Using Film to Increase Counselor Empathic Experiences

Abstract

The early stages of empathy in counseling+motional reaction, role-taking, and cognitive suspension-have all been largely ignored in the counselor education/psychological literature. This article describes these stages from the perspective of the aesthetidfilm literatures. Emotional reaction is an internal, unobservable state of being. Role-taking involves cognitive understanding and entering the perceptual world of another. Cognitive suspension means letting go of personal beliefs and values. The film literature describes how audience emotional states are created by directors, writers, actors, and editors. This article explains how counselor educators and supervisors can use this information to help counselors increase their empathic experiences.

Enhancing Case Conceptualization Through Film: The Addiction Web

“…Gladstein and Feldstein (1983) used film to enhance counselor empathy. Film has been used to address diverse topics, such as multicultural and diversity issues (Pinterits & Atkinson, 1998;Villalba & Redmond, 2008); family and system theories (Dermer & Hutchings, 2000;Higgins & Dermer, 2001;Hudock & Gallagher-Warden, 2001;Sheperis & Sheperis, 2002;Stinchfield, 2006); group counseling (Armstrong & Berg, 2005;Tyler & Reynolds, 1998); persuasion (Simpson, 2008); and self-help (Norcross, 2006).…”

A Million Little Lessons: The Evaluation and Use of Mass Media in Counselor Addiction Education

“…Whereas the majority of the research developed in this area is theoretical in nature, Koch and Dollarhide (2000) provide an evaluative study finding that using films as adjunctive teaching tool invokes greater emotional and cognitive processing than instructors would otherwise obtain in discussion around textbook and/or hypothetical cases. Specifically for counselor education students, Gladstein and Feldstein (1983) noted that the multiple sensorial experiences invoked by movies helped students to gain increased empathy for the film characters. Empathy for the film's characters allowed the students opportunity to not only enhance their empathic skills in general but also offered the opportunity for students to discuss their personal reactions (countertransference) and how these reactions may help or hinder the therapeutic process (Gladstein & Feldstein, 1983).…”

“…Specifically for counselor education students, Gladstein and Feldstein (1983) noted that the multiple sensorial experiences invoked by movies helped students to gain increased empathy for the film characters. Empathy for the film's characters allowed the students opportunity to not only enhance their empathic skills in general but also offered the opportunity for students to discuss their personal reactions (countertransference) and how these reactions may help or hinder the therapeutic process (Gladstein & Feldstein, 1983). These advantages to using mass media are especially applicable to addictions education.…”

“…Overall, researchers indicate that using cinema in counselor education courses has many advantages, with the most predominate advantage being that the theories can be brought to life through the use of fictional characters as case examples (Gladstein & Feldstein, 1983;Higgins & Dermer, 2001;Hudock & Gallagher Warden, 2001;Shepard & Brew, 2005;Toman & Rak, 2000).…”

An Evaluation of the Use of Videotape in Teaching Empathy

“…Similarly, Gladstein and Feldstein (1983) summarized the early stages of the empathic experience as emotional reaction, cognitive empathic understanding, and cognitive suspension. These authors go on to suggest that we look to the aesthetic and film literatures for ideas on how to evoke the f i t stage of empathy.…”