October 10 is World Mental Health Day! Mental illness, as well as the therapies and medications that are often needed to help people feel their best, is still too often treated as a taboo subject. Graphic novels about therapy, like the ones listed here, center characters–fictional and nonfictional–who overcome the stigma and show us the power and relief that comes with asking for help…while only occasionally having to deal with world-ending disasters.
Add these graphic novels about therapy to your TBR. You’ll find relatable stories, whether or not you struggle with your mental health. Chances are if you don’t personally relate, you know someone who may.
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 Everything Is an Emergency by Jason Adam KatzensteinThis darkly funny graphic memoir explores Katzenstein’s experiences with obsessive-compulsive disorder. After becoming completely overwhelmed by the dangers his mind conjures up, he seeks professional help to cope with his OCD. While therapy doesn’t fix everything, it does make life livable. |
 Just Roll With It by Veronica Agarwal and Lee Durfey-LavoieMaggie loves role-playing games so much that she uses her 20-sided die to help her deal with her anxiety and OCD, rolling the die whenever a decision must be made. Her worried parents suggest she see a therapist, but Maggie refuses, convinced her die will keep her safe. That is, until the day it doesn’t. |
 The Third Person by Emma GroveEmma, a trans woman, has started going to therapy as a prerequisite for receiving hormone replacement therapy. But she’s not the only one to show up for her appointments. Two other personalities have their own thoughts, opinions, and memories. Can Emma and her therapist work out where these personalities came from and what influence they’re having on her life? |
 Unemployed Killers Support Group by RioEven assassins need emotional support sometimes. After each suffered a career-ending catastrophe, the members of this group come together to help each other find a new path forward–and to get a little vengeance for past wrongs while they’re at it. |
 The Wednesday Conspiracy by Sergio BledaHaving superpowers isn’t as much fun as it sounds, at least not for the people attending this particular support group. Each of them has a power they didn’t ask for, and now they’re being stalked by supernatural forces intent on destroying the world. This troubled bunch soon realizes that they are humanity’s only hope. |
And a bonus rec!
Shrink: Psychiatrist Yowai by Nanami Jin and TsukikoAs a psychiatrist, it is Konosuke Yowai’s job to help clients who are dealing with a variety of mental health problems, from depression to post-traumatic stress. He and his staff must get to know each patient individually before they can find a solution. As far as I can tell, Shrink has not been officially translated into English, but it was made into a TV series in Japan in 2024. |
If you’re looking for more great books about mental health and therapy, check out these books for better mental health and these nonfiction books about therapy.
Bengali (Bangladesh) · 
English (United States) ·