Comic strip creation, as an art, is a viable vehicle to cognitive behavioral therapy. Because art is considered to be an enjoyable activity, comic strips provide means for a safe and secure exploration of unruly and uncomfortable thoughts and feelings (Smith, 1985). Furthermore, comic strips involve a process of externalizing abstract and complex experiences through sequenced panels and a narrative, which could then be utilized in cognitive-behavioral treatment.
Recently, the Bulatao Center worked on a case of a 14-year-old high school boy who came for psychotherapy due to severe anxiety during tests for Mathematics. Through the use of creating comic strips, the client became aware of dysfunctional thinking processes, connected these to particular behavioral modification strategies and cognitive restructuring, which eventually led to emotional management of anxiety with Math.