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 send an email to bwolz@earthlink.net.

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.

 

Nadeem Akhtar, MBBS, MA, MRCPsych

Profession: Psychiatrist
Primary occupation: Assistant Professor in Psychiatry
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: MBBS (Lond), MA (Cantab), MRCPsych (UK)
Practice/Company: McMaster University, Canada
Email: akhtar@mcmaster.ca
Began using films in work: 2011
Specialty: The use of cinematic material in medical education, integration of Cinematherapy into a hospital day program, new media as applied to recovery in chronic mental illness.

Lynn Anderton

Profession: Life Coach
Primary occupation: Life & Relationship Coach
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: Certificate in Life Coaching and Diploma in Life Coaching
Practice/Company: Lynn Anderton
Address: 30 Heather Road, Bebington, Wirral, CH63 2PD, United Kingdom
Web site: www.lynn-anderton.com
Email: info@lynn-anderton.com
Phone: 0151 608 0087, cell: 07752 568027 + 44 (0) outside UK
Began using films in work: August 2007
Specialty: Relationships.  As a life and relationship coach Lynn uses films and questioning
techniques to help clients uncover their desires and personality in order to set goals for future
fulfillment.  Films offer an insightful window into establishing and maintaining relationships
with friends, partners, family and work collegues - the attraction of this kind of coaching for
clients is affordable, convenient coaching options that offer empowering self knowledge and
communication skills.

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: altpsych@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, MA, ICCJP, LMFT

Profession: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist & Internationally Certified Criminal Justice Addiction Counselor
Primary occupation: Adolescents, Adults, Families and Couples
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pepperdine University, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Baccalaureate Degree from University of Southern California, Certified Criminal Justice Addiction Professional from California Certification Board of Alcohol & Drug Counselors, Psi Chi Honor Society
Practice/Company: Lisa Bahar Marriage and Family Therapy, Inc.
Addresses: 567 San Nicolas Drive, Suite 190, Newport Beach, California 92660, USA
and 28 Monarch Bay Plaza, Suite N, Dana Point, CA 92629, USA
Web site: www.lisabahar.com
Email: lcbahar@gmail.com
Phone: (949) 212-2081
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.
Publications/presentations: Innovative Ideas Find Their Place in Practice in Colleague Magazine, Summer 2008.

Michael Blumenfield, M.D

Profession: Psychiatrist
Primary occupation: Psychiatrist
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: Board Certified Psychiatrist
Practice/Company: Michael Blumenfield, M.D.
Address: 5901 Nita Avenue , Woodland Hills, ( Los Angeles) CA 91367, USA
Web sites: mblumenfieldmd.com, storyshrink.com, psychiatrytalk.com, filmrap.net
Email: mblumenfield@aol.com
Phone: 818 564-4207 (US)
Specialty: Psychiatric Consultation, Psychotherapy ( mainly psychodynamic and psychoanaltyic ) with psychopharmacology as needed - Adults. Also consultation to entertainment media ( see storyshrink.com).

Michelle Boone, MA, LMFTA

Profession: Marriage and Family Therapy
Primary occupation: Therapist
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapy Associate
Practice/Company: Austin Psychotherapy Associates
Address: 4601 Spicewood Springs Rd. 4-200, Austin, TX 78759, USA
Email: boone105@gmail.com
Phone: 512-467-1376
Began using films in work: 2010
Specialty: Play Therapy, Couples, Families, & Cinematherapy.

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: Murphy Toerner and Associates (at C-K Office Park)
Address: 17170 Perkins Rd, Baton Rouge, LA 70810, USA
Web site: www.hopeforyourfamily.com
Email: Roger@hopeforyourfamily.com
Phone: (225) 333-1582
Fax: (225) 751-2010
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.

Glenda Clare, Ph.D.

Profession: Counselor Educator, Professional Counselor, and Board Certified Life Coach
Primary occupation: Counselor, Life Coach, Professional Speaker and Talk Show Host
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: Ph.D., LPCA, LCASP, BCC
Practice/Company: Fragile Families NETWORK, Dr. Glenda Clare
Web site: www.fragilefamiliesnetwork.com, www.drglendaclare.com
Email: drclare@fragilefamiliesnetwork.com
Began using films in work: 1997 - I facilitated my first workshop on the topic at the North Carolina Counseling Conference during the Fall of 1997
Specialty: Issues that cause fragility in families (substance abuse, interpersonal violence, incarceration - adult and juvenile, foster care and homelessness). I work with individuals and their families that work with fragile families. I specialize in financial therapy and compassion fatigue.

Allan Cooperstein, Ph.D.

Profession: Psychology
Primary occupation: Psychologist
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: Ph.D., Cinema Therapy Certificate
Practice/Company: M. Allan Cooperstein, Ph.D.
Address: 303 Greyhorse Road, Willow Grove, PA 19090, USA
Email: allanco@verizon.net
Phone: (215) 546-6808
Fax: (215) 830-1147
Began using films in work: 1980
Specialty: Psychology, Clinical, Forensic
Publications/presentations: 1. See website. 2. Fiction novel, Time of the Avatar. Cross genre: it touches on science-fiction, parapsychology, action-adventure, mythology, and spirituality. It also deals with PTSD and panic disorder.

Bjarne Eiby

Profession: Psychology
Primary occupation: Psychologist
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: Psychologist
Practice/Company: Psykologcentret City
Address: Sølvgade 26 1307, Copenhagen K, Denmark
Email: jobmail.bjarne@yahoo.dk
Phone: 3333 0538
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
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, NJ 07732, USA
Web site: www.mariagrace.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).

Ermanno Gioacchini

Profession: Psychiatrist, Criminologist, Dramatherapist
Primary occupation: Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology (Projective and Psychometric Tests), Dramatherapy, Cinematherapy
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: MD, Diploma in psychiatry and clinical criminology. Licensed to practice psychotherapy in Rome by the Governmental Medical Association in Rome. President of SIISCA, (Italian Society for Experimental, Clinical and Applied Hypnosis, 1988)
Practice/Company: Private Practic
Address: Via di Tor Fiorenza, 35, 00199 Rome, Italy
Web site: http://cinema-dramaterapia.blogspot.com
Email: dramatherapy@alice.it
Phone: 06-55200805, cell: 3358381627 + 39 (0) outside IT
Began using films in work: 1999
Specialty: Dramatherapy, Cinematherapy as private practice with individuals, couples and groups. My methodology, to comparison of the known forms of dramatherapy, emphasises particularly two aspects: the use of the modified states of conscience- own of dramatic function; and the concept of "centrality" of interpretative action of every partecipant in the relationship with the group, where "the alphabet and syllables, the melodies and movements with which we communicate our inner selves to others" -ritualistic form Creative Drama & In-Out Theatre. Founder of Cinema-Dramatherapy. 

Kathryn Guestre, BSW, BA

Profession: Social Worker
Primary occupation: Social Worker/Counsellor
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: BSW, BA (Film Studies)
Practice/Company: KG Creative Therapy
Web site: www.kgcreativetherapy.com.au
Email: kathryn@kgcreativetherapy.com.au
Began using films in work: 2023
Specialty: Use of films in mental health counselling, therapy, mentoring and psychoeducation. Mobile counselling and work with NDIS clients (in Australia) and private paying clients (also open internationally for virtual sessions). Specialised experience in working in (psychosocial) disability and mental health, especially: Anxiety, Depression, ADHD, OCD, CFS and PTSD.

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
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: The lodge, 25 Eversley Park, Folkstone kent, CT203FE, U.K.
Website: www.clairehershman.com
Email: claire.odeon@googlemail.com
Phone: 07957147301
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
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, NC 28205, USA
Web site: www.reeltoreal.biz
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
Phone: (801) 468-1248
Fax: (801) 468-1248
Began using films in work: 1975
Specialty: psychiatry
Publications/presentations: The Healing Movie Book (Precious Images – The Healing Use of Cinema in Psychotherapy) , Lulu Press, March 2004
“Precious Images – The Healing Use of Movies in Psychotherapy” – Utah Psychiatric Association Spring Conference, April, 2004, Salt Lake City Utah (as guest speaker.)
"Precious Images – The Healing Use of Cinema in Psychotherapy" – University of Utah Psychiatric Grand Rounds, October, 2004
"Precious Images – The Healing Use of Cinema in Psychotherapy" – American Psychiatric Association National Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia, May 25, 2005
"Precious Images – The Healing Use of Cinema in Psychotherapy" – Keynote Speaker, Norman S. Anderson, M.D. Mental Health Award, October 28, 2005 ending.

Frank Kjerstein

Profession: Psychology
Primary occupation: Licensed clinical psychologist
Practice/Company: Djursland-psykologen near Aarhus
Address: Fabriksvej 5, 8544 Mørke, Aarhus amt, Denmark
Web site: Djursland-psykologen near Aarhus
Phone: +45 89 88 44 45
Began using films in work: 2011
Specialty: Stress reactions, substance abuse, existential crisis, anxiety, depression and parent counselling. Frank has been using cinematographic elements to facilitate and guide pre-conscious, bodily manifest processes and develop emotional awareness, insight and transformation in individual clients.

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
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.

Helen Maffini

Profession: Emotional Intelligence Coach/Consultant
Primary occupation: Education Consultant/Coach
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: Master of Education, curently studying Doctorate, NLP Practitioner,  EFT Trainer
Practice/Company: Emotional Intelligence Education
Address: 7 Elveden St, Doubleview, WA Australia 6018
Email: helen@emotional-intelligence-education.com
Phone: 61(0) 487768599
Began using films in work: 2006
Specialty: Clinical and Forensic Psychology
Publications/presentations: Emotional Intelligence. I work with adults and children to develop emotional intelligence skills. I use cinema-therapy with teenagers to as a point of reference in discussion. I also use cinema in my work with third culture kids and the implication of moving abroad.

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.

Heather McDonough

Profession: Provisionally Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Primary occupation: Therapist
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: Bachelors in Psychology, MSW, certification in Cinematherap
Practice/Company:Apex Behavioral Healthcare, Inc. (Jacksonville, NC and Wilmington, NC)
Address: 126 Henderson Dr  Jacksonville, NC 28540
              4607 Franklin Ave, Suite 101  Wilmington, NC 28403
Email: Mcdonough.Heather@gmail.com
Phone: 910-238-4348 or 910-228-5436
Began using films in work: 2009
Areas of Specialty/Interest: Working with male in areas of anger trauma and depression. Working with military and military affiliated populations, experienced working with military male prison popluation, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, PTSD, and trauma. Working with adolesents  in an outpatient setting, and working with the GLBTQ community.  Experienced in using cinematherapy in offender based groups in military prison, individual sessions with men and adolesents, and beginning to apply cinematherapy in an outpatient setting.
Publications and presentations: PTSD and the military (2010), presentation to NAMI wilmington chapter and the Behavioral hospital at NHRMC. Cinematherpay (2010), a presentation at UNCW for the MSW program second year students.

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
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
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, Ph.D., LPC

Profession: Child/Adolescent Psychotherapy
Primary occupation: Licensed Professional Counselor
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: Doctorate in Counselor Education from the University of Arkansas
Practice/Company: Northwest Counseling Associates
Address: 4257 Gabel Drive, Suite 3A  Fayetteville, AR 72703
Web site: Midtown Counseling
Email: dr.michael.powell@gmail.com
Phone: (479) 263-6588
Began using films in work: 2002
Specialty: Mental Health Evaluations and Counselor 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.
Powell, M.L, & Newgent, R.A. (2010). Improving the empirical credibility of cinematherapy: A single-subject interrupted time-series design. Counseling Outcome and Research Evaluation.

Antonio Roma-Torres, MD

Profession: Psychiatrist, Familytherapist, Psychodramatist
Primary occupation: Head of Psychiatry Department, Hospital São João, Porto, Portugal
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: MD, MSc in Psychiatry (Medical School, Porto University)
Practice/Company: Private and public (Hospital São João)
Address: R. Bragas, 54 1º Dto, 4100 403 Porto, Portugal
Web site: http://portaroma.tripod.com/art/
Email: aroma@sapo.pt
Phone: +351 22 2056004
Began using films in work: 1973
Specialty: Eating Disorders and OCD. Using Cinedrama, a personal concept of short movie clips followed by drama enactment and comments in a psychodramatic way, in stabilized psychotic patients and in sociodramatic management of conflicts.
Publications/presentations: Cinema Saúde Doença (Cinema Health Illness), ed. Hospital São João, 2010. Weekly film reviews in Jornal de Notícias (daily newspaper), 1976-2001.

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
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.

Olga Rueda Cuenca

Profession: Psychotherapy and videotherapy
Primary occupation: Psychotherapist
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: Psychology Col. 18234M, Gestalt psychotherapist, filmmaker TV
Practice/Company: Private practice. espaciointerno psicología
Address: C/ Salud, 15. 28013 Madrid. Spain
Email: psico@espaciointerno.net
Phone: 0034-630956128
Began using films in work: 1988
Specialty: Self-concept, audiovisual psichotherapy
Publications/presentations: Member aVERT e (Asoc. Videoterapia Española); Teacher Máster Univ. Arteterapia (UAM, UCM,  UVA) “Técnicas subjetivas de vídeo-terapia y cine-terapia" Tesis UAM en curso; “Aplicaciones audiovisuales en terapia”, Póster I Congreso Nacional de Arteterapia FEAPA (2010) ;  "La secuencia de cine como técnica subjetiva en videoterapia " DEA. UAM (2010);  "Gestalt Constructivista; El autoconcepto en videoterapia". Tesina, AETG (2007);  Taller de Videoterapia Experimental (2005).

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
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: Private Practice
Address: 5250 Cherokee Avenue Suite 410, Alexandria, VA 22312
Web site: www.dreseay.com
Email: DrESeay@yahoo.com
Phone: (703) 354-1144
Fax: (703) 831-8752
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.

Burcu Sevim

Profession:Clinical Psychologist, Ph.D.
Primary occupation: Psychotherapist 
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: Ph.D., M.A., Licensed in Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
Practice/Company: Institute for Behavioral Sciences
Email: brcsvm@gmail.com
Began using films in work: 2007
Specialty: Depression, Anxiety Disorders, Trauma, Workplace Mental Health and Wellbeing: Using movies to dicuss topics related to workplace problems, relations and wellbeing. Editor of the e-journal Psinema, about the movies and Psychology. Was the producer and presenter of the radio programme Psinema in which movies were discussed in terms of Psychological concepts. Using movies in psychotherapies.
Publications/presentations: Chapter 6: Suicide films about adolescents in Suicide and Creative Arts. Many articles in Psinema e-journal and in the journal Cinemascope in Turkey.

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
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, IL 60619, USA
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, USA
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: Private contractor, locum assignments
Degrees, professional certificates, licenses: Medical Doctor, Board Certified in Psychiatry, American Medical Association-Continuous Medical Education [CME] Certificate effective until August 2009,Certificate of License granted by Motion Picture Licensing Corporation for lecture events effective until September 2009 [Copyright secured]
Practice/Company: Health and Staff Care
Address: Erie, PA USA
Email: uluslar4@aol.com
Began using films in work: 1978
Specialty: Coordinator of pychoeducational [families, community leaders, clergy, organizational and occupational professionals] and open-ended [patients] group movie therapy sessions consolidated with Intensive Outpatient Treatment Program, Behavioral Heath Department, St. Vincent Hospital and Health Services, Erie, PA, September 2005-October 2007, anti-cinema mental health stigma work [anti-cinemania] in the community using positively and constructively produced movies in which professionals, patients and mental illness is/are realistically depicted/presented, coordinating regional, national and international workshops and conferences relevant to using film clips in various therapeutic settings.
Publications/presentations: Authored book, Movie Therapy, Moving Therapy (2003), Trafford Publications. It is updated, expanded and consolidated Turkish version Psikiyatri Bilimle, Psikoterapi Filimle [Psychiatry with Science, Psychotherapy with Movies] will be published in Turkey, 2008.
Presentations: Film Therapy Can Engage the Patients, American Psychiatric Association and international workshop; 2003, 2007 and 2008 several presentations in academic and clinical settings, Turkey.
Articles: Clinical Psychiatry News, April 2003, Associated Press article-with other experts-picked up by CNN and many global newspapers, the chronological list may be shared with appropriate parties upon request.

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: Occidental, CA 95465, USA
Web site: cinematherapy.com, bwolz.com
Email: bwolz@earthlink.net
Phone: (707) 533-7891
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: See online courses .

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
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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