Tag Archives: Inside Out

Inside Out: Using Pop Culture to Engage and Educate Youth

Posted by: Anna Coutts on August 24, 2015 1:08 pm

How good is your knowledge of pop culture? If you’re working with teens and children, being pop culture savvy can greatly enrich your work. While being up on the latest trends isn’t a job requirement, it certainly helps with building rapport and relating important skills to clients in a way that sticks. It’s for this reason that I’m always on the lookout for positive popular media I can incorporate into my work. Recently, I found a new favourite in the Pixar film Inside Out.

Even if pop culture isn’t for you, Inside Out is still worth checking out. The film is like a dream come true for therapists: it’s a perfect teaching tool and a great way to build rapport all wrapped up in one entertaining film. The messaging is amazing and the film is engaging.

The film has so much potential to be used therapeutically. It externalizes emotions in concrete, fun ways that kids can understand. It teaches them about the importance of different emotions, the difference between these emotions and the reason why we need to experience all of them in order to function effectively. It shows kids the negative impact of ignoring feelings. It even offers kids strategies for effectively managing emotions and educates them about the science of the brain.

Given it’s popularity at the box office, almost all my clients have seen this film. Every time I use it in session, even the shyest, most disengaged kids noticeably brighten up. Its numerous positive messages makes it an extremely versatile tool. I’ve used it to teach clients everything from how to identify positive and negative self-talk to how to effectively communicate emotions to parents.

If you work with youth and haven’t seen yet indulged in this delightful film, don’t delay it any longer. Catch it before it leaves theatres! I promise, you won’t regret it.




*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

The Hidden Gift of “Inside Out”

Posted by: Reynaldo Valerio on July 10, 2015 12:02 pm

inside outEver wondered what the little voices in your head look like? Ever wanted to chat with them, tête-à-tête? Well, now you can thanks to Pixar’s new movie “Inside Out” which offers an amazing opportunity to look at our emotions to improve our relationship with them. I enjoyed watching this movie, not only as long-time Pixar fan, but also as a psychotherapist because it presents in a funny and simple way how our emotions impact our lives, keeping a hidden gem until the very end.

To save the movie for those who haven’t seen it yet, I’d just say that “Inside Out” is a story about Riley, a preteen girl facing a change in her life and the emotional journey this change brings into her life. As Ian Phillips says in his Business Insider’s blog, this movie can make a man cry. The movie is full of emotions, sure, but could it also make us think?
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*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA