'I saw myself as Kate Winslet in The Holiday - now I heal others by watching movies'

Most film lovers are familiar with that feeling of leaving a cinema filled with insight, emotion and inspiration.

Certain movies can have such a profound effect on us that we can spend days thinking about what we saw on the big screen.

Others sometimes feel so moved by a movie they decide to match their personality to that of the main character once the credits have rolled.

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Experts have dubbed this phenomenon ‘experience-taking,’ where people actually change their own behaviours and thoughts to those of a fictional character they identify with.

And there’s one woman who encourages her clients to do this through a special type of therapy.

Lynn Anderton is a life coach and movie therapist. The 62-year-old, who lives in The Wirral, uses film to explore a client’s inner world and offer solutions to their problems.

The therapy works by giving a client a film to watch with the intention of seeing themselves reflected. They may relate to that character in the way that their experience is similar to their own.

The client can then discuss the character with their therapist, using the story to gain insight into their own choices and thoughts. It also helps when a character is experiencing a similar ordeal to the client, such as a relationship breakdown.

If the film offers a solution to the character’s struggles, Lynn can ask the client to follow a similar path. "I've always loved movies from being a child of ten," she told the Manchester Evening News.

"Taking my siblings to a local cinema to give my mother a break and then using them in later life. When crisis loomed, I began to emulate characters to build my self-esteem