Article: Young People in Crisis
Published in the California Psychological Association’s flagship magazine,“Young People in Crisis” is a briefing that addresses several urgent issues faced by youth and young adults including anxiety, depression, trauma, and suicidality. Dr. Drea weighs in on the techniques of media relationships, parasocial connections, and digital identities as critical parts of psychotherapy engagement.
Essay: The Sandman Series (Netflix)
After 30 years, the beloved award-winning comic book series The Sandman has finally been adapted to the screen. This is the first book to explore the Netflix series, examining the ways that the show honors its comics and fantasy roots while also updating the original story for a modern audience.
In 11 essays, scholars and psychologists look at the show’s inclusive, diverse casting, masterful storytelling, and impact on viewers. With overviews of the original comics, engaging scholarship, fresh points of view, and an episode guide, this collection is the definitive resource for fans as well as people encountering the Endless for the first time.
Dr. Drea’s essay entitled “Turning Toward the Sound of her Wings: The Sandman Series as a Doorway to Grief Literacy” is an exploration and celebration of dark fantasy adaptations in television media. The essay highlights how characters and metaphor in the stories of The Sandman can facilitate awareness and healthy management of grief and loss.
Book Chapter on Media Psychology
Published in the book, Creative CBT with Youth, “The Force Awakens: Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Using Star Wars” is a chapter highlighting Dr. Drea’s work in media therapy. The chapter covers teachable moments found in Star Wars related to self-awareness, self-compassion, and centering identity in response to maladaptive patterns common among adolescents and young adults struggling with anxiety, traumatic stress, and mood disorders.
Pop Psychobiographies
These original, in-depth articles elucidate aspects of psychology, while also affirming some of the strong connections we have with characters and stories in pop culture. From explaining why villains fascinate us to why heroes inspire us, each examination delves into the effective, powerful strategies we can harness in our own quests for wellness, balance, and purpose.
Essay: Advocating Mental Health Awareness for LGBTQ+ Youth
The graphic novel Four-Color Heroes features a foreword by GLAAD Award-winning writer David M. Booher (Killer Queens, Canto), as well as an essay by clinical psychologist and media consultant Dr. Drea Letamendi on protecting the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth.
Written and illustrated by Aotearoa/New Zealand-born creator Richard Fairgray (Black Sand Beach), the story is set in a New Zealand high school during the passing of the Civil Union Act 2004. As tensions rose nationwide over the basic equal rights of same-sex couples, two boys were fighting a battle on a smaller scale, against enemies from within and without, as they found love and self-discovery through the pages of a comic book.
Four-Color Heroes is published by Fanbase Press and is available in print and digitally via Hoopla, ComicsPlus, and Kindle Direct starting July 26, 2023.
The Kill Lock
Each found guilty of an irredeemable crime, four robots find themselves banished from their home world and bound together by the Kill Lock—a programming link that means if one of them dies, they all will. Now a soldier, an addict, a murderer, and a child find themselves forced to protect each other while in search of a cure to survive. Creator, artist and writer: Livio Ramondelli. Character profiles in issue #3, 4, and 6 by Drea Letamendi.