Simple Premise, Powerful Results
Use Hollywood Movies About Addiction, Recovery and Mental Health in Group Sessions to Generate Powerful Moments That Can Lead to Lasting Therapeutic Results.
Dozens of carefully-curated movie exercises to choose from.
SCIENTIFICALLY-VALIDATED & EVIDENCE-BASED
Backed by over 50 years of peer reviewed psycho-social research, and fully-vetted by an Advisory Committee comprised of leading researchers, clinicians, behavioral health executives, and global recovery organization founders.
PLUG-AND-PLAY
EASY INTEGRATION
A turnkey mutual support platform that can be easily integrated into existing programming blocks without the need for clinical intake or extensive staffing. Reduces group fatigue and facilitator burnout.
SAFE & SCALABLE
Movies are not triggering when thoughtfully facilitated. On the contrary, they allow participants to confront real-world emotional triggers honestly and safely—reducing their power while encouraging expression, insight, and growth in a highly engaging and repeatable format.
BILLABLE TO INSURANCE
Recovery Movie Meetups can be insurance-billable when delivered by licensed providers as structured, documented group behavioral health sessions aligned with covered therapeutic services.
FREE TRAINING & SUPPORT
All staff who take 2-hour online video training get two (2) ASAM-certified CE credits. Complete 90-minute staff onboarding via Zoom. Detailed Facilitator Manuals included for all programs.
TAILORED PROGRAMS
Recovery Movie Meetups offers tailored AUD/SUD and Mental Health programs for adults, teens, correctional settings and families - to help foster growth and healing across diverse populations, including Spanish-speaking.
FLEXIBLE IMPLEMENTATION
Ideal for residential inpatient facilities, but adaptable for partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs.
SUCCESSFUL ADOPTION
Successfully implemented in hundreds of adult and teen treatment centers, recovery community organizations, sober homes, collegiate recovery organizations and correctional institutions across the U.S. & Canada.
HOW IT WORKS
HAND OUT A RECOVERY MOVIE MEETUPS MOVIE WORKSHEET EXERCISE TO ALL PARTICIPANTS
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Concise overview of the film’s visual content, characters, plot and key themes.
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An explanation of why the movie is relevant to the topic of behavioral health.
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Reflection prompts with specific points or questions for the viewer to think about before and while watching.
THE SCREENING
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Pause for Key Scenes: Allows viewers to process triggers and complex emotions in real-time with full facilitator and group support.
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Replay Key Scenes: Helps reinforce critical messages or catch subtle details and dialogue that might have been overlooked.
THE DISCUSSION
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Facilitated discussions build peer-based connection and accountability.
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Encourage emotional expression in a safe, structured format.
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Reduce isolation and improve interpersonal communication.
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Generate increased participant engagement & interaction, and foster deep self-reevaluation.
Register for your Free Info Kit to Help You Start RECOVERY MOVIE MEETUPS Meetings at Your Organization
INCLUDES:
- Sample Workbooks fully-branded with your facility logos and colors
- A free movie from our Program delivered to you on Amazon Video
- Workbook exercise for the movie you pick
25% Off All Program License Fees
PROGRAM LICENSES AVAILABLE
BACKED BY 50 YEARS OF PSYCHOSOCIAL RESEARCH
Dynamic and impactful meeting curriculums designed to spark deep, compassionate conversations around life’s toughest challenges—and to inspire real, lasting change. Our award-winning, internationally recognized movie-based mutual support sessions help individuals tap into their inner strength and insight, fostering powerful shifts in thinking that lead to healthier, more purposeful behaviors and more fulfilling lives.
Each of our plug-and-play Programs include a complete curriculum with dozens of thoughtfully curated movie-based exercises, detailed Facilitator Manuals, a 2-hour online training, comprehensive onboarding, and valuable bonus resources—all for a low, one-time perpetual license fee
Recovery Movie Meetups is guided by a diverse Advisory Committee composed of leaders in behavioral health, recovery science, academia, clinical practice, and community support. This group brings a wide range of skills and professional perspectives — from research and clinical psychiatry to peer support and recovery advocacy — ensuring our program remains both evidence-informed and deeply relevant to people and professionals in the field
"I am thrilled with the fun, innovative, and effective Recovery Movie Meetups Program. It immediately increases client engagement, which ultimately improves outcomes."
J. Gregory Hobelmann, M.D., M.P.H.
Co-CEO, President
ASHLEY ADDICTION TREATMENT
WINNER
2025 Recovery Innovation Award
As Featured on ABCs GOOD MORNING AMERICA
MISSION STATEMENT
At Recovery Movie Meetups, we believe in the transformative power of movie storytelling. We bridge the gap between entertainment and healing by utilizing movies viewed in groups to explore the complexities of addiction, recovery, and mental health.
By curating a selection of powerful Hollywood films, we create a safe, engaging environment where stories on the screen spark breakthroughs in real life. Our mission is to help you turn our winning programs into a catalyst for growth, generating profound teachable moments within mutual support meetings at your facilities.
Our Approach: More Than Just a Movie
Your clients won’t just watch movies; you will help them analyze them through a therapeutic lens. The meetings leverage the emotional impact of cinema to illustrate complex psychological concepts, making them easier to understand and apply to daily life.
Your discussions will be grounded in established evidence-based treatment modalities, seamlessly integrating them into accessible, peer-supported conversations.
The Framework
Your clients will analyze character arcs and plot points using principles from leading therapeutic models:
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Motivational Interviewing (MI): Your clients will explore characters' ambivalence toward change and identify their internal motivations, helping participants reflect on their own readiness for recovery.
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Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT): Your clients will identify the irrational beliefs held by protagonists and discuss how disputing those beliefs leads to emotional well-being.
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Your clients will pinpoint cognitive distortions and negative thought patterns on screen, allowing group members to recognize similar patterns in their own thinking.
Why Cinematherapy Works
Stories bypass a person’s natural defenses. When your clients watch a character struggle with addiction or mental health challenges on screen, they can view the situation objectively before applying the lesson subjectively.
Recovery Movie Meetups creates a dynamic feedback loop where participants can:
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Identify with the characters' struggles and triumphs.
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Process emotions in a safe, third-party context.
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Practice new coping strategies derived from the film's resolution.
Reach out via phone or email and speak with one of our community engagement specialists
