Reviews and Interviews
Review: “I Do I Don’t . . . is pure relationship gold . . . Anderson transforms the story of young couple Ben and Grace into a practical intimacy guide overflowing with hands-on activities.
Takeaway: Savvy marriage advice in graphic novel form.”
“I Do, I Don’t, How To Build A Better Marriage could be the perfect marriage manual you’ve been after! Written by Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Chandrama Anderson MA, LMFT, and illustrated by artist Nur Jaffar Latip, I Do I Don’t looks like a really well put together bit of non-fiction comics, designed to help you do more in your marriage and make your relationships better.”
Anderson and Latip do a good job of showing how not only daily stressors affect the couple, but also how they can’t escape the years of behavioral conditioning caused by their families. Provide a . . . snapshot into the common triggers and emotional conflicts that occur within romantic relationships and give solid tools to help improve communication which can help couples take steps towards healing.
Customers appreciate the book’s concept, with one noting its engaging way to discuss emotionally charged topics. The relationship advice receives positive feedback, with customers loving this approach to improving relationships, and one mentioning it provides tools to overcome bad communication habits.
Video podcast interview: Geoff, Chandrama, and John. No beer was discussed–only comics and relationships!
The Slings & Arrows
GRAPHIC NOVEL GUIDE
Review by Ian Keogh.
“While I Do, I Don’t appears simple, it’s not. The longer into it one delves, the more needs to be learned, and as with any advice, it’s only relevant if people want to take it . . . If you’re interested enough to look at I Do, I Don’t in the first place, the chances are you’re going to find situations relevant to your own relationship.
Artist Nur Jaffar G. Latip has been handed an incredibly tricky task. Drawing a range of complex emotions on faces, that then also shift from panel to panel would strain the skills of most artists.”
downthetubes.net
Review by John Freeman
“A unique blend of narrative, theory, and applied practice, I Do I Don’t allows readers to follow along with Ben and Grace as they learn how upbringing and personal trauma impact our relationships and attachments. The book makes use of visual cues including coloured word balloons to emphasise emotional states to make complicated concepts more understandable. Each chapter ends with Put It Into Practice, a set of worksheets that parallel the homework set for Ben and Grace by the therapist.
Whether you’re a graphic novel lover or new to the art form, I Do I Don’t seamlessly allows any reader to quickly absorb, understand, and put into practice Anderson’s therapeutic concepts.”
FA – The Comiczine
Review by Will Morgan
“The preface takes pains to state that ‘relationship’ can be substituted for ‘marriage’, and that the techniques are applicable to any couple regardless of gender. Speaking from my own distant background as a therapist—though not a relationship specialist—I can attest to the efficacy of the techniques herein . . . The terminology . . . is clearly explained and contextualised as a shorthand guide to augmenting and understanding the therapeutic process . . . Anderson does an admirable job of breaking a complex web of clinical concepts down into readily comprehensible segments.”
Editorial Reviews
“Chandrama Anderson has created an entirely new genre of comics: Graphic Therapy. This book will be a powerful therapeutic tool for couples and practitioners alike.” – Rob Clough The Comics Journal, SOLRAD
“A self-help book unlike any other. Therapist Chandrama Anderson and artist Nur Jaffar G. Latip have created a graphic guide for couples. Reading this book is almost like working face-to-face with a therapist.” – Ellen Kirschman, PhD. Clinical psychologist and author of I Love a Cop: What Police Families Need to Know, and The Dot Meyerhoff Mystery Series
“Chandrama Anderson is that rare blend of wisdom and kindness which invites us to see ourselves honestly, without need for defense. I Do, I Don’t illustrates the things we’ve always known but were afraid to voice, and shows the healing power of speaking them ourselves.” – Howard Scott Warshaw, MA, ME, LMFT author of Inspired Therapist and Once Upon Atari
Interview: “Why did you become a therapist?
I was working in high tech for 15 years. Over a 5-year period, several family members, including my baby daughter, died. I’d had six miscarriages, and by some miracle, I had my son. I realized I needed to do Work of the Heart.
What led you to choose the graphic novel format for your book?
Despite the fact that I had not read any graphic novels or comics growing up, the idea came to me to offer a different—visual—way to learn. As it turns out, I love graphic medicine and its ability to show and not tell.”
Interview with Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the upcoming release of I Do, I Don’t:! For those who may be unfamiliar, how would you describe the story’s premise?
Chandrama Anderson: Thank you so much, Barbra. I’m thrilled to be working on comics as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.
I Do I Don’t is the first in a series of an engaging story along with concrete tools to build better relationships. Readers go to couple’s therapy with Ben and Grace, learn what they learn, do the same homework, and use the free I Do I Don’t Companion Workbook. Readers will see Ben and Grace’s words, thoughts, and parental voices whispering in their ears, plus their unconscious feelings. It becomes clear how all of these interact and drive their emotions and behaviors—for better or worse. We get to see Grace and Ben at home, out with their friends, and in therapy, as they learn, struggle, and make progress implementing healthy new tools.