The Eel & The Blowfish

“Leanne and Terry have provided us with a tremendous service: showing us how the dreaming imagination can process and digest traumatic events by creating manageable encounters with these horrors in the shape of poetic metaphors in nightmares. They show in absorbing graphics how shifting perspective away from the habitual way in which we tell ourselves our traumatic life stories, into an unfamiliar state of mind and soul, can create an inner space to heal. Trauma is depressingly frequent in this terrifying world of ours, covered over by a veneer of civility. The more ways we find of dealing with it, the better off we are. I am personally very pleased to welcome the first graphic novel that has the method of embodied imagination as a central theme!”

— Robert Bosnak, PsyA, Jungian psychoanalyst, originator of the Embodied Imagination method

“This creative graphic novel vividly illustrates and accurately describes the power of relationships and evocative images in therapeutically working with traumatic memories.”

— Allan N. Schore, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences University of California at Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine; author, Right Brain Psychotherapy

“The Eel & the Blowfish is an engaging, brave, and creative view of the psychotherapeutic process. It breaks down the complex process of healing from trauma into a series of graphic landmarks that touch the heart and capture the imagination. Bravo Drs. Domash and Marks-Tarlow!”

— Louis Cozolino, PhD, Professor of Psychology, Pepperdine University; author, The Making of a Therapist.

“This beautifully illustrated graphic novel, masterfully gives the reader an intimate look into the journey of an incest survivor. While the subject matter is heavy, Marks-Tarlow and Domash illuminate the the complicated inner world of the heroine, while offering a brilliant portrayal of what the healing process can look like. The writers have packed an abundance of wisdom into an easily accessible form. This is book is one I will be recommending to patients and therapists alike.”

— Joanne Barron, PsyD, Co-Founder and Co-CEO Trauma and Beyond Psychological Center

“As I read The Eel & the Blowfish graphic novel, I was in awe of how the masterful weaving of precise words and evocative imagery entrained the depth and complexity of powerful therapeutic practices into practical application. This graphic novel provides practical steps and powerful ideas for the client, the therapist, the family and friends in working with trauma. Leanne’s and Terry’s own capacities to face the truth of trauma, to engender trust in relationships, and to transmit compassion are the subtexts that in themselves create context for healing and hope.”

— Narandja Milanovich Eagleson, PhD, Co-founder of the Embodied Imagination Training Program: Getting the Courage to Change, Executive Coach, Shamanic Healer

“In The Eel & the Blowfish, Drs. Domash and Marks-Tarlow take the reader on a dream-like trip into the unconscious mind of a sexual trauma survivor. Through characters Toni, Lulu, and Charlie, a family secret is revealed, and Toni's personal healing journey begins. Readers gain an intimate look into therapeutic processes likely to inspire healing hopefulness for any survivor of family trauma. With memorable stunning illustrations and gentle guidance for emotional containment, it offers courageous and compassionate guidance through the shame of sexual trauma.”

— Gina Simmons, PhD, author, Frazzlebrain: Break free from anxiety, anger, and stress using advanced discoveries in neuropsychology; psychotherapist; executive coach; corporate trainer

“The Eel & the Blowfish submerges the reader into the suffocating depths of the tangled web of incest. Smart and poignant with stunning imagery, Domash and Marks-Tarlow skillfully escort their characters through the painful terrain of contacting their unconscious, then illuminate the way to restoring wholeness. A must-read for psychotherapists and their patients!”

— Alexandra Katehakis, author, Sex Addiction As Affect Dysregulation: A Neurobiologically Informed Holistic Treatment,  Founder, Center for Healthy Sex, Los Angeles, California

“The graphic novel, The Eel and the Blowfish: A Graphic Novel of Dreaming, Trauma and Healing, broaches a painful and difficult topic in a meaningful and inclusive way. The authors/artists employ gorgeous visual images and poignant writing. They weave a story of childhood abuse and domestic violence and the devastating struggles that persist long after childhood. What makes The Eel and the Blowfish so unique is that if portrays an integral approach to healing trauma, one that embraces dreamwork, somatic regulation, and the deep wisdom gleaned from mythology and archetypes. it is a journey of pain, struggle, and healing.”

— Paula Thomson, PsyD, Professor and Dance Coordinator, Department of Kinesiology, California State University, Northridge & Licensed Clinical Psychologist

“Sufferers of trauma will find a path to integration in this lushly illustrated and compelling narrative of recovery. The Eel & the Blowfish portrays the wordless agony of siblings trapped in parallel familial nightmares. Using myth and archetypes, the therapist in the novel normalizes the heroine’s responses to reverse her descent into shame. Dreamwork helps the heroine to grapple with troubling aspects of her unconscious. A rare synergy exists between the brilliant writers Marks-Tarlow and Domash, who bring their expertise from the worlds of art, intuition, neuroscience, creativity, and spirituality to portray psychological healing, even under the most difficult of circumstances.”

— Susan Warren Warshow, LCSW Founder, DEFT Institute; author, A Therapist’s Handbook to Dissolve Shame and Defense: Master the Moment

“The Eel & the Blowfish makes an important contribution to the treatment of trauma. Difficult material is presented in a playful and compelling way that "holds" the reader. A must for clinicians and patients! “

— Barbara Suter, PhD, psychologist/psychoanalyst, Faculty, New York University Postdoctoral Training Program in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis

“The Eel & The Blowfish is a fascinating exploration of trauma and healing. The tale effortlessly weaves psychotherapy, dream work, and art into an accessible resource for patient, therapist, or student. I highly recommend!”

— Jarred Sharar, MA, RDT, Actor, Director & Registered Drama Therapist