Making sense of life, one blockbuster at a time.
Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and professional filmmaker Alan Seawright break down your favorite movies, searching the characters, themes and plots to find things you can use to improve your mental health, your life, your looks? and your cardiovascular fitness (nope.)
Join them and their guests as they try to improve life, laugh at each other, and keep Alan from crying over everything.
From Cinema Therapy. Sign up to be a Cinema Therapy Superhero to get more of these relationship courses: https://thecinematherapy.com Get a sneak peek of the relationship courses that will be on our membership site with Lesson 1 of Jonathan’s "Fight Less, Connect More" course. He’ll teach you about different approaches to conflict and how to…
From Cinema Therapy. Click here https://www.scentbird.com and use our code CINEMA to get 30% off your first month at Scentbird. Currently only available in the US. Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright take a look at what makes Indiana Jones such an iconic character – heroic, adventurous, barely escaping, punching nazis. Back when…
From Cinema Therapy. Go to https://thecinematherapy.com/ Sign up for Super-Hero, and you’ll pay the Hero price, FOREVER. But only for this week!
From Cinema Therapy. How do you handle kids different stages of development? You learn to be… flexible. The three kids in The Incredibles actually illustrate all four stages of childhood development, which is part of the reason their parents have to parent each of them a bit differently. Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan…
From Cinema Therapy. The first 1000 people to use this link will get a free trial of Skillshare Premium Membership: https://skl.sh/cinematherapy05211 Grief, trauma, parenting… these are all difficult to navigate under the best of circumstances, and nearly impossible during an apocalyptic monster invasion. Yet somehow John Krasinski and Emily Blunt face it all with strength…
From Cinema Therapy. Check out nordpass.com/cinematherapy to get 70% off +1 month free! Arthur Fleck’s massive swings between manic episodes and serious depression can teach us a bit about what bipolar disorder looks like in real life. Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright take a look at the circumstances that lead Arthur Fleck…
From Cinema Therapy. Do you ever feel like you’re in a conversation but just talking right past each other? Merida and her mother frequently complain that the other just. won’t. listen. At the start of the movie, their relationship is full of misunderstandings because they want to be understood, but don’t try to understand. Licensed…
From Cinema Therapy. Get Surfshark VPN at https://Surfshark.deals/CINEMATHERAPY and enter promo code CINEMATHERAPY for 83% off and 3 extra months for FREE! Darth Vader is one of the most iconic villains in movie history. But what led Anakin Skywalker to turn to the Dark Side and become a villain? And could it have been prevented?…
From Cinema Therapy. How does this genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist overcome his arrogance, ego, guilt, and PTSD? Tony Stark can think his way out of almost any problem, but what happens when he can’t? Or when he can’t protect the people he cares about? Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright finish out Tony…
From Cinema Therapy. Why does Tony Stark have PTSD symptoms in Iron Man 3, when he came through previous adventures seemingly unscathed? Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright break down what causes Tony’s breakdown in Iron Man 3, how he gets through it, and how that relates to real life trauma or anxiety.…
From Cinema Therapy. Chasing dreams, damaging and repairing relationships, making amends for mistakes, and fabulous musical numbers – The Greatest Showman has some powerful themes we can learn a lot from. Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker, filmmaker Alan Seawright, and special guest Jahannah James talk about dealing with and preventing infidelity in relationships, and repairing damaged…
From Cinema Therapy. Whether someone’s feeling like they don’t fit in (like the performers in P.T. Barnum’s shows), or they’re feeling judged for not meeting family or societal expectations (like Zac Efron and Zendaya’s characters), The Greatest Showman can teach us a thing or two about accepting ourselves and others and combating bigotry. We all…
From Cinema Therapy. Most people fight with their siblings, but the conflicts between Moses and his siblings are pretty epic. But we can learn a few things about forgiveness, hatred, love, holding grudges, and healing broken relationships from the stories of Moses, Rameses, Miriam, and Aaron. Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright talk…
From Cinema Therapy. He may have won Witch Weekly’s Most Charming Smile and have lots of best-selling books, but there are some not-so-charming personality traits behind that grin. Gilderoy Lockhart shows many of the traits of narcissistic personality disorder. Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright take a close look at Kenneth Branagh’s portrayal…
From Cinema Therapy. Will Bloom doesn’t understand or connect with his father. Is it just a matter of personality differences or different approaches to life? Is it something they can work through before his father dies? Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright are joined by guest Stephanie Goodman to talk about Tim Burton’s…
From Cinema Therapy. What do you do when you either don’t know your purpose or feel like you can’t live up to it? Joe Gardner and 22 seem to be opposites – one fears life, and the other fears death – but they really struggle with the same fear: failure. Something a lot of us…
From Cinema Therapy. Kylo Ren might be scarier than Darth Vader, and here’s why: He lacks emotional control, especially at the start of the trilogy. Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright walk through Kylo Ren’s (played spectacularly by Adam Driver) journey back to the light and redemption, discussing some of the trauma, issues,…
From Cinema Therapy. Is she scared of commitment? Lying to herself and others? Doesn’t know who she is? What makes Maggie Carpenter (Julia Roberts) keep literally running from relationships? Relationship expert licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright talk about the classic rom-com Runaway Bride, from quirky characters to classic tropes, and what this…
From Cinema Therapy. He’s been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and recently released from a psychiatric hospital. She’s struggling to process the loss of her husband. Can they help each other heal? Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright are joined by actor Mason Davis as they talk about this film – from the interesting…
From Cinema Therapy. At a personal level, Schindler’s list shows us one man’s journey from self-interest to selfless compassion. At a societal level, it shows us the horrors of dehumanizing others and the importance of seeing the humanity in everyone. At a cinematic level, it is a masterpiece. Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan…
From Cinema Therapy. Will Bella ever stop treating Jacob like a kicked dog? Will Edward ever return, outside of his brief reappearances as a figment of Bella’s tortured, hormone-addled mind? Will any of us ever see a healthy relationship (or a good movie!) again, or even be able to have one in our own lives…
From Cinema Therapy.
From Cinema Therapy.
From Cinema Therapy. Ian Lightfoot (Tom Holland) is hoping the father he’s never met can help him figure out who he is. His brother Barley (Chris Pratt) is still processing the grief of losing their father. Together, they learn to move ONWARD – finding closure and appreciation for the relationship they have with each other.…
From Cinema Therapy. Happy Holidays from the Cinema Therapy team! Starting Cinema Therapy has been a highlight of our year, and we’re so grateful to all of you for joining us on this adventure! We’ve got a lot more great things coming next year, and we hope you’ll stick around and be a part of…
From Cinema Therapy. After this tough year, It’s A Wonderful Life felt like the perfect movie to end the year on. George Bailey goes through some really tough times, but het gets through them. Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright share some tips we can learn from George on how to get through…
From Cinema Therapy. If your partner is pregnant, it’s time to step up and be supportive! Follow Joseph’s example from The Nativity Story, and strengthen your relationship and love during what can be a difficult time. Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright share 10 tips for how to support your spouse through a…
From Cinema Therapy. Buddy the Elf is hilarious to watch, but what would it be like to actually live with someone like him? Well, it would be a lot like parenting a kid with ADHD. Or really any high-energy kid. Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright talk parenting tips, how they deal with…
From Cinema Therapy. Die Hard isn’t just the greatest Christmas movie, or one of the greatest action movies, it’s also an amazing example of overcoming marital problems. Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright talk about some of the things John McClane and Holly Gennaro (McClane?) get wrong, things they get right, and how…
From Cinema Therapy. How the Grinch Stole Christmas isn’t just a classic Christmas story – it’s a tale of someone learning to understand and love people who are different from him. Something we could all stand to get better at. Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright walk us through the Grinch’s change of…
From Cinema Therapy. Every family has their issues. But some families… well, some families are the Thrombeys. Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker talks about what makes the Thrombey family so dysfunctional, and filmmaker Alan Seawright talks about why that (among other things) makes Knives Out so fantastic! This whodunnit – with Rian Johnson’s masterful storytelling, Daniel…
From Cinema Therapy. What does a healthy family look like? The March family of LITTLE WOMEN definitely qualifies! Jury is still out on the Seawrights. This week, licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and unlicensed filmmaker Alan Seawright are joined by writer/producer Megan Seawright, who probably also needs therapy, because she married Alan. And only a crazy…
From Cinema Therapy. Licensed Therapist Jonathan Decker was forced (by filmmaker Alan Seawright) to watch John Carpenter’s The Thing. We kinda struggled for a minute to find something positive and uplifting in this nihilistic tale of distrust and body horror, but eventually we got there. Because we’re experts. Don’t try this at home. But do…
From Cinema Therapy. Being in a relationship with certain sociopathic narcissists, whether they’ve got a crazy high-tech invisibility suit or not, can be a lot like living in a horror film and make you feel a bit crazy. Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright react to The Invisible Man. There’s a lot to…
From Cinema Therapy. America is so divided right now it feels a lot like the beginning of Remember the Titans. So what do we need? Denzel Washington. Save us Denzel. Save us. Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker, filmmaker Alan Seawright, and special guest musician/entrepreneur/guacamole wizard James Curran (aka PlsStopJames, aka JTM) talk about Remember the Titans…
From Cinema Therapy. How powerful is belief? Strong enough to make you fight for the causes you believe in? Strong enough to help you protect those you love? Even strong enough to make you stand up to zealot assassins or fight space zombies? For Malcolm Reynolds, yes. Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright…
From Cinema Therapy. What happens when you’re kidnapped from your family, tortured, and conditioned into being an assassin? You get River Tam. And also Alan, apparently. Therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright discuss what we can learn about coping with trauma from Summer Glau’s character River in Serenity and Firefly. They break down some…
From Cinema Therapy. How do you balance honoring the traditions of your family and where you come from with following your calling and finding your own path in life? Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker, filmmaker Alan Seawright, and special guest author Ana Katia talk about their experiences and insights with this in our newest episode of…
From Cinema Therapy. Aragorn is a king among men. Like, literally. Can you think of a manlier man? But he’s also kind, affectionate, humble. If you’ve been on the internet ever, you’ve probably heard the term "toxic masculinity" (and the arguments that inevitably ensue). Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker talks about what this term means, and…
From Cinema Therapy. In part 2 of our… takedown? of Twilight, we investigate: Is Edward a pedophile? Or merely an abusive, controlling, manipulative stalker? In case you couldn’t tell, we don’t much like this guy. Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker, and unlicensed filmmaker Alan Seawright dig in to the 2007 megablockbuster TWILIGHT to figure out whether…
From Cinema Therapy. Are Bella and Edward the cutest couple in cinematic history? Or a teenage, train-wreck, cautionary tale? Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker, and unlicensed filmmaker Alan Seawright dig in to the 2007 megablockbuster TWILIGHT to figure out whether you should emulate Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, move to Forks, Washington, or just buy a…
From Cinema Therapy. Just Mercy paints a picture of a "Post-Racial" society that is inherently unfair to black people in America. Not in the distant past. The story only took place 25 years ago, and the villain of the story only retired (after being re-elected many times) last year. Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker…