Films with a star 
are
linked to a Cinematherapy.com note or analysis. All other films
are linked to a plot summary on The Internet Movie Database.
Films deemed especially emotionally challenging
are marked EC!
Search
through the list of categories or use the search tool below.
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© Birgit Wolz
Occidental, CA, USA
The
Cinematherapy.com Film Index
The best cinema therapy index
on the Web!
Use this index to identify films that deal with your issues. Click on a heading from the list of general categories directly below in the green box, or scroll down the detailed list and click on a sub-heading.
Inspiration |
Challenges:
Overcoming Them
Following
the Call
Gaining
Hope and Encouragement/Renewal
Laughter
Works as Medicine
Personal
Courage
Role
Models
Searching
for Meaning
Spirituality
Support
Groups
Transformation and Renewal
Uplifting/Feel
Good
Abandonment
Abuse:
Emotional and Physical
Alcohol and Drugs:
Alcohol
Drugs
Polysubstances
Women
Alcoholics
Women
Drug Abusers
Abuse:
Children
After Life
Aging
Anger and Forgiveness
Bereavement/Loss
and Grief
Choosing
a Life Partner
Codependency
Crying
for Emotional Catharsis
Death
and Dying
Denial
Developing
Inner Resources
Family
of Origin: conflict with
Friends
Gambling
Homosexuality:
male
Homosexuality:
female
Life
Stage Transitions
Men’s
Issues
Personal
Goals and Values
Philosophical
Issues and Questions
Single
Adults
Self-Esteem:
Questioning Negative Beliefs About Yourself and Rediscovering
Your Strengths
Vocation/Career/Success
Women’s
Issues
Top of the page
Bureaucracy
Community:
The Search for
Diversity:
Race/Gender/Sexual Orientation/Culture
Ethics
Personal
Goals and Values
Teamwork
Top of the page
Bullies
Child
Abuse (Physical and Sexual Abuse, Neglect)
Childhood
Fears
Competition
Gifted
Children
Loss
and Grief
Top of the page
Peer
Relationships
Search
for Identity
Transition
to Adulthood
Top of the page
Adoption
and Custody
Blended
Families/Step-parenting
Family
Conflict
Incest
Letting
Go
Parent-Child
and Mentor-Pupil Relationships
Sibling
Relationships
Single
Parents
Top of the page
Affairs
Commitment
Communication
Conflict
and Negotiation
Divorce
Nontraditional
Partnerships
Renewed
Intimacy
Romantic
Love
Sex/Sexuality
Widowhood
Top of the page
Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood
Autism
Alternative
Treatment
Alzheimer’s
Disease
Amnesia
Anxiety/Obsessive
Compulsive Behavior
Autism
Bipolar
Disorder
Borderline
Personality
Child
Abuse (Physical and Sexual Abuse, Neglect)
Conduct
Disorders
Conversion Disorder
Defense Mechanisms
Delinquency
Depression
Dependent
Personality
Dissociative
Disorders
Eating
Disorders
Gender
Dysphoria
Histrionic
Personality
Hypochondriasis
Incest
Intellectual
Functioning
Isolation
Kleptomania
Legal
Issues
Learning
Difficulties
Mania
Mental
Institutions
Mentally
Ill as “Not Really Sick”
Mental
Retardation
Miscellaneous/General
Mood
Disorders
Narcissistic
Personality
Narcolepsy
Obsessive-Compulsive
Disorder
Paranoia/Paranoid
Personality
Pedophilia
Personality
Disorders
Phobias
Posttraumatic
Stress Disorder
Psychopathic/Antisocial
Personality
Psychotic
Disorders
Rehabilitation & Attitudes
Schizoaffective Disorder
Schizophrenia
Schizotypal
Personality
Serial
Killers
Spouse
Abuse
Stuttering
Suicide
Undefined
Mental Disorder
Top of the page
Physical Illness/Medical Issues
AIDS
Amputee
Blindness
Cancer
Deaf
Disabilities
Disfigurement
Dwarfism
Limb
& Spinal
Polio
& Post-Polio
Severe
Illness
Stress/Type
A
Traumatic
Brain Injury
Top of the page
Cinematherapy.com would like to acknowledge and thank all those whose work contributed to this film index. It draws from many sources, including the published books “Rent Two Films and Let’s Talk in the Morning” by John W. Hesley & Jan G. Hesley, “Movies and the Mythic Imagination” by Jonathan Young, and “Reel Therapy: How Movies Inspire You to Overcome Life’s Problems” by Gary Solomon. It also incorporates certain film titles from the Web sites “Pathology and Cinema” and “Films Involving Disability”. We also thank members of The Cinema Therapy Forum and the Movie Therapy online discussion group for their suggestions.