Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Faculty Publications Article Faculty Publications -Articles Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource David, Sonia; Sadasivan, Anupama Title A name given to the resource Cinematic Witnessing as Queer-Affirmative Expressive Arts Practice: A Phenomenological Study of Vicarious Healing Among LGBTQIA+ Elders in India Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 01-01-2026 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Journal of Homosexuality; Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2026.2654810" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2026.2654810</a> <br /><br /><a href="https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105036210698?origin=resultslist" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105036210698?origin=resultslist</a> Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant David S., Department of Psychology, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), Bangalore, India; Sadasivan A., School of Psychological Sciences, CHRIST (Deemed-to-be University), Bangalore, India Description An account of the resource This study examines the therapeutic and expressive potential of queer-themed Indian cinema as an arts-based intervention for LGBTQIA+ elders with trauma histories, positioning film-viewing as a structured modality of reflective witnessing and vicarious healing. Using a hermeneutic phenomenological design, the research engaged 12 LGBTQIA+-identified elders (six trans women and six cisgender gay men), aged 6073 years in India to explore how mirror scenes in cinema activate emotional resonance, memory retrieval, and identity integration. Narrative data from two rounds of in-depth interviews revealed four cross-cutting thematic clusters, Quiet Survival, Reclaiming Worth, Healing Mirrors, and Chosen Kinship, demonstrating how film functions as a psychologically containing, aesthetically mediated space for meaning-making. Grounded in intersectionality, affect theory, queer-affirmative trauma frameworks, and expressive arts therapy, the findings illustrate how cinematic encounters support affect regulation, narrative re-authoring, and embodied self-recognition. The study also highlights how caste, class, gender identity, and historical criminalization under Section 377 shape viewers readiness for and access to media-based healing, with trans Dalit elders articulating cinema as both an emotional refuge and a site of political affirmation. Overall, the research contributes an empirically anchored model for integrating film into creative arts therapies, offering a culturally responsive conceptual pathway for trauma-informed elder mental health practice within similar socio-cultural contexts. 2026 Taylor &amp; Francis Group, LLC. Subject The topic of the resource cinematic witnessing; Expressive arts therapy; Indian cinema; intersectionality; LGBTQIA+ elders; trauma recovery; vicarious healing Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Routledge Relation A related resource ISSN: 918369; CODEN: JHSXA Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Article Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Restricted Access; Hardcopy may be available in the library Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource online