welcome to my comics & copy page! here you’ll find various comics and media captions written in collaboration with the critical therapy center’s founder and directior, silvia dutchevici. focusing on mental health and advocational subjects, all content has been designed to push boundaries and dive into larger concepts at hand. from the experience of being an immigrant in a new world, to the effects of the pandemic on our mental health, we’ve covered an array of topics and have paved way for big conversations to be had on everyday social media platforms. a few of my personal favorite projects are highlighted below.
‘Immigrant woes’
- posted march 1st, 2019 via instagram (@silviadutchevici)
‘living in a world that is progressively more anti-immigrant, while mindful of the fact that the personal is political, i am proudly stating: “i am an immigrant, too.” while immigrants of all statuses, ethnicities, and backgrounds are seemingly under attack these days, i am also cognizant that some immigrants are being attacked more than others. from latino parents being separated from their children at the border, to migrants from a handful of predominantly muslim countries being banned from the U.s., i see and also hear personal stories of people of color who are the targets of unjust policies and practices. i stand in solidarity with you.
as george (@squiddysprinkle) and i worked on this illustration, we wanted to highlight the cultural narratives around immigrants, especially in light of trump’s proposed wall. all the statements in our last panel have been uttered, in one form or another, in our current political debates.’
- caption written by silvia dutchevici and george zafiriadis
‘therapist who’
- posted october 8th, 2020 via instagram (@silviadutchevici)
‘text therapy companies are challenging the way we imagine and know therapy. as this pandemic has shown, technology will be a part of our future. how does psychotherapy incorporate it in ways that are responsible and ethical? good psychotherapy requires ingredients like: transference, a deep relationship and an interrogation of power. it is an arduous process that takes time. perhaps we can look at apps that offer text therapy as a gateway to clinical services, a way to educate folks on the difference between support vs. treatment, talking vs interrogating one’s life. I admit i am warry (at best) when it comes to these apps, however I am challenging myself, you, and them, to think beyond the obvious. to think of ways we can learn to use technology without losing the human connection intrinsic to healing.’
- caption written by silvia dutchevici and george zafiriadis
‘sexy movie 2020’
- posted february 28th, 2020 via instagram (@silviadutchevici)
‘porn can be truly damaging and also helpful. studies from the first generation of men who grew up with unlimited access to porn (online mostly), show how consuming it, especially at a young age, leads to many sexual problems, including what is now known as P.I.E.D (porn induced erectile dysfunction), the term describing LACK OF sexual response in relationships, or the inability to perform sex outside of watching porn. for girls, growing up with porn leads to self-objectification, and equating sexual intimacy with performance and satisfying the other. i also know that porn can be desirable and helpful to ignite sexual fantasies and conversations (think: couple watching it together). i am not a purist, so my thoughts about porn are not categorical. i do believe porn is hurtful to women and men. i also believe that we need the erotic in our lives, in images, in movies…and depending on the type of porn we watch, it can entice us. i also think that we need to teach and give young people access to sexuality and a language around sexual desire, sex on screen will always be a fantasy, so remembering that porn is not a guide to “how to” is essential. lastly, can there be ethical porn? should some porn just not be made? what are the effects of a consumer culture on the way we create pornography? do we desire, or desire to consume one another?’
- caption written by silvia dutchevici and george zafiriadis
‘back…to work?’
- posted september 17th, 2021 via instagram (@silviadutchevici)
‘i am so tired of comments and false claims that the emergency benefits and occasional payments provided by the government disincentivized people from returning to work. studies showed that not to be true. yet, we keep hearing it. in fact, study after study shows how raising minimum wage helps mental health. for example, increasing household income could reduce people’s risk of mental illness and improve children’s mental health. just an increase of $1 per hour can lead to fewer people ending their own lives. we’ve spent more than a year talking about essential workers, applauding them for keeping the economy going. instead of applauses and empty words like “heroes,” how about we just pay everyone a living wage?’
- caption written by silvia dutchevici and george zafiriadis