Your Digital Storytelling Project LLC Page

08/18/2026

You don't need the perfect words to help someone you love. Sometimes just showing up - sitting with them, listening without judgment, letting them know they're not alone - can make all the difference.

09/27/2025

As Founder and CEO of Your Digital Storytelling Project, I specialize in helping mission-driven teams transform creative vision into measurable impact especially when the path seems unclear or resources feel limited. My work combines over a decade of experience in media psychology, social work strategy, and grant development, empowering organizations like yours to secure funding, build partnerships, and confidently overcome barriers.

At Your Digital Storytelling Project, we approach consulting as a form of narrative transformation: identifying the “story” behind your organization’s goals, then translating that story into actionable strategies, funding proposals, and team alignment. Whether drafting competitive SBIR or foundation grants, creating sustainable revenue plans, or coaching teams through internal challenges, I bring a holistic lens that bridges psychology, business, and storytelling.

My background includes publishing several volumes with Routledge on Film/Video-Based Therapy™ and Post-Traumatic Growth and collaborating with partners such as USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies, NeuroTree.io, LaughMD, and the Clinical Sciences at USC and beyond. These experiences taught me that true innovation often begins where traditional structures end when we reframe obstacles as opportunities for creativity and growth.

If your organization is ready to clarify its vision, strengthen its funding strategy, or empower its team to perform at its best, I would welcome the opportunity to collaborate. Together, we can design a plan that meets your immediate goals and builds a foundation for long-term sustainability.

Thank you for considering this partnership. I look forward to connecting and exploring how we can bring your next chapter to life.

Warm regards,
Dr. Joshua L. Cohen
CEO, Your Digital Storytelling Project
https://yourdigitalstorytellingproject.com/

Experience Healing and Transformation through Consulting, Film/Video-Based Therapy, and Virtual Reality!🌟 Discover a New Path to Growth: Our platform combines the power of consulting, film/video-based therapy, and virtual reality to guide you toward healing and transformation. Embrace a holistic ...

09/16/2025

Therapy is a protected space where you can speak freely. The only exception is if there’s a plan to harm oneself or others, which must be reported for safety. That’s why therapy is healthy: freedom of speech within ethical safeguards. Social media, by contrast, is not therapy; it doesn’t carry confidentiality and can amplify harm instead of healing.

Film/Video-Based Therapy™ does not yet exist as a licensed practice. I hold the trademark to protect the idea and honor licensure's sanctity. Around the world, people use film and media for healing, sometimes within professional guidelines, sometimes not. My stance is clear: if it carries the name Film/Video-Based Therapy™, it must be practiced under a professional license, ensuring ethical standards and confidentiality are upheld.

09/07/2025

Let’s examine both the meaning of the word "baraka" and the film Baraka (1992).

What Baraka Means

Etymology: The word baraka (بركة) is Arabic in origin, but it is also found in Hebrew (berakhah) and Swahili.

Meaning: It literally means “blessing,” “divine grace,” or “spiritual power.”

In Islamic tradition, baraka is a spiritual presence or blessing that flows from God into the world, often through people, places, or things.

In Judaism, berakhah is a blessing recited to acknowledge God daily.

In African and Middle Eastern cultures, the idea extends to spiritual energy, luck, or the aura of holiness that can be transferred or shared.

So at its root, baraka means a gift of divine blessing, grace, or sacred energy.

The Film Baraka (1992)

Directed by: Ron Fricke (who also worked on Koyaanisqatsi).

Style: A non-narrative documentary — no dialogue, no voice-over, just images and music.

Cinematography: Filmed in 24 countries across 6 continents, using 70mm film. Known for breathtaking visuals of nature, culture, and ritual.

Music: Features an international soundtrack (e.g., Dead Can Dance, Michael Stearns).

Themes

The film explores humanity’s connection to the divine and the planet.

It juxtaposes natural beauty (volcanoes, forests, animals) with human rituals and urban life (monks chanting, tribes dancing, busy subways, industrial pollution).

Without words, it suggests that baraka—divine blessing or spiritual presence—is everywhere, in nature and humanity, but also at risk from modern destruction.

Impact

Often described as a “visual prayer.”

Aims to evoke awe, contemplation, and a sense of the sacred that transcends language or religion.

Its title directly reflects the concept: the film is a blessing—an offering of vision and sound meant to inspire spiritual reflection.

Summary:

Word: Baraka means blessing, grace, or divine presence.

Film: Baraka (1992) is a wordless, visually stunning documentary that meditates on humanity, nature, and the sacred. It embodies the idea of baraka by offering viewers a contemplative “blessing” through cinema.

08/14/2025

Film/Video-Based Therapy™ (FVBT) is an apolitical clinical/educational method. It exists to heal, not to persuade audiences toward any political outcome.

To be clear, FVBT is not:
• a political endorsement or propaganda vehicle;
• a justification for coercion, dehumanization, or political violence;
• permission to use our marks alongside messages that normalize or promote violence.

What it is: intent to heal through reflection, dialogue, and informed consent.
If you ever see FVBT used to imply political backing, please DM a screenshot/link. http://filmandvideobasedtherapy.com/

This book uses film/video-based therapy to help build resilience in facing personal, communal, national, and global trauma triggers.Based on the theories of Bessel van der Kolk and his book The Body Keeps the Score and Peter Levine who is the author of several best-selling books on trauma, including...

08/13/2025

08/10/2025

This handshake was supposed to change the Middle East forever.

1993: Israel & the PLO sign the Oslo Accord. First mutual recognition. Palestinians gain self-rule in Gaza & parts of the West Bank. Israel hoped for peace.

1995: West Bank divided into Areas A (Palestinian), B (shared), and C (Israeli).

Progress stalled. Violence continued. Too much for some… too little for others.

30 years later… could it have worked?

08/10/2025

Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by another Jew after he succeeded in forming a peaceful coexistence agreement with the Palestinians, brokered with the help of U.S. President Bill Clinton. Rabin’s death ended the momentum for peace, and he was replaced by Benjamin Netanyahu. Many in Israel opposed the Oslo Accords, fearing they gave away land and jeopardized security, and extremists believed Rabin’s actions were a betrayal. Netanyahu rose to power in the climate of anger and division that followed, and he has since reduced the power of Israel’s democracy long before the events of October 7. Both the massacre of that day and the massive military response in Gaza are morally wrong, and Netanyahu bears responsibility for his leadership decisions. True leadership means taking responsibility, not hiding behind civilians. Without a clear plan for democratic governance, neither Israel nor a future Palestine can truly be free. Democracy is built on trust; dictatorships are built on fear.

This video is part of History Lessons, a series dedicated to exploring historical events and examining their meaning in the context of foreign relations toda...

07/19/2025

The Phantom Menace — A Coded Warning

by Dr. Joshua L. Cohen

At first glance, The Phantom Menace is a film about trade disputes and space politics. But beneath the surface, it's a chilling portrait of a society under psychological attack — and too blind to see it.

This isn’t a war with soldiers. It’s a war fought through disrupted communication, manufactured confusion, and slow institutional collapse. The enemy isn’t visible. He’s a shadow. A phantom. He doesn’t conquer planets — he manipulates perception. And while everyone argues about procedure, democracy dies quietly.

> “The communications disruption can mean only one thing: invasion.”
That line says it all. When truth breaks down, invasion is already happening — not through violence, but through silence, division, and misinformation.

The Jedi weren’t trained for this kind of war. Neither was the Republic. They were expecting blasters, not backroom deals. And while they debate trade routes, a dictator rises — legally, patiently — through fear, distraction, and the failure of good people to recognize fascism in its early stages.

The Phantom Menace isn’t just a Star Wars movie.
It’s a blueprint for how democracies fall — and how they’re replaced by empires, one crisis at a time.

Rating: ★★★★☆
If you want to understand the modern world, this prequel might be the most important film of the saga.

Invasion! The clip is from "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace".

06/23/2025

How a Former Disney Exec Uses Storytelling to Drive Change
with Catherine Connors, Former Head of Content at Disney Interactive



Creative Confidence Podcast — Live Conversation
Tuesday, July 1st
10am PT / 1pm ET
–
This is a free 45-minute session. Join us live to ask our expert guests questions, participate in creative activities, connect with like-minded leaders, and get a healthy dose of inspiration.
REGISTER NOW
Episode Description
Join us for a live conversation with Catherine Connors, media innovator, community builder, and former head of content at Disney Interactive. In this session, we’ll explore how storytelling is evolving and how you can break out of traditional molds to tell stories that spark change.



Drawing from her experience leading storytelling at Disney Interactive, building inclusive creator networks, and launching her own storytelling consultancy, Catherine shares a fresh take on how stories shape identity, culture, and possibility.



We’ll talk about:

✔️ Why storytelling must shift from solo to collaborative
✔️ New storytelling formats that go beyond the Hero’s Journey
✔️ How to focus on what your audience needs to hear
✔️ Why play is essential for unlocking creativity and connection
✔️ Practical tips for storytelling with purpose and empathy



Whether you’re leading change inside your organization, working with a community, or just ready to level up your storytelling skills, this session will give you tangible takeaways to apply right away.



Have a question for our guest? We always save time for audience Q&A at the end of each event.



*Can’t make the live event? We’ve got you covered! RSVP and we’ll send the recording, podcast, and recap to your inbox.*

Join us for a live conversation with Catherine Connors, media innovator, community builder, and former head of content at Disney Interactive. In this session, we’ll explore how storytelling is evolving and how you can break out of traditional molds to tell stories that spark change. Drawing from h...