Dr. Jessica Katzman
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Inside Out

10/19/2015

2 Comments

 
I greatly enjoyed* and have already reaped much therapeutic mileage from Pixar's summer film, Inside Out, with its reminder that exiling the experience of sadness can often leave our lives psychically poorer, and that the basis for human empathy and connection resides in our ability to have full access to our entire range of feelings.

I also appreciated the ability of this film to portray our core emotions as incredibly salient, caricatured personalities, as this directly mirrors the work that I often do with my own clients. Externalizing strong feelings, inner states, or critical voices into visible entities can be helpful in partially de-identifying with our impulses, allowing us to view ourselves with greater neutrality and compassion. It can also be helpful in facilitating much-needed conversations with these parts of ourselves while in a supportive therapeutic atmosphere.


I can't imagine that I was the only therapist or healer to get excited over the potential applications of this film, and I would be very curious to hear from others about how they have integrated this artful bit of pop culture into their practice. Please do feel free to reply back to me with any thoughts you might have on the matter!

​
* Though I entered the theater expecting to cringe at least once over the portrayal of complex neuroscience and cognitive psychology concepts, I found that the only truly upsetting element was the highly size-negative/fat-shaming representation of Sadness (as held in contrast with Joy and Disgust). A less stereotypical approach at constructing their appearances would have been much welcome.
2 Comments
Jane Katzman
10/20/2015 09:23:29 am

This sounds like a wonderful, helpful movie. I didn't understand if you meant that we identify with the characters in the movie as being the visible entities of if we can create our own visible entities as a result of watching the movie. Also, if we have these conversations with ourselves in a therapeutic background, does it help when those strong emotions and feelings and how we deal with them comes out? Does this lead us in a better direction with changing how we have thought and felt, and acted in the past?

Reply
Dr. Jessica Katzman
10/20/2015 12:17:56 pm

Hi there--great question! I think that either (the movie's images or our own) or a combination of both is quite possible.

And yes, I definitely think it can help in our lives outside of therapy! An example:

A client and I work on personifying her depression, or her internal depressive monologue, into a character. We imagine how this character looks, sounds, the common things it says to her, and so on. We give it a name. She practices in session "talking back" to this character, disputing its claims, silencing it, or just finding ways to feel compassion for it.

Then, later in her week, when an unfortunate event occurs, and she is able to notice her depressive thoughts, she can then choose to step back, say to herself something like, "Oh, that's just Mr. X [the character's name] again....I don't have to listen to him right now." The effect this sense of control can have on people's resulting emotions can be astounding, with practice over time.

I enjoy these techniques as I am a very visual person, and find that this works well for folks who are wired similarly. (More verbally-inclined folks can focus on hearing an internal voice, rather than picturing a character.)

Additionally, I think you would really enjoy the movie! I've only mentioned a few of the wonderful elements; it's also a real visual feast, and the way it conceptualizes such concepts as short-term and long-term memory, dreaming, abstract thought.....there's a lot to take in! Check it out, if you have a chance.

Thanks for your comment!

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    Jessica Katzman, Psy.D.

    I'm a psychologist with a private practice in San Francisco's Castro District. I'm interested in harm reduction, LGBTQQIAAP issues, psychedelic integration, social justice conversations, size acceptance, and any intersections of the above. I welcome your comments!

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    Photo credit: Tristan Crane Photography.

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