Zines!

An Application of Bibliotherapy & Narrative Therapy

● PhD Student at Ohio State University

Sarah ● Counselor Education & Supervision
Henry ● Born, raised, and a school counselor in VA
● Zine fan, ceramicist, and pitbull mom
 You!
First Name & Track
Favorite book/movie/tv growing up
 Tonight
Biblio-
therapy Zines

Narrative Activity
 Related Therapeutic Theories and Techniques

Focus is receptive Focus is on creation

Can be both receptive and creation
(Analyze stories) (Construct stories)
focused,
depending on need

● Bibliotherapy ● Music Therapy ● Narrative Therapy

● Cinematherapy ● Art Therapy ● Drama Therapy
 Bibliotherapy
★ Been around since 1916, but not archaic

What? ★ Usually part of a larger therapeutic process

★ Fiction or nonfiction; Affective vs. cognitive (self-
helpy) bibliotherapy

★ “Stories affect human emotions, and books serve as

models for development” (Pehrsson & McMillen, 2007)

Why? ★ Promote problem solving, increase compassion and

openness, develop empathetic understanding, and
enhance self-awareness
 Applications
Psychoeducational
1 Teach a skill
Explore a different perspective

Processing
2 Similarities/differences in the story to their story
Analyzing character’s decisions and perceptions

Connection
3 Normalizing experiences
Build relationships
 Future Resources
4-10 y/o 10-15 y/o 15+ y/o

Identify Emotions: ADHD: Being Trans and Disabled:

The Color Monster, Alana Llenas
Anger:
Today I am Mad, Michael Gordon
Teamwork and Sharing:
Zinia and Dot, Lisa Campbell Ernst
Being different:
Not Your Typical Dragon, Dan Bar-el
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key, Jack Ga
ntos
Trauma, OCD:
The Goldfish Boy, Lisa Thompson
Break up/friendship over:
Katy Perry, Part of Me
Bullying: To This Day, Shane Koyczan
(cw: suicide)
Trans and Disabled Zine, by Raz (cw:
language)
Adjusting to Society’s Expectations:
Adulthood is a Myth, Sarah Anderson. (cw:
language)
Disordered Eating: Do What You Want Zine
pages 38-39
Grief, Losing a Parent:
On Grief & Healing, Rob Gibsun (cw:
language)
 Narrative Therapy
★ Structured storytelling focused on student values and
What? skills
★ Exploration and processing of underlying emotions
★ Usually a part of a larger therapeutic process

Why? ★ Helps externalize problems and relationships

★ Student is the expert in their own life
★ Restructuring the story to focus on their strengths
 Objectives for Today

History & Applications for

Definition of Create Your Practice
Zines Own Zine
 Zines?
Blend narrative and bibliotherapy into a versatile AND quick intervention!
 Why Zines?

Promotes empowerment, Opens the door to otherness and

connection, and opportunities for non-traditional identities Encourages resiliency
social justice (Nijsten, 2017) (Etengoff, 2015) and problem solving
(Nsonwu et al., 2015)
 Why Zines?

Allows for alternative narratives Allows for creative, contextual Encourages social skills and self-
(Houpt et al. 2016) and constructivist learning advocacy skills
(Jones & Granello, 2008) (Nsonwu et al., 2015)
 Explore
Aesthetic Content
What materials? What topic?
What format? What could it mean?
What size? Is this a new narrative?
 Using Zines in Practice
01 02 03
Classroom Groups Individual
Showing skill mastery Ice breaker or exit ticket Self-Advocacy (504 Zine)

Showing different Introduction to the group Coping skills reminders

perspectives in a safe way
Practicing social skills Affirmations booklet
Incorporation in SEL through co-creation
Curriculum Telling a story that has been
Summarize work together difficult to tell
Practicing using voice
 Let’s do it!
Fold Create
Topic Share
 Suggested Prompts

What are your Share a kinetic Share a story about a

coping skills? family story. time you felt an
*emotion*

What have you

learned in this class What is a goal you’re Create an advocacy
so far? working on and how game plan!
will you get there?
 Show off time!
How was that process for you?
What topics did you cover?

Use it in the future?!

Can you think of a student or situation where you may use this tool?
How could you use this an application of bibliotherapy?
Want more?
Library of Congress Zine Library

Miami University Zine Archive

Sherwood Forest Zine Library

 References
Etengoff, C. (2015). Using Zines to Teach about Gender Minority Experiences and
Mixed-Methods Research. Feminist Teacher, 25(2-3), 211-218.

Guzetti, B. and Foley, L. (2017), "Rad Dad: A Chicano Man (Re) Constructing
Masculinity and Fatherhood Through Zines", Ortlieb, E. and Cheek, E. (Ed.)
Addressing Diversity in Literacy Instruction (Literacy Research, Practice and
Evaluation, Vol. 8), Emerald Publishing Limited, 89-114.

Houpt, K., Balkin, L. “A., Broom, R. H., Roth, A. G., & Selma, . (2016). Anti-
Memoir: Creating Alternate Nursing Home Narratives Through Zine Making. Art
Therapy, 33(3), 128–137.

Jones, K. D., & Granello, P. F. (2008). Ezines: A Constructivist Instructional Activity

for Teaching Diagnosis and Psychopathology. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health,
3(2), 127–138.
Click for
Nijsten, N. (2017). Unruly Booklets: Resisting Body Norms with Zines. Journal of

Starter Zines Diversity and Gender Studies, 4(2), 75-88.