Reel Therapy

Unraveling the mind through film

Jeremy Clyman Psy.D.

Coping With Corona

How can we best cope with a uniquely contagious and deadly virus, and thread the need of safety and risk?

How "Booksmart" Is Cinematherapeutic

“Booksmart” offers not just entertainment but takeaways for healthy living.

Tully: A Movie About Parental Stress

Read on to discover the ways this captivating new movie discusses parenting, depression, and an increasingly prevalent and complex concern, known as caretaker burnout.

Split: Horror with a Side of Split Personality

Read on to learn how the split personality phenomenon can be considered at the unhealthy end of the identity spectrum.

The Protest of "Me Before You"

"Me Before You" seems to be about disability, makes a comment on patient assisted suicide, and shows how depressed characters can dampen entertainment quality in cinema...

Is "The Revenant" Psychologically Harmful?

"The Revenant" has already garnered lots of awards for its quality. But a psychological warning should be attached to this film.

Concussion: Psychotherapy for Football

This movie lays out the crisis in football. What is this threat and how can it be psychologically adapted to?

Spotlight: The Trauma Crimes

Understand the full depth of anger behind this story of abuse.

Inside Out: A Psychologist's Take

Why is the new animated film "Inside Out" so popular? It might have something to do with how the characters, which are a young girl's emotional states, are actually so much more....

Cancer on Reality TV

How to adapt resiliently to cancer and cancer relapses? Having a quick "trigger finger" is an important and overlooked facet of treatment resiliency.

American Sniper

Understand the story of PTSD within this excellent and tragic film.

The Drop: A Discussion of Dangerousness

Read further to learn about a high-quality film and some thoughts on the psycho-legal concept of dangerousness, and the factors that promote/predict violent behavior.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

The movie could have been about peace; instead it is about war. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder sheds some light on why the story took this tragic turn...

The Americans: Psychological Weapons of War

The skill set underlying an effective spy is varied. The mission for the Jennings' involves sophisticated psychological skills more than the traditional model of spy strengths like running, jumping and shooting...

The Temporary Psychosis of Divorce

Like the show "True Detective," the divorce process can be horrifying. This blog entry, through a discussion of the hit-HBO series, illustrates the horrifying nature of divorce and what can be done to side-step the otherwise inevitable wave of misery.

Monuments Men: A Vehicle for Positive Emotions

This movie proves its entertainment value with injections of happiness. It's a perfect illustration of the psychological function of positive emotions in movies.

The Double-Edged Sword of Narcissism

The Wolf of Wall Street! This movie is outstanding - not just because it’s so well made but because it follows such an interesting (obviously and amusingly narcissistic) character, Jordan Belfort (played in outstanding fashion by Leonardo DiCaprio).

Out of the Furnace

Three reasons for why you should watch "Out of the Furnace" even though it'll be sure to make you cry...

What Makes the Film 'Gravity' So Scary?

I list three reasons (of many) that explain why the critically acclaimed 'Gravity,' is efficient and powerful as a vehicle to induce a psychological state of fear/scared-ness in us as viewers. If we're going to watch a very good movie (as this is) and feel fear than it seems useful to understand the cause...

The Heat: It's All About Connection

Below the laugh-out-loud plot line is a story about positive connectedness. And since the notion of meaningful friendship is as fundamental to psychological health as anything, this comedy proves surprisingly relevant to the topic of health and well-being.