Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Calgary (Canada), 2007. / Includes bibliographical references.

With the recent commercial availability of the television tape recorder has come a great increase in the use of audiovisual feedback in psychotherapy and counseling (Danet, 1968; Alger, I969) • The advantages of television tape over other means of feedback are readily apparent. Recording and playback can be done under normal unobtrusive lighting conditions, and playback can follow recording with a delay of only a few secondr ; with sound film f bright studio lighting for recording and a darkened rcom for playback are required, and a number of days must be allowed between recording and playback for developing the film* The added consideration of cost favors television recording once the original investment in basic equipment has been made, since television tape can be re-used indefinately if no permanent record is to be kept of recorded sessions, while film can only be used once and costs money to develop for viewing*

There is no abstract available for this dissertation.

Movies or films may be integrated into psychosocial interventions as springboards for conversation to enhance therapeutic gains. Therapeutic and inspirational engagements with movie texts, as opposed to viewing for entertainment, provide narratives that describe, interrogate and revise unique histories and culturally-mediated subjectivities. To examine narrative outcomes of the application of this strategy, a study was conducted with self-identified gay men in a group context. A postmodern paradigm with philosophical correlates from literary and critical perspectives framed the research approach. A hermeneutic method of investigation involving a reading guide extracted themes that emerged from the therapeutic conversations about connections to pre-selected movies. The first theme, a developmental lens, offered narratives of social isolation, intimacy, coming out and identity turmoil. The second theme, a local community lens, offered narratives of social hostility, religious values and monetary forces. The impact of integrating movies into therapy was evaluated within these narratives. A qualitative and self-reflexive approach enabled the creation of a postmodern research product, including the representation of the theme of community meanings in a modified screenplay format as a negotiation between creative and traditional writing practices. The use of movies in this study offered distinctive narrative findings about the sexuality of the participants, although their engagement with movies implied that conditions for useful therapeutic conversation depend upon psychological viewing characteristics. / Dr. Alban Burke