Cinematherapy.com Professional Directory

Persons listed on this directory are therapists, educators or other professionals actively working with the healing and transformative power of movies. To be listed on this site, please fill out this form.

NOTE: In order to preserve the integrity of this directory, all submissions will be subject to selection and editing by the owner of this site. This list is maintained for informational purposes only.*

Entries are listed in order by last name.

 

Frann Altman, PsyD, LMFT

Profession: Psychotherapist/Professor
Primary occupation: Psychotherapist
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: PsyD, LMFT
Practice/Company: Kaiser Permanente & in Private Practice/University Teaching
Address: 12001 W Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066, USA
Email: altsych@aol.com
Phone: (310) 614-9339
Fax: (310) 915-4516
Began using films in work: 1992
Specialty: Addictions/Psychopharmacology/Attachment. I began using film with patients to explore the human experience. In 1997, I then moved to teaching to demonstrate styles to students. I expanded this use into my addiction/recovery practice to give people a view from a distance, the perspective of themselves and other. To cite RW Emerson, "one cannot see the field from the field."
Publications/presentations: I have implemented "movie day" as part of clinical treatment with patients.

Lisa Bahar

Profession: Marriage and Family Therapist Registered Intern
Primary occupation: Marriage and Family Therapy
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy, Board of Directors of American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy - California Division, Psi Chi Honor Society
Practice/Company: California Graduate Institute Counseling CenterPractice/University Teaching
Address: 4199 Campus Blvd. Suite 200, Irvine, California 92612, USA
Email: lcb37us@yahoo.com
Phone: (949) 737-5464, ext 219
Began using films in work: 1990
Specialty: Individuals, Couples, Families and Adolescents. Lisa Bahar uses Cinema Therapy as a type of creative collaboration with clients, utilizing stories as symbolic metaphors of the problems and challenges clients may be facing. as well as focusing on personal relationships and how the clinician can utilize film stories to assist clients in creating preferred alternative stories within relationships.

Roger D. Butner, Ph.D., LMFT

Profession: Christian counselor
Primary occupation: Marriage and Family Therapist
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: Ph.D. - Interdisciplinary Studies (Mass Communication / Family Studies), Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy, BA in Psychology
Practice/Company: Baton Rouge Christian Counseling Center
Address: 763 North Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 19090, USA
Web site: www.hopeforyourfamily.com
Email: Roger@hopeforyourfamily.com
Phone: (225) 761-0017
Fax: (225) 383-2722
Began using films in work: 1997
Specialty: Teens and their Families, Couple Counseling. Roger Butner believes people are inspired and moved by stories, and movies have become one of the primary storytelling avenues of our culture.  He frequently recommends specific movies to clients in therapy, encouraging them to notice any themes or situations that seem personally familiar or stir them emotionally, and to notice which characters they find themselves really understanding, not understanding, liking, and disliking.  Processing this together in subsequent sessions is a powerful tool for therapeutic insight and growth.

Allan Cooperstein, Ph.D.

Profession: Psychology
Primary occupation: Psychologist
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: Ph.D.
Practice/Company: M. Allan Cooperstein, Ph.D.
Address: 303 Greyhorse Road, Willow Grove, PA 19090, USA
Web site: Allan Cooperstein, Ph.D.
Email: allanco@verizon.net
Phone: (215) 546-6808
Fax: (215) 830-1147
Began using films in work: 1980
Specialty: Psychology, Clinical, Forensic
Publications/presentations: See website.

Bjarne Eiby

Profession: Psychology
Primary occupation: Psychologist
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: Psychologist
Practice/Company: Cancer Society Denmark
Address: Nørreport 4, Aabenraa, 6200, Denmark
Web site: www.cancer.dk
Email: bei@cancer.dk
Phone: 74 62 51 50
Began using films in work: 2004
Specialty: Severe illness, Grief, Trauma, Existentialistic themes: Bjarne uses cinematherapy mostly with individual clients and when he teaches bigger groups. He works in this way with clients who have cancer and with their relatives. Bjarne also uses movies with clients who have lost a person to cancer. He does this work in the context of either a narrative, resource oriented approach or in a more gestalt therapy and existentialistic way.

Sara Fasja

Profession: Psychotherapist
Primary occupation: Psychotherapist
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: M.A. in Couple Therapy; specialty in Logotherapy, Ph.D. in Psychotherapy; thesis on Self Knowledge Through Movies
Practice/Company: Workshops on Knowledge through Movies in Instituto Mexicano de la Pareja
Address: Reforma 2205-12, Mexico City, D.F., Mexico, 11000
Email: sarafasja@yahoo.com.mx
Phone: 5255-5251-7236
Fax: 5255-5251-7236
Began using films in work: 2001
Specialty: Group Workshops on Self Knowledge through Movies, with women pubs: Doctoral thesis: "Self Knowledge through Movies"; mexican Logotherapy magazine: "Auto Trascendencia a travos de la Pareja" (Self transcendence through marriage).

Stuart Fischoff

Profession: Psychology Professor
Primary occupation: Professor
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: Ph.D in Clinical Psychology, Lic: PSY4658
Practice/Company: Emeritus Professor, Cal State University, Los Angeles, CA;
Senior Editor of the Journal of Media Psychology
Address: Carbondale, Illinois, USA
Web site: Journal of Media Psychology
Email: sfischo@calstatela.edu
Phone: (618) 351-0381
Began using films in work: 1966
Specialty: Every quarter in several classes I used films to demonstrate psychological principles, conditions, pathologies, coping strategies, dysfunctional life styles, etc.
Publications/presentations: Have written several articles on the subject and have been interviewed extensively over the years in print and on television. Presently supervising student on doctoral dissertation in area of cinematherapy and its effectiveness.

Maria Grace

Profession: Psychologist
Primary occupation: Psychotherapist, Seminar Presenter
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: Ph.D., M.A., Licensed in Quebec, National Certification American Psychotherapy Association, Certified Relationships Specialist
Practice/Company: My Myth Institute, Inc.
Address: 135 Highland Avenue, Highlands, New Jersey, 07732, USA
Web site: www.mariagrace.com, www.reelfulfillment.com
Email: maria@mariagrace.com
Phone: (732) 204-2613
Fax: (732) 204-2613
Began using films in work: 1999
Specialty: Dr. Grace guides people to awaken to the power of their spiritual nature and use it to live conscious and fulfilling lives. She uses lessons from movies to catalyze personal change and create consciousness.
Publications/presentations: "Reel Fulfillment: A 12-Step Plan for Transforming Your Life through Movies" (McGraw-Hill, 2005).

Ursula Szabo Henningsson

Profession: Psychologist, Filmscientist
Primary occupation: Journalist
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: MS
Practice/Company: Private Practice
Address: Föreningsgatan 54/c, Malmö, Sweden 21214
Web site: Filmterapi.se
Email: info@filmterapi.se
Phone: 070.679.3111
Began using films in work: 2000
Specialty: individual and grup therapy with borderline patients, PTSD, burn-out
Publications/presentations: Psychology author of 2 boocks, many appearances in the media (TV, print, radio).

Steve Van Herreweghe

Profession: Clinical Psychologist
Primary occupation: Coaching
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: Masters in Psychology
Practice/Company: private Practice, Clinic for Psychiatric Patients
Address: Wezelstraat 47, Ghent (Wondelgem), Oost - Vlaander, Belgium
Web site: steveanherregher.be
Email: info@steveanherregher.be
Phone: 0476816009
Began using films in work: 1999
Specialty: Steve is in charge of a therapeutic day clinic for psychiatric patients in Ghent, Belgium. He uses thematic movies as a kind of "therapeutic colleague" to evoke the mirroring of deeper levels of individual and group consciousness, and guides this process in several ways (semi-structured group reflection with individual follow-up). In his own practice, he combines the "books-on-prescription" concept with the "movies-on-prescription" concept to stimulate 'mindfood' instead of medication.

Claire Odeon Hershman

Profession: Psychotherapist
Psychotherapist/Counsellor/Lecturer
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: BACP(U.K)
Practice/Company: Primamateria
Address: 9 Aberdeen Road, Islington, London, U.K.
Web site: Primateria
Email: claire.odeon@btinternet.com
Phone: 0044 207 2269218
Began using films in work: 2000
Specialty: ancient mythology in modern cinema
Publications/presentations: International association for psychoanaysis and literature.

Elliott Isenberg

Profession: Psychologist
Primary occupation: Private practice
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: Ph.D. Psychology Licensed psychologist in California
Practice/Company: Inward Access
Address: 3819 23rd Street, San Francisco, CA 94114, USA
Web site: www.mindspring.com/~eliyahu/
Email: eliyahu@mindspring.com
Phone: (415) 282-9733
Began using films in work: 1979
Specialty: Elliott regularly assigns ALL his clients to see a current film. He also has a film library.
Publications/presentations: Co-editor of Sunyata: The Life & Sayings of a Rare-born Mystic.

Michael Kahn

Profession: Licensed Professional Counselor/Life Coach
Primary occupation:Therapist/Coach
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: M Ed, LPC, NCC, JD
Address: 2132 McClintock Road, Charlotte, North Carolina 28205, USA
Web site: cinematherapist.com
Phone: (704) 335-0542
Began using films in work: 2000
Specialty: Cinema therapy groups, men's issues, anxiety/depression, personal growth
Publications/presentations: NC EAPA Conference 2005.

Michael A. Kalm, M.D.

Profession: Psychiatrist
Primary occupation: Private Practice
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: M.D.
Practice/Company: Michael A. Kalm, M.D., P.C.
Address: 3191 Valley Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84109, USA
Web site: mikalm.yourmd.com
Phone: (801) 468-1248
Fax: (801) 468-1248
Began using films in work: 1975
Specialty: psychiatry
Publications/presentations: pending.

Pekka Lehto

Profession: Director, Karhula Clubhouse
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: specially trained nurse for psychiatry, movie therapist
Practice/Company: Southeast Finland's Socialpsychiatric Association
Address: Koskivirrantie 6, Anjalankoski, Kymi, Finland 46910
Web site: http://koti.mbnet.fi/plehto/eetee/eetee.html (Finnish) http://koti.mbnet.fi/plehto/eetee/movie.html (English)
Email: plehto@hotmail.com
Phone: (358) 5 49 202 59
Began using films in work: 1979
Specialty: active movie therapy (making own therapeutic videos and using game consoles in therapy)
Publications/presentations: About Movie Therapy (1996) in Finnish, The End /Happy Beginning (1997) in Finnish, Movie as a Transitional Object (1997) in Finnish, Window and Mirror in Movies (1997) in Finnish, several articles & interviews in Finnish magazines and newspapers.

Francis Lu

Profession: Psychiatry
Primary occupation: Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, UCSF
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: MD, Board-Certified, CA license
Practice/Company: Department of Psychiatry, San Francisco General Hospital, UCSF
Address: 1001 Potrero Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA
Email: francis.lu@sfdph.org
Phone: (415) 206-8984
Fax: (415) 206-8942
Began using films in work: 1987
Specialty: Films and transpersonal psychology
Publications/presentations: Since 1987, I have co-led 17 five-day film seminars at Esalen Institute, Big Sur, CA on films and transpersonal psychology. 12 have been co-led with Brother David Steindl-Rast.

Debra Margulies

Profession: Licensed Psychologist
Primary occupation: Clinical and Forensic Psychology
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: PhD
Practice/Company:Dr. Debra M. Margulies
Address: 2300 Computer Avenue, Suite J-52, Willow Grove, PA 19090, USA
Web site: www.docdebbie.com
Email: debbie@docdebbie.com
Phone: (215) 279-8978, Fax: (215) 658-1602
Began using films in work: 1998
Specialty: Clinical and Forensic Psychology
Publications/presentations: Margulies, D. (2004). Cinematherapy: The Use of Movies in Psychotherapy Groups. Latta, W., & Margulies, D. (1999). The Use of Movies in Psychotherapy in the Fresno-Madera Conditional Release Program. Presented at the Forensic Mental Health Association of California Annual Conference, March, 1999.

Tina Murzynski

Profession: Behavioral Health Therapist
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: Bachelors in Psychology, Peer Counselor, CNA, PCA, movie therapist
Practice/Company: Deerfield Behavioral Health, Child, Adolescent and Adult Behavioral Therapist
Address: PO Box 126, McKean, PA 16426, USA
Web site: Cinema Therapy for Children and Adolecents
Email: stmurzy55@adelphia.net
Phone: (814) 476-0690
Began using films in work: 2002
Specialty: Child/Adolescent Cinema Therapy.

Frankie Perez

Profession: Psychotherapist/Life Coach
Primary occupation: Psychotherapist/Life Coach
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: Licensed MFT; M.A. in Counseling Psychology; Franklin Covey Certified Personal Life Coach; Certified Trainer of Neuro-Linguistic Programming
Practice/Company: MindGym, LLC (Private Practice)
Address: 3317 McKinney Ave., Suite 205, Dallas, TX 75204, USA
Web site: mymindgym.com
Email: frankie@mymindgym.com
Phone: (214) 289-7995
Began using films in work: 1996
Specialty: Using movies in practice that focusses on Relationship Strategies, Soul-Centered Psychotherapy, Peak Performance ("Mental Game") Life Coaching; Workshops on Dating, Meditation, Couples Communication, Peak Performance, A Course In Miracles
Publications/presentations: Communication Miracles for Couples, If Dating Is A Game These are the Rules, The True Power of Now, Personal Power, The Gift of a Year, montly column for The MindGym Newsletter, and article that uses Shall We Dance. Regular presenter on radio, TV, and conferences.

Michael Lee Powell, MS, NCC, LAC

Profession: Child and Adult Psychotherapy
Primary occupation: Licensed Psychological Examiner
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: Doctoral Student--Licensed Professional Counselor
Practice/Company: Western Arkansas Counseling and Guidance Center, and the University of Arkansas Fort Smith
Address: P.O. Box 11818, Fort Smith, AR 72971
Web site: www.cinematherapyreview.com
Email: michael@powellpsych.org
Phone: (479) 409-7541, Fax: (479) 474-8085
Began using films in work: 2002
Specialty: Research, Assessments, and Supervision
Publications/presentations: Powell, M.L., Newgent, R.A., & Lee, S.M. (2006). Group cinematherapy: Using metaphor to enhance adolescent self-esteem. Arts in Psychotherapy, 33(3), 247-253.

Cathlene Ramsdell

Profession: Counseling
Primary occupation: Child, Couple, and Family Therapist and Mental Health Counselor
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: MA, Psychology
Practice/Company: New Concepts Counseling
Address: 903 East Main St. Suite 206, Auburn, WA 98002
Web site: www.newconceptscounseling.com
Phone: (253) 833-8911
Began using films in work: 2004
Specialty: Adolescence Issues
Publications/presentations: Refereed Presentation: Byrd, M., Forisha, B., Ramsdell, C., Cinetherapy With Young Children and Their Families, Presented at the 66th Annual Conference of the National Council on Family Relations; Section on Family Therapy, Orlando Florida, November 2004.

Claudia Rusu (Biris)

Profession: Psychotherapist, Lecturer
Primary occupation: Lecturer
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: CBTherapist, TA-Supervision, Ph.D. Student
Practice/Company: "Spiru Haret" University
Address: Bd. Basarabiei nr. 256, Sector 3, Bucharest, Romania
Email: claudiabiris28@gmail.com
Phone: 0744207784
Began using films in work: 2004
Specialty: Anxiety Disorders/ Personality Disorders/ Grief Work. Claudia uses movies with families and her students. She enjoys teaching cognitive psychology and psychopathology with movies from all over the world. She strongly agrees with the great European director (Ingmar Bergman) who said that a movie is dream and music. Like no other art, it goes straight to our emotions, deep inside, in the "camera obscura" of our soul. John Berger wrote: "In this century of disappearances, movies have a single subject, the SOUL, that receives a global refuge." Claudia watches spiritual movies. She is currently writing her Ph.D. paper about cinematherapy and CBT.
Publications/presentations: "Using feature films in psychotherapy: changing cognitive distortions", Psychology Journal of Romanian Academy, 2004; "The Representations of Mental Illness in Movies: Prejudges and Stereotypes towards the mentally ill person", Psychology Journal of Romanian Academy, Tomul 52, nr.3-4, 2006; "Explaining the depictions of mental illnesses in movies", Psychology Journal of Romanian Academy, Tomul 53, nr. 1-2, 2007.

Ruth Saks

Profession: Psychotherapy
Primary occupation: Psychotherapist
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: MSW, CSW, Certificate in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy
Practice/Company: Private practice
Address: 170 East 83rd Street, New York, NY, USA 10028
Web site: New York Psychotherapy Associates
Email: rsaks@nyc.rr.com
Phone: (212) 535-0517
Fax: (212) 472-2268 *51
Began using films in work: 2001
Specialty: Couples, adults, illness, career/life changes.
Publications/presentations: Pending.

Elicia Seay

Profession: Psychotherapy
Primary occupation: Clinical Psychologist
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: Ph.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Practice/Company: Clinical Psychology Services
Address: 10560 Main Street, Suite 507, Fairfax, VA
Web site: clinicalpsychologyservices.com
Email: elicia_s@psycpros.com
Phone: (703) 691-1326
Fax: (703) 691-3553
Began using films in work: 1996
Specialty: Mood, Anxiety, Personality Disorders. I recommend movies in
therapy that correspond to client's particular problems. It keeps things
interesting and serves as a creative way to gain insight into one's
problems while also providing hope and possible solutions.

Frank Sommers

Profession: Psychiatrist
Primary occupation: Private Practice
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: M.D., and Fellow, Royal College of Physicians, Canada
Practice/Company: Lecturer (retd), University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine
Address: 406-360 Bloor Street West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 1X1
Web site: Sex Therapy and Education
Email: fs@drsommers.com
Phone: (416) 922-7335
Began using films in work: 1976
Specialty: Focus is on sexual therapy of couples, and single men and women, with a highly effective, short-term treatment method. Have produced and directed a number of films and videos to assist this work - some now are in worldwide circulation. One,Taking Time To Feel, was a finalist in the American Film Festival, New York City.
Publications/presentations: Author of 1 book and 3 films/videos, as well as many papers, and workshops. Many appearances in the media (television, print, radio).

Robert P. Stanford

Profession: Pastoral Counseling
Primary occupation: Youth Counselor
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: M.A. in Pastoral Counseling, M.A. in Religious Studies, B.A. in Psychology
Practice/Company: ARISEN Consulting
Address: 1337 E. 89th Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60619, USA
Web site: arisenconsulting.com
Email: robert@arisenconsulting.com
Phone: (312) 375-0108
Began using films in work: 2006
Specialty: Using movies with a group of African American high school students here in Chicago. REBT, Grief Counseling, Anger Management, Men's work
Publications/presentations: Lazarus Bound: Emphasizing Spiritual Praxis in the Treatment of Mental Illness.

Andrea Thomas

Profession: Social Work
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: LISW-CP
Practice/Company: Florence Crittenton Programs of SC
Address: 19 Saint Margaret Street, Charleston, SC 29403
Web site: florencecrittentonsc.org
Email: CEUCinema@yahoo.com
Phone: (834) 722-7526, Fax: (843) 577-0770
Began using films in work: 1993
Specialty: Training for helping professionals using film
Publications/presentations: Ongoing CEU Cinema training workshops.

Kate Tong

Profession: Psychology
Primary occupation: Counselor
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: MA in Counseling Psychology
Practice/Company: Quality HealthCare Psychological Services (Adler School)
City: Hong Kong
Email: katekpt@yahoo.com
Began using films in work: 2003
Specialty: Mood disorders, anxiety, relationship, grief and loss, personality disorders. I have asked my clients to see a movie for reflection and to faciliate discussion.

Dr. Fuat Ulus

Profession: Psychiatrist, Transactional Analyst
Primary occupation: Full-time Medical Director of Behavioral Health Inpatient Unit
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: Medical Doctor, Board Certified in Psychiatry
Practice/Company: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Millcreek Community Hospital, Erie, PA 16509.
Address: BHU, MCH, 5515 Peach Street, Erie, PA USA 16509
Web site: movietx.yourmd.com
Email: uluslar4@aol.com
Phone: (814) 452-5490
Fax: (814) 452-7610
Began using films in work: 1978
Specialty: Anti-mental health stigma work in the community, PTSD, burn-out, assertiveness and empowerment classes, cognitive-behavioral sessions designed for phobias- panic-stress-anxiety disorders.
Publications/presentations: Authored book, Movie Therapy, Moving Therapy (2003), Trafford Publications; Presentations: Film Therapy Can Engage the Patients, American Psychiatric Association andinternational workshop; Articles: Clinical Psychiatry News, April 2003, Associated Press article – with other experts – picked up by CNN and many global newspapers.

Gert van Veen

Profession: Psycho-social therapist
Primary occupation: Counselling
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: Certified psycho-sociale therapist by LVPW, Social Work Academy
Practice/Company: PsychoWerk
Address: Barentszplein 65, Amsterdam, 1013 NJ, Netherlands
Web site: psychowerk.nl
Email: gert@psychowerk..nl
Phone:0031-20-330-0235
Began using films in work: 1996
Specialty: Groupdynamics with the use of (psycho)drama and movies.
pubs: See website and the books (in dutch): "De beginnendegroepsleider", "Vaardigheden en technieken voor de ervaren groepsleider".

Birgit Wolz, Ph.D.

Profession: Psychotherapist
Primary occupation: Private Practice
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: Ph.D., MFT, Lic: MFC32637
Address: 4289 Piedmont Ave. #204, Oakland, CA, USA 94611
Web site: cinematherapy.com, cinemaalchemy.com, emotionPictureMagic.com, bwolz.com
Email: bwolz@earthlink.net
Phone: (925) 376-8359
Began using films in work: mid 1990s
Specialty: Cinema Alchemy - individual, group therapy, workshops, and professional trainings about the use of the power of movies for healing and transformation.
Publications: E-Motion Picture Magic; A Movie Lover's Guide to Healing and Transformation (2005); for list of articles see Articles by Birgit and The Press Room.)
Presentations: For complete listing see Cinemaalchemy.com workshops

Bernie Wooder

Profession: Psychotherapist and Counsellor
Primary occupation: Private Practice
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: UKCP Registered
Address: 18b North End Road, Golders Green, London, UK NW11
Web site: themovietherapist.com
Email: Bernie.Wooder@btopenworld.com
Phone: +44.208.386.4846
Began using films in work: mid 1988
Specialty: Psycho-spiritual psychotherapist, has worked with monks and nuns and also uses film to help clients contact repressed memories and in a multiplicity of ways. Please see website for further details.
Publications/presentations: Founded the World Organisation for Research and Development into the Therapeutic Use of Motion Pictures in 1988. Trains therapists at St Guy's Hospital London in aspects of Movie Therapy. Many Television, Radio and Newspaper Interviews and Presentations on Movie Therapy. Lectures at Leeds Trinity Univeristy.

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* DISCLAIMER: Birgit Wolz does not endorse any professionals listed on her Web site. Listings of professionals are provided for informational purposes only. References to professionals are provided "as is," without warranty of any kind, either express or implied.

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