Comicspedia: Origin Story
Comicspedia is a database of comic book issue summaries tagged with themes to help therapists bring comic books into therapy. Themes include: Difficult Decisions, Facing Fear, Collaboration with Others, Revenge, etc. This aids the therapist in finding comic books of a character the client likes that address specific topics important for growth. Where the project began, hurdles along the way, and applications of the project will be discussed.
Learning Objectives
- How to bring comic books into therapy
- Addressing concerns about comic book content (violence and/or sex)
- Superhero origin stories and why we connect with them
Dr. Patrick O'Connor, PsyD
Creator of Comicspedia
College of Dupage
Miracara Neuro Behavioral Health
Patrick O'Connor, PsyD created Comicspedia, an online database of categorized comic book summaries to help therapists find the right comics to use in therapy. He has practiced clinical work for about seven years, specializing in treating teen and young adult males. Patrick often brings video games, tabletop games, and comic books into therapy and co-developed a course with Josué Cardona called "Geek Culture in Therapy," which was offered in the Clinical PsyD program at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology 2013-2016.
With an additional eight years of teaching experience, he has taught at every level of higher education from community college to graduate school. Patrick utilizes gamification in his General Psychology courses and has published research on the topic in the Journal of Education.
His favorite video game is Apex Legends, favorite tabletop game is Mysterium, and favorite comic book is Irredeemable.