Reel Therapy

Unraveling the mind through film.

Jeremy Clyman is pursuing his doctorate in clinical psychology at Yeshiva University. See full bio

May 26, 2009

X-Men: A Story of Concealable Stigma

The X-Men film series has decided to move forward by looking to the past. The latest installment, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, is a prequel that discusses the genesis of Wolverine, perhaps the most charismatic and relatable of the mutant characters. We learn who Wolverine is and how he comes to be the intriguing and internally conflicted enigma presented in earlier films. Read More

May 13, 2009

The Soloist: Part II

With a few forgivable missteps and obligatory dramatizations, The Soloist portrays schizophrenic Nathaniel Ayers, or as he prefers it, Nathaniel Anthony Ayers Junior, in a richly nuanced and clinically accurate manner. Read More

May 6, 2009

The Soloist: A Preamble

Public perception is an important thing, especially when it comes to mental illness. Most people leave this issue to culturally-shaped assumptions, which infers the worst - that the mentally ill are weird, if not downright scary. Most disorders are, in fact, mild to extreme versions of ‘normalcy.' A patient with social anxiety disorder (SAD - cute, huh), for instance, gets just a little more stressed, sensitive and tightly wound over hosting a party then the average person (whatever that means). It's hard to pick someone with SAD out of a lineup. Schizophrenics are different. They stand out. Read More

April 30, 2009

Lessons of depression in the most unlikely of films

Who would have guessed that a fantasy comedy featuring the latest piece of Hollywood eye candy (Zac Efron) and geared towards thirteen year-old girls discusses depression, but that is exactly what 17 Again does. Read More

April 20, 2009

The Office: Why We Laugh

The Office is advertised as a laugh-out-loud goofy comedy and it succeeds admirably. So say the Emmy awards, the television ratings and the zeitgeist. The show tracks garden-variety office workers led by boss, Michael Scott. Read More

April 14, 2009

Psychologist or Filmmaker?

At first glance, Duplicity is just another slick thriller. Julia Roberts and Clive Owen, con and come on to each other as undercover spies for dueling billion-dollar corporations. It's a classic formula with a 21st century twist of psychological sophistication. Read More

April 11, 2009

In Treatment: The Debate Behind the Show

This past weekend marked the kickoff of In Treatment's second season and with it a televised image of therapy that doesn't involve wooden caricatures (think Ordinary People) or goofy misrepresentations (think Analyze this). At last the field of clinical psychology has a show free of melodrama and full of the detail and depth necessary to realistically represent the therapeutic process. Read More

April 9, 2009

I Love You, Man: Lessons of Friendship

On the surface, I Love You, Man is about a friendly guy, Peter Klaven, who doesn't have any male friends. He is introduced to a world of brotherly love when his wedding plans force him to confront the fact that he has no best man. Consequently, he attempts to befriend other adult males in a process termed bromance, which is similar to the dating game with a few twists. Read More

Media Basics

From the ever-expanding Googleverse to the snarky payoff of celebrity gossip, life is splintered and refracted in a million ways by contemporary communication tools. This media has a profound impact on how we perceive ourselves and our world.

Go to the Media Basics page for more on Media including:

Current Issue

Everyday Creativity

How to start living creatively and reap the benefits.

Subscribe to Reel Therapy

Media Basics

Current Issue