The image of the mental health professional in contemporary Hollywood films

The focus of this study was to explore the film image of the mental health professional (MHP) in importance of this study is founded upon the assumption that many film viewers' perceptions and expectations of the mental health profession and the process of psychotherapy and counseling are influenced by these film images.A total of seventeen films were identified. Of these, eight were randomly selected for a content analysis. A prevailing film image of the MHP and MHP's client was obtained. Following the content analysis, the films selected were further analyzed using a hermeneutic approach, which is a further development of phenomenolical theories. The study was descriptive in nature and, therefore, no statistical analyses were employed.The results of this study found that the film image of the MHP in current films is more negative than previous researchers have discovered. This image iscontemporary Hollywood feature length films. They explored within the social and political context of the 1980s, and associations are made among perceptions of authority figures, gender of film MHPs, and techniques employed by film MHPs. Recommendations are made for future researchers.Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance ServicesThesis (Ph. D.