“I’m a Therapist Who Loves Scary Movies”

Written By Kylie Kirkwood ACSW

October is my favorite month. I love breaking out my blazers and cardigans, the fall food items from Trader Joes, and listening to the Halloween playlist I made on Spotify five years ago (it’s still good). Most of all, I love being in a season that celebrates one of my favorite things- scary movies. Other therapists flocked to the theaters this past summer to see “Inside Out 2”, while I couldn’t wait to see “Longlegs” and “Maxxine”. Don’t get me wrong, “Inside Out 2” is wonderful. Horror movies are just *my thing*. 

Film is one of my special interests, and I have been watching horror movies ever since my best friend and I watched “The Sixth Sense” in middle school. I remember feeling so scared when we began watching it, clutching the pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream I was eating. Though I felt scared, I was having so much fun. When the movie was over, I found myself wanting to watch more and more horror movies. Now that I’m older, I continue to regularly watch horror movies, especially during spooky season. I find being scared fun, and although I have struggled with OCD and anxiety in my life, the fear and anxiety I have while watching a horror movie is a much more controlled and safe experience. I also have a deep appreciation for the art of horror movie making. 

Horror movies are some of the most innovative films being created right now. As a therapist, I am drawn to many of the topics that horror movies grapple with- grief, family, power, generational trauma, and others. While it is true that horror movies intend to scare audiences, it is also a powerful way to create commentary on social justice issues and aspects of the human experience that other films capture differently, or not at all. 

Horror movies are not for everyone and I encourage you to check in with yourself about how they might affect you. If you’re not sure, I encourage you to talk with your therapist or another trusted person.There are plenty of other ways to celebrate spooky season without being scared!  However, if you are like me, October marks the beginning of a very special season of celebrating horror movies, in addition to all the other wonderful things about Fall. Happy (almost) Halloween! 



Kylie Kirkwood ACSW

Kylie (she/her) utilizes a collaborative and person-centered approach to support individuals with eating disorders and co-occurring disorders. She is a fat positive, HAES aligned, queer affirming, and neurodivergent affirming therapist passionate about creating a safe space for clients to tell their story and define their recovery. Her hope is for her clients to gain insight into themselves by exploring how their lived experiences in relationships and broader sociocultural systems have impacted their mental and physical health, cultivate compassion for themselves, and feel empowered to move away from behaviors and dynamics that no longer serve them. In your therapy with Kylie, she will offer warmth, insight, and humor to promote healing and help you to meet your goals. Kylie is a white, bisexual, cisgender woman living in a bigger body with lived experience of OCD, depression, and food and body healing.

Kylie is a major movie and tv buff! She also enjoys ceramics, trying new restaurants, and cuddling with her two cats in her free time.

http://www.equilibriumcs.com/kylie
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