Draw Me Your Thoughts: The Use of Comic Strips as a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Intervention

• Main Authors: Fernandez, Karina Therese G, Lina, Sofia Grace A
• Format: text
• Published: Archīum Ateneo 2019
• Subjects: Cognitive behavioral therapy; comic strips; test anxiety; math anxiety; emotional management; creativity in counseling; Cognitive Psychology; Psychology
• Online Access: https://archium.ateneo.edu/psychology-faculty-pubs/118; https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15401383.2019.1638861?casa_token=VzKF_ifukskAAAAA%3A1JQbR9fRpN9bkZ2wZq4MFfeATnnPl4J9UmdvokJXAncc_PzUJ9mBq0zHpBNlCzL47synu3jtRpjbng
• Institution: Ateneo De Manila University

Creating comic strips can be a viable mechanism when utilizing cognitive behavioral interventions. Generating comic strips, which involves a process of constructing sequenced panels and a story-narrative through drawing, can reveal dysfunctional cognitions that can consequently be addressed. The authors of this article discuss a qualitative case study of a 14-year-old high school boy who came for psychotherapy due to severe anxiety during math tests. Creating comic strips was found to be beneficial in externalizing problematic thinking processes, which were then utilized for cognitive restructuring and behavioral modification. The use of comic strips provided a concrete medium for analyzing maladaptive thoughts and practices, leading the way for the emotional management of anxiety with math.