MOVIE REVIEW 1 1
Movie Review 1
Hannah K. Smith
School of Behavioral Sciences, Liberty University
TRMA 800: Child Adolescent Research Design
Dr. Anthony Coy
August 31, 2025
Movie Review 1
The Review
Short Term 12 paints the life of adolescents living in a short-term care facility for at-risk
youth. One may also call it a group home. The movie does not use shocking or
attentiongrabbing stories. Instead, it captures the realities and accuracy of the trauma the youth
have endured. This depiction is raw and deeply rooted while subtle at the same time. As you
watch, you will see the parts of trauma that many are aware of, but you will also see many
hidden truths to it. Behind the trauma and hardships, you see children and adolescents that
want to be loved, accepted, and supported, but instead they find themselves self-harming,
abused, and longing for connection. As the storyline begins you are quickly introduced to Grace,
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one of the staff members. The storyline follows her as she navigates the professional stance of
the lead staff member working directly with the at-risk youth. Upon a closer look, one finds out
that Grace is also navigating through her own personal trauma while helping the kids each day.
However, the core of the movie lies in the stories of the adolescent children.
There are several scenes that are impactful and standout in their therapeutic relevance.
The scene when Marcus begins to rap is wonderful and thought provoking at the same time.
The rap serves as an outlet for him to express his feelings and communicate the trauma he has
experienced, but it begins to haunt you when you realize the lyrics are raw and tell you what he
went through prior to being in the facility. He expressed himself because he felt safe in the
current placement yet felt the uneasiness and anxiety that was coming with his aging out the
following week. Next, we have Jayden and her story. With the use of metaphors in her children’s
story about an octopus and a shark, she tells her story of being abused by her father. Her
narrative and the use of metaphor allowed her the sense of safety and security to reveal the
unspeakable truth of her experiences she had lived. Another memorable scene with therapeutic
relevance is when viewers watch Grace breakdown and disclose her past traumas to Jayden. The
complexity of this situation can be one of blurred lines or a healthy amount disclosed. Luckily
the amount disclosed was a healthy amount and aided the healing in progress. This disclosure
did not underscore the situation; instead, it supported the relationship between the client and
counselor through professional vulnerability.
The moments that are loud get viewer’s attention. It is hard to miss the emotional
breakdowns, outbursts, or crisis situations. It is the quieter moments viewers should be mindful
of. The staff members’ calmness in their grounded approach during the emotionally distressing
times, their use of humor and play as de-escalation techniques, and the way they build trust
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and rapport in a slow and steady process. For many of the kids, they only know betrayal, hurt,
and disappointed, but the staff members’ consistency taught each kid that they were there to
stay and help them. In many movies and shows, moments like these are often portrayed as
breakthrough moments, but Short Term 12 demonstrates the reality of this. Healing is a process
and one’s healing is not linear, a straight line. It is often non-linear with many ups and downs.
Short Term 12 shows that the progress is fragile and uneven, and that safety and relational
security influence
it.
Viewers can reflect on trauma as it is more than a single, isolated event. Trauma shapes
identity, relationships, and the way clients interact and view the world around them. Each
character embodies resilience and brokenness. This pushes the viewers to consider the role of
the counselor. They must attend to not only the client’s brokenness but support their resiliency
as well. The obvious and subtlety of the situations and depictions shows the power in Short
Terms
12 as a tool for anyone studying child and adolescent trauma.
Therapeutic Implications
When looing from a therapeutic standpoint, Short Term 12, provides counselors with a
wealth of material and knowledge. When listening to Marcus’s rap, this scene illustrated how
music was his outlet. This form of expression gave him control as he told his story and
communicated what he had been through. If music is not an interest for some clients, then
other creative outlets could work such as art, journaling, or even poetry. Desmond et al. (2015)
found that integrating creative techniques during sessions enhance the potential for therapeutic
growth and fostering healing in developmentally appropriate ways. While Marcus wrote his rap
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away from a session, it still served as his outlet and he was able to communicate the trauma he
had experienced. It can be used in life as Marcus moves beyond the security of the short-term
care facility that he is currently in. this can be a coping skill that he carries with him and uses
long after he leaves. For counselors, the scene validated that finding words may not always be
easy or accessible for a conversation because Marcus did not have many conversations, but his
healing took place through his music as an alternative way to channel and express himself.
As Jayden told her children’s story to Grace, the narrative allowed for viewers to see her
vulnerability. It appeared that this was the first time Jayden had ever shared her experiences
with someone. Her children’s story and the metaphor used was a way for her to tell her story
without having to outright say it. It allowed for her to have control in how she told it and it gave
her a gentleness and appropriate emotional distance as she opened up to Grace (Desmond et
al., 2015). Verbalizing abuse can be hard. Whether it is due to shame, fear, or even confusion on
betraying a loved one, a metaphor can allow victims to feel protected where they can say it
without saying it. When using visuals or movie clips in counseling sessions, this one could prove
to be beneficial by encouraging the client to tell their story through a story or character.
Externalizing their trauma rather than internalizing it. It is already hard enough to make a
connection at times, but by implementing creative ways to express themselves, could prove to
be more developmentally appropriate for children to process their experiences and meet them
at their developmental capability (Desmond et al., 2015). This can help clients process their
trauma without traumatizing them all over again.
When Grace disclosed the abuse she endured in her past, she had to navigate the
complexity of the situation in an ethical way by not disclosing too much. This is a good clinical
point to be made. This scene brings to light the boundaries that counselors and counselor-
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intraining must keep in mind. One does not want to disclose too much and go over that
boundary, but in this moment self-disclosure proved to be beneficial and just the right amount
to not only Grace’s healing but to Jayden’s too. This trauma bonding moment helped create a
connection between Grace and Jayden. While self-disclosure can be beneficial and utilized when
appropriate, this should open up a conversation with counselor mentors and counselors-
intraining about how and if the amount they disclosed was well thought out prior to sharing.
Research supports counselor self-disclosure whether it be individually, in a group setting, and
several other factors (Krieger Cohen et al., 2022). Another part of this conversation could
involve cultural appropriation with self-disclosure.
The movie also showed viewers consistent use of trauma-informed practices. When
there were emotional outbursts and dysregulation, viewers saw the calm presence of the staff
members. Behaviors are guided by values and past experiences (Kruse et al., 2019), and their
calm and non-punitive approach during the escalated moments helped them to work with the
children. They recognized that behaviors were not personal but were the result of the children’s
past trauma and unmet needs. Through this, counselors can implement different principles from
different therapy models. Viewers can see how the counselors challenge the youth’s distorted
beliefs through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) (Oud et al., 2019), provide unconditional
positive regard so they can see it through the same lens (Frankel et al., 2012) and remained
consistent and constantly developed the safety, trust, and empowerment with the youth
through Trauma-Informed Care and giving the children the ability to feel worthwhile and have
their needs met (MacDonald & Gillespie, 2023). When looking through this type of lens,
counselors can see the practical use of these models through the de-escalation techniques,
rapport building, and harmonious connection with the youth.
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Short Term 12 is not an overtly religious movie; however, it does integrate spiritual
principles throughout. Viewers will find that hope and redemption can found in different ways
even though they are not explicitly said. For a counselor-in-training or a practicing counselor,
one may incorporate hope and redemption into their sessions with trauma victims. Providing
victims with the creative outlets to lead them to grow in their own resilience and hope in
healing with the integration of Christian principles and narratives of hope and healing from the
Bible.
Personal Implications
On a personal level, this movie was moving. It evoked emotionally unsettling feeling,
which it what it aimed to do. The feelings it evoked proved to be impactful and to raise
awareness of the silent battles the youth had fought. The close mirroring of real accounts of
adolescent trauma was a great way to drive the point being made. There was not much, if any,
of the Hollywood emphasis placed on the film. Viewers got a raw and real outlook on the
hidden pain that often exists behind closed doors; the pain that children rarely voice and the
pain that children often may not directly articulate with those helping them. The indirectness
challenged me to consider what I may have overlooked. There are subtle ways individuals
communicate their pain, trauma, and distress, and I can apply that some view their silence as
their safety. It is up to me, the professional to work to help them recover, bring it out, and help
beyond what I have in the past. An example of unspoken pain is in Marcus’s rap. He had not
articulated his pain and past prior to then, but he did through song and you could even see the
reaction of the staff member being moved by it as well.
I was aware that healing was not linear but more an up and down cycle. However, I think
it is easy to overlook that healing can sometimes become stagnant and individuals can plateau.
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They can get stuck where they are and when pushed to continue the healing journey it could
cause a spiral. You see this when Looking at Grace’s story. She had her own struggles and
setbacks, but at one time it was as though she was just there. She made her gains, which is
good, but this reminder is that healing is cyclical as she experiences her moments of
breakthrough and regression together. This leads me to consider and embrace patience. Yes, we
want clients to heal, but they must do this in their time. Counselors should have patience and
be prepared to aid in long-term healing. The counseling career field requires navigation from
the counselor as it is not a one size fits all (Antonacopoulou & Bento, 2018). Meaning we must
meet each client where they’re at and adjust to help them best. Working with clients to help
them become more flexible with their childhood wounds can help them transform their
relationship with themselves and free them from their past (Fishbane, 2019).
When listening to Jayden’s children’s story, it was hard. The way that reframed her pain
and trauma through a creative outlet was powerful and amazing that she expressed those
overwhelming feelings in such a way. Narrative writing or even journaling are more than
creative outlets, they are powerful tools that counselors can implement within themselves and
in sessions with their clients. It allows for the externalization of one’s emotions supporting their
healing and survival. No matter the outlet, but especially in writing, it allows clients to become
the author of their own life and have an active part in their own healing rather than being the
victim (Fishbane, 2019).
The movie showed the staff having their own moments of vulnerability with the youth.
This led me to reflect on my own vulnerability and professionalism in my counselor to client
relationships. As a school counselor, I work a little differently, but this has me looking into a
healthy balance between authenticity and being professional. Stargell et al. (2020) noted that
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authenticity and vulnerability can promote growth in the relationship with clients and places a
healthy emphasis on the connection made. The transparency can help drive the session and
foster the connection one is seeking to build, but it does come with risk. Grace’s struggle was
real and she was struggling navigating through it while trying to help others. It was a reality
check that counselors are human too. We have feelings and are also on our own healing
journey, so it is important to be aware of this as it is critical to help us avoid projecting any
unresolved wounds onto our clients.
Professional Implications
The movie Short Term 12 can be used as a training tool for counselors by providing
visuals for how certain interventions can be implemented. Adolescent kids are not problems
that need to be fixed. They are kids that have problems and have experiences so much. They
need to feel support, guidance, love, empathy, and respect to heal, but they also need help in
their healing as they do not know how. They need to know someone is in their corner. They are
only projecting their hurt when the emotional dysregulation or eloping happens. They only
know fight or flight instincts. They have never experienced consistency, unless it was consistency
in being let down. No matter what they kids were going through, what they said, how they
acted, or how far they ran, the staff showed up each and every day. Each of the children in the
movie knew that the staff members were in their corner. Research has shown that teaching
positive emotional regulation techniques is crucial in treating mood disorders and other mental
health conditions often faced by adolescents in care facilities (Yan et al., 2024).
The restraint and de-escalation techniques that staff members used was noteworthy.
The youth would experience physical or emotional outbursts and the staff appropriately and
professionally remained calm and maintained everyone’s safety as they implemented their
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interventions. As a counselor, I noted their demeanor to help me moving forward and the
importance of working as a team because when one went after the eloping individual another
often aided. Having the support professionally can help avoid burnout too. Each time this
happened, they were consistent in their implementation of it. Everyone was on the same team
and worked together; thus, bettering the situation and helping progress it in a positive way.
Trauma changes people, and it sticks with them. It can affect how individuals functions
through voluntary and involuntary memories, known as flashbacks (Bourne et al., 2013). This is
where it is important to navigate being professional and also human because people have
feelings and struggles. These memories influence the treatment and outcomes for clients as
they affect each person differently, so it is important to have an understanding pf such impacts
when developing a care plan with the client (Bourne et al., 2013). Trauma is delicate and the
skills one takes into it can make or break the healing journey. One should be knowledgeable of
the theory and approach they are using and have trauma0informed practices, but they should
also be prepared to sit with their clients during their pain. One should not rush their healing,
and this is where patience comes in. Short Term 12 did well in modeling the professionalism,
human vulnerability, and patience of sitting with clients as they hurt. Each of these can support
counselor practices and client healing.
Individuals do not want someone to feel bad for them. However, they want someone to
understand the reality of their pain, but not necessarily feel it. The extension of empathy is
crucial to the effective development of the therapeutic relationship between client and
counselor (Fulton et al., 2015). Having empathy provides validation and supports the
development of the therapeutic relationship through a safe and secure environment that is
inclusive and accepting of the client no matter what they carry with them; thus, supporting the
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healing process. Counselors should listen far beyond a client’s words. Counselors should also
listen to the things that they do not say but show. Nobody expects counselors to be perfect, but
clients do rely on them to be consistent and professional in the support they give each session.
This movie shed light on many aspects and even brought out the realization that I knew more
than I thought I did, especially watching it without someone who has no idea about trauma and
youth. I feel I am more prepared now than ever to serve adolescent children in crisis, but will
continue to grow my knowledge and skillset.
Conclusion
Short Term 12 gave an authentic view of the live-in experiences of adolescent children
navigating past trauma, current life, growth to eventually leave, and the staff that walk
alongside them. Viewers saw emotional dysregulation, elopement, outward crises, and the
unspoken pain of the youth. The large scale and smaller scale connections that aided in their
recovery through safe spaces, reflection, and trauma-informed care were present and powerful
to watch. Marcus,
Jayden, and Grace’s stories reminded us that healing is a journey that has many ups and downs.
The progress requires patience, grace, and consistency. The move gave valuable intervention
tools that can aid us in our practices when working with those healing. Short Term 12 is a
powerful movie for practicing counselors and counselors-in-training. The reminder that there is
a story behind the behavior is important to carry forward as healing is not one size fits all and
more than one technique may need to be used.
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