the video, then ask specific questions in therapy about which characters the client identified with and
what methods they learned for resolving their own problems. This involves knowing your client well
andknowing the video you recommend for viewing. Not all have clear or unequivocal messages.
Recommending teenagers watch Ferris Bueller’s Day Offmay be beneficial if your intent is to com-
municate messages about competence in computer and social skills, caring for friends, having fun,
and being independent. However, there are aspects of Ferris’s character you may not want your client
to model—like his deceit, his unlawful use of other people’s property, his conceitedness, and his ma-
nipulation. Care needs to be taken that the video is likely to communicate the desired message, or
that the client has the discriminatory skills to differentiate what is beneficial from what is not.
In child and adolescent videotherapy, therapists need to be mindful of what they select as age-
relevant videos and howthey communicate with the child about them. Since waiting a week until
the next session may not be practical, using small video clips during the therapeutic session or asking
parents to show the child the video the evening prior to the next appointment can lead to more im-
mediacy of discussion. Follow-up questions are likely to be along the lines of: Which character did
you like (identify with) the most? How do you see yourself as being like him or her? How would you
like to be more like him or her? If they were in your place right now what do you think they would
do? How would they fix things? How could you do what they do?
In Table 3.2 I have listed some children’s movies with a brief description of their therapeutic
characteristics, including examples of the types of problems they address, the competencies and re-
sources they develop, and the outcomes they offer. This is just a brief list to give an example of the
metaphoric value of certain movies. Check out what kids and teens are currently watching and can
access at the cinema or rent through a video/DVD library. Assess their potential therapeutic messages
for the ages and types of kids you work with, then test out their therapeutic benefits.
Make a Video
With a simple cape and mask, my grandson standing on a rock backed by a blue sky, and a video cam-
era turned on its side (carefully omitting the rock), Batman would appear to fly to the rescue of a
character in whatever distress we dreamed to create. With a black top-hat, a menacing laugh, and a
bit of editing, a malevolent magician could trick Grandpa George into a cardboard box and saw him
in half (appropriately accompanied by screams of pain) before turning into a good magician who
could solve the problem by putting Grandpa George back together. Having children act out the story
helps them identify with the character and the message of the tale. By our videotaping these per-
formances, not only do children have the excitement of seeing themselves portray that character but,
34 Effective Storytelling for Kids and Teens
EXERCISE 3.3
■ Keep abreast of children’s movies.
■ Build your own lists of available videos and their therapeutic characteristics.
■ Recommend for viewing those that match the therapeutic goal or goals of your
young client.