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![]() Charlyne Gelt, Ph.D. Connections! Chapter News Nikki Gabriel President's Message Read Ariel Cohen Legislative Updates Read Madeline Taylor September Membership Meeting Write-Up Read Katie (Wren) Busse Ethics Committee Read August Board Minutes Read September Board Minutes Read Member Columnists Charlyne Gelt Cinema Therapy Blinded by the Light Read Contributors Adam A. Neal Help as a Hindrance: Exploring Barriers to Seeking Therapy Read Alexa Brand Gender Identity, Gender Pronouns and Strategies Read Rena Pollak The Wonders of Optimism: Thinking Your Way Back to OK Read Member Highlight Amanda Jennings Read Sponsors SimplePractice Read Discovery Mood & Anxiety Programs Read Center for Discovery Read The Therapist Development Center Read Gregg Bruno Homes Read eBlasts October 2019 eBlasts Read November 2019 eBlasts Read Contact Us Read |
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November-December 2019 | ||
Cinema Therapy — Charlyne Gelt, Ph.D. Blinded by the Light "Life is a short pause between two mysteries." Carl Jung The film’s title is a metaphor for the inner light that drives us towards a journey of individuation, an almost universal experience. Blinded by the Light, set in 1987 Luton, England during a time of great racial and economic turmoil, is the powerfully moving account of a British-born Pakistani teen’s struggle to come of age and follow his dream of becoming a writer. This immediately puts him at odds with his authoritarian father’s deeply- Javed feels trapped! Javed has no one to mentor him and show him the way ― until a school friend introduces him to the music of Bruce Springsteen. Javed recognizes parallels between the singer’s powerful lyrics and his own working class-environment. The spell of Springsteen's melodies (which are showcased in the film) become the driving force that inspires Javed to find the courage to transition from being a victim (of both his father’s hard core traditional believes and the anti-immigrant bullying from local skinheads) ― to separate, become his own man. Javid rocks the boat! And it is his strong need to transcend the brutal intolerance of others that makes Javed and Bruce kindred spirits. The passion for writing now takes Javed into a world outside the family values and outside the reach of neighborhood hate-mongers so that he finally leaves “home” and becomes the man he wants to be. In one defining moment during which Javed’s father demands respect for the traditions and values ― or leave, Javed takes the threat to heart and leaves the family home, boldly setting out to search for his treasure, which initially deepens the tension between mother and dad. Even though Javed still lacks the self-confidence to showcase his own talent, he encounters several mentors who support his journey. At school, he discovers a teacher, Ms. Clay (Hayley Atwell), who inspires without condescending to him. He finds a girl Eliza (Nell Williams) to set his pulse racing and share his dreams. In Roops (Aaron Phagura), he finds a friend and ally who knows just what Javed is missing, a cassette of Born in the USA ― and lets the music work its magic. Psychological Implications “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” Blinded by The Light is billed as a comedy, but it is far more. The interactions between Javed, our hero, and his traditionalist father illustrate the depth of the tension in the polarized family emotional dynamics. It also illustrates Javed’s inner drive out of a state of dependency to manifest his passion. As Joseph Campbell’s work points out, heroes and heroines in myths and fairytales help us identify with the change in others. hey are filled with imaginary companions, allies, and guides who leave home and go into the wilderness. This symbolizes the first movement in the process of individuation, out of the comfort zone, and a step into the unknown. Today, sadly, other than graduation and getting a driver’s license, we don’t engage in many rituals that mentor or help young people come of age. In Blinded by the Light, Javed’s story shows us that one should not travel this archetypal journey alone. We need the help of mentors and wise ones who have been there before us and can show us the way. In this film, the call to departure comes from the inspirational music of Bruce Springsteen whose melodies themselves become Javed’s “mentor,” his jumping-off place to dare leave home ― to dare to push past his father’s stuck mindset. Javed is driven by an inner song, an inner force, one that is inherent in all of us. Typically, an archetypal journey pushes us to learn about the unknown, alien aspects of the self, duality of thinking, perpetual conflict of the splits ― good and evil, the dark side, the light side, a good cause. In Blinded by the Light, Home is represented by the fixed mind-set and cultural dualities of thinking: right, wrong, good, bad, “my way or the highway,” and the well-meaning but clueless smothering of an over-involved, controlling Dad. Blinded by the Light offers a jumping off place so clients can learn to look more deeply at their own lives through the Joseph Campbell lens. They can also learn how to recognize a call to “follow your passion” despite the obstacles, etc. Campbell spelled out the many challenges within the stages of leaving, learning, and returning. We watch Javed travel this journey which results in a stronger sense of who he is and what he can do in life. Campbell called the familiar story type, The Hero’s Journey. |
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San Fernando Valley Chapter – California Marriage and Family Therapists |