Sheery Florica M.

Pabellan BSSW 2A
FILM ANALYSIS
SW 223

We were tasked to watch the film "Ordinary People," to relate the situation in the film
with our group counseling discussion. Based on Judith Guest's novel, "Ordinary People" is a
1980 drama film directed by Robert Redford. The narrative revolves on a family coping with
the tragedy caused by an unexpected catastrophic events and the complex connections
between healing, guilt, and grief. We are able to connect the movie's content to moral
dilemmas, different counseling techniques, and the Kübler-Ross stages of grief analysis.

The main character of the film, Conrad Jarrett, seeks psychotherapy following a
traumatic sailing accident that took the life of his older brother, Buck. This event leads to
Conrad's struggle with survivor's guilt, depression, anxiety, and a profound sense of
inadequacy. These emotional challenges significantly impact Conrad's academic performance,
relationships, and overall well-being, prompting him to seek help from Dr. Berger, a
psychotherapist. Throughout the movie, several counseling theories are observed in Dr.
Berger's therapeutic approach. One prominent theory is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT),
where Dr. Berger employs techniques such as identifying and challenging negative thought
patterns, exploring underlying beliefs, setting achievable goals, and utilizing behavioral
strategies to manage emotions and improve coping skills. For example, he encourages Conrad
to reframe his self-critical thoughts and gradually exposes him to anxiety-provoking situations
to desensitize him. Additionally, aspects of Family Systems Theory are portrayed as the film
explores the interconnectedness of family dynamics and the impact of trauma on individual
family members. The main part that contributes to this theory is the struggle of family
members to communicate their true feelings to each other which led to misunderstanding their
actions especially on Conrad’s part because he was basically not given enough time to
recover from the traumatic event he experience. The whole family only dealt with it
individual without thinking of its impact to other members as well.

Conrad's emotional journey is carefully linked with the phases of grief identified by
Kübler-Ross throughout the movie. Conrad initially goes through denial, acting calm while
avoiding facing his emotions on Buck's passing. He experiences phases of anger as his
feelings grow stronger, blaming himself, his parents, and even Buck. Conrad also engages in
internal bargaining, wishing things had been different or that the accident hadn't occurred. His
path concludes in a severe depression marked by disassociation, interest loss, and
hopelessness and worthlessness. The way the movie ends, though, suggests that Conrad will
eventually come to terms with it all as he starts to face his trauma, identify his feelings, and
move toward self-compassion and healing. The film really emphasized the importance of each
stage of grief was essential in order to get over or heal from the traumas you experienced. Just
like from what we discussed in our group counselling, each of me and my group-mates
understood that the stages of grief each has its significance and should be dealt with in order
to come to the terms of healing and accepting the situation because if you avoid these
feelings, there’s a high chance that you could be stuck in one phase of grief and will never be
able to fully heal and accept the situation.

The interventions made by Dr. Berger during Conrad's sessions in "Ordinary People"
are essential to Conrad's healing process and success in therapy. These thoughtfully designed
treatments aim to address Conrad's intricate emotional difficulties and provide him the tools
he needs to create useful coping strategies. First of all, Conrad may freely communicate his
feelings to Dr. Berger without worrying about being rejected or criticized since he provides a
judgment-free, safe environment. Conrad is able to explore his deepest feelings of loss,
remorse, and inadequacy in this setting, which strengthens their therapeutic alliance and
encourages trust and vulnerability. Dr. Berger uses empathy and attentive listening to fully
comprehend Conrad's feelings, ideas, and experiences. Dr. Berger establishes rapport and
promotes emotional exploration by validating Conrad's feelings and making him feel heard
and understood through attentive listening and replies. In addition, Conrad's negative thought
patterns are challenged by Dr. Berger using Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) procedures,
which help him establish positive coping mechanisms. In order to help Conrad reframe his
viewpoints and adopt better ways of thinking, Dr. Berger helps him identify and challenge
self-critical ideas, mistaken beliefs, and cognitive distortions. This eventually leads to
improved emotional well-being. Finally, during therapy, Dr. Berger works with Conrad to
establish reasonable goals and keeps a close eye on his development. Through Conrad's
participation in goal-setting and progress tracking, Dr. Berger gives him the tools he needs to
take charge of his recovery process and maintain motivation to see results.

Creating a safe space, using CBT approaches, practicing active listening and
empathy, supporting behavioral experiments and gradual exposure, and encouraging
teamwork in goal-setting and progress tracking are all part of Dr. Berger's comprehensive
therapies. Together, these interventions support Conrad's emotional recovery, resilience-
building, and therapeutic advancement within the context of "Ordinary People."
 In conclusion, the film offers valuable insights into mental health, resilience, and the
transformative power of therapy. I resonated with one of the characters of the movie which is
Conrad. Because like him, I also experienced losing an important person in my life, my
grandmother. And the way that event happened to me made me go through weeks of having
feelings of deep sadness, and while I was feeling that, I was also invalidated by one of my
family members saying that it was bound to happen to my grandmother because she was
already old after all. I know how it feels to be misunderstood by your own family that is why
I truly feel for what Conrad went through and understood why he was disassociating. It
highlights the complexities of grief, trauma, and family dynamics while showcasing the
journey towards healing, self-acceptance, and finding meaning in life's struggles. The film
serves as a compelling narrative of human emotions, therapeutic interventions, and the pursuit
of inner peace and understanding.