humor as a therapeutic technique
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Humor as a Therapeutic Technique. Joseph Farese LADC, TEAP Specialist Suzanne Martin PsyD, Regional MHS. How would you define therapeutic humor ?. Psychological Benefits of Humor. Stimulates alertness and memory Enhances learning and creativity Promotes relaxation - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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Humor as a Therapeutic Humor as a Therapeutic Technique Technique
Joseph Farese LADC, TEAP Specialist
Suzanne Martin PsyD, Regional MHS
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“My belief is that we are going to eventually discover that the most dramatic health benefits of humor
are … in the cognitive and emotional management that
humorous experiences provide.
- Steven M. Sultanoff, Ph.D.
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How would you define How would you define therapeutic humortherapeutic humor??
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Saper, Bernard (1990). The therapeutic use of humor for psychiatric disturbances in adolescents and adults, Psychiatric Quarterly, 61(4): 261-272.
Psychological Benefits of Psychological Benefits of HumorHumor
Stimulates alertness and memoryStimulates alertness and memory Enhances learning and creativityEnhances learning and creativity Promotes relaxationPromotes relaxation Promotes shift from negative to positivePromotes shift from negative to positive Outlet for expressing feelingsOutlet for expressing feelings Effective mode of communicationEffective mode of communication
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Source: Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor, 2004.
What we Know aboutWhat we Know aboutLaughterLaughter
Increases pain tolerance – laughter releases Increases pain tolerance – laughter releases endorphins in the brain that fight painendorphins in the brain that fight pain
Improves respiration and breathingImproves respiration and breathing Improves mental functionImproves mental function Exercises facial, abdominal, and chest Exercises facial, abdominal, and chest
musclesmuscles Relaxes muscles/decreases muscle tensionRelaxes muscles/decreases muscle tension
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Saper, Bernard (1990). The therapeutic use of humor for psychiatric disturbances in adolescents and adults. Psychiatric Quarterly, 61(4): 261-272.
Other Health Benefits of Other Health Benefits of LaughterLaughter
Lowers blood pressureLowers blood pressure Decreases stress hormonesDecreases stress hormones Protects the heartProtects the heart Gives our muscles a workoutGives our muscles a workout Improves brain functionImproves brain function
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Therapeutic HumorTherapeutic Humor What is it? What is it?
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Humor as a Therapeutic Humor as a Therapeutic InterventionIntervention
1.1. Have humor in your repertoireHave humor in your repertoire2.2. Be willing to risk using the humor Be willing to risk using the humor 3.3. Have assessed the client's level of humorHave assessed the client's level of humor4.4. Be prepared to respond to the student’s reaction Be prepared to respond to the student’s reaction
to humorto humor5.5. Be capable of taking yourself lightly and your Be capable of taking yourself lightly and your
seriouslyseriously6.6. Use humor which is genuine and congruent with Use humor which is genuine and congruent with
who you are as a personwho you are as a person
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Goal of Humor in TherapyGoal of Humor in Therapy
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Assessment for HumorAssessment for Humor
First Consider:First Consider:
1.1. The target of humor (humor aimed at self, The target of humor (humor aimed at self, situations, and/or others)situations, and/or others)
2.2. The environmental conditions in which The environmental conditions in which humor is presented (with whom, at what humor is presented (with whom, at what time, and in what setting)time, and in what setting)
3.3. The specific individual's receptivity to humorThe specific individual's receptivity to humor
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Assessing a Student’s Humor Assessing a Student’s Humor PotentialPotential
1.1. Observing their current uses of humorObserving their current uses of humor2.2. Soliciting the role of humor in the Soliciting the role of humor in the
student's lifestudent's life3.3. Observing the student's ability to Observing the student's ability to
laugh at him/herselflaugh at him/herself4.4. Observing the student's response to Observing the student's response to
the humor of othersthe humor of others
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Types of HumorTypes of Humor PlayfulPlayful
SlapstickSlapstick
Self-deprecatingSelf-deprecating
SarcasticSarcastic
GallowsGallows
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Playful HumorPlayful Humor
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Slapstick HumorSlapstick Humor
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Self-Deprecating HumorSelf-Deprecating Humor
Self-deprecating humor relies on the Self-deprecating humor relies on the observation of something negative about the observation of something negative about the
person delivering the commentary. person delivering the commentary.
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Gallows HumorGallows Humor
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Sarcastic HumorSarcastic Humor
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Even Freud Recognized the Even Freud Recognized the Therapeutic Value of JokesTherapeutic Value of Jokes
Once a person can separate from their Once a person can separate from their problems, the problems become more problems, the problems become more manageable. manageable.
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The Association for Applied and The Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor (AATH) is an Therapeutic Humor (AATH) is an
international community of international community of professionals who incorporate professionals who incorporate
humor into their daily lives. AATH humor into their daily lives. AATH is the leader in providing is the leader in providing
evidence-based information about evidence-based information about current research and practical current research and practical
applications of humor.applications of humor.
www.aath.orgwww.aath.org
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Help Students Find HumorHelp Students Find Humor
Role modelRole model
Help them deal with stressHelp them deal with stress
Dress less seriouslyDress less seriously
Keep a toy on your deskKeep a toy on your desk
Laugh at Laugh at yourself
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Handle Humor with CareHandle Humor with Care Use humor at the Use humor at the
expense of yourself or expense of yourself or a group you are part a group you are part of, rather than at the of, rather than at the expense of someone expense of someone else. else.
Don’t use humor when Don’t use humor when someone else is in so someone else is in so much pain that humor much pain that humor will not make them feel will not make them feel better.better.
Use humor that Use humor that anyone can enjoy. anyone can enjoy.
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Is Humor an Is Humor an Employability Skill?Employability Skill?
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HUMOR THERAPYHUMOR THERAPY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=IBl9HixeWf4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=IBl9HixeWf4
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96% of Executives Choose 96% of Executives Choose Employees With Sense of HumorEmployees With Sense of Humor
CreativeCreative
Good Good CommunicatorsCommunicators
Team playersTeam players
Stress RelieversStress Relievers
Source: The Creative Group, A Robert Half International Company, 2004
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““A good sense of humor is one A good sense of humor is one aspect of self actualization.”aspect of self actualization.”
- - Abraham MaslowAbraham Maslow
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Resilience and HumorResilience and Humor
Humor not only helps relieve distress Humor not only helps relieve distress and fights environmental toxins when and fights environmental toxins when they occur, it also regenerates our they occur, it also regenerates our psychological "antibodies" so that the psychological "antibodies" so that the impact of the toxins is minimal. This impact of the toxins is minimal. This regeneration helps sustain resilience. regeneration helps sustain resilience.
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Prevent BurnoutPrevent Burnout
Laughter helps protect the therapist Laughter helps protect the therapist from burnout and compassion from burnout and compassion fatigue.fatigue.
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Therapeutic Humor Web SitesTherapeutic Humor Web Sites
American Association of Therapeutic Humor American Association of Therapeutic Humor (AATH) (AATH) www.aath.org
Humor Matters Humor Matters www.humormatters.com Jest for the Health of It. Jest for the Health of It. www.jesthealth.com Humor Research Humor Research www.humorrearch.org ((includes links to the International Society for Humor includes links to the International Society for Humor
Studies and the International Journal of Humor StudiesStudies and the International Journal of Humor Studies))