Final Paper - Assignment / Psychotherapy in Film

Important notice regarding your assignments (please read).

The purpose of this assignment is to give you an opportunity to explore the psychotherapeutic relationship in great depth as it is portrayed on screen. For this assignment please write a 5-7 page (not including the title page and references page) paper. In this paper, please analyze a character's illness and treatment from the perspective of a psychotherapist.

Formatting Reminder. You are expected to format your paper according to APA formatting guidelines. Please see the Useful Resources folder in the Course Content page for additional resources and tools for help in preparing your paper. Be sure to cite your sources accordingly, to avoid plagiarism in your formal written assignments.

You are required to include discussion of:

(a) The character's diagnosis in terms of the DSM-IV

(b) A brief discussion of the apparent etiology of the character's symptoms, and

(c) An in-depth analysis of the treatment prescribed for the character in terms of theoretical perspective: psychoanalytic, client-centered, gestalt, and behavior therapy.

Which perspective(s) is(are) being represented in the film? Does the treatment seem to be effective? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this approach? What, if any, alternative approach would the student recommend?

Here is a list of films you can choose from:

• David and Lisa (1962)
• One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Next (1975)
• Ordinary People (1980)
• Sybil (1977)
• Girl, Interrupted (1999)
• Awakenings (1990)

If you would like to choose a film not included on this list, please let me know and I will review the choice for you.