Lisa Katzenberger’s latest picture book, I Can Do It Even If I'm Scared, offers children a valuable example of the popular cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) technique, “Act As If.” When Elephant, Cheetah, and Gator are worried about trying out for soccer, singing in front of a group, and being alone in the dark, they imagine themselves as brave – and then, they become it.
In therapy, the “Act As If” intervention commonly used in CBT encourages clients to adopt the mindset and behaviors of the person they want to become, even if in the midst of self-doubt. The more they think and act in a manner that aligns with their goals, rather than their insecurities, anxieties, or maladaptive tendencies, the more likely they will be to receive positive feedback from their environment, boost their confidence, and ultimately make lasting change in their way of approaching life.
CBT has proven to be effective in treating many mental health concerns, including anxiety, depression, bulimia nervosa, and many more (Nakao M, Shirotsuki K, Sugaya N., 2021). In fact, play-based CBT has emerged as an effective intervention for young children, bringing well-researched CBT principles into the child’s world of play (Knell SM., 1998). Katzenberger’s characters show children how to harness their imagination to visualize themselves brave.
Inspired by her own journey through therapy, Katzenberger shared the story behind her book.
Q: What do you love most about writing stories for children?
What I love is that authors can expose children to so many new and different experiences beyond the readers’ current world. Stories can also........