. This is how it creates many learning moments for the parents,” he added.

Amongst a growing database of movies, carefully selected clips shown are from a diverse range of films including Hollywood comedies and even Cantonese films.

However, it isn’t just humans that parents can learn from.

Strangely enough, many valuable lessons such as instilling self-esteem in children can also be learnt from outspoken chickens and fish, in animated movies such as “Chicken Little” and “Finding Nemo”.

In fact, it’s not just parents who will benefit from ‘Movie Therapy’, but also those on the other side, as movies turn into ice breakers for often awkward and silent parent-child relationships.

Sounds to me like a pretty relaxing way to deal with a sticky situation!

-CNA/os