The benefits of humor are briefly reviewed, and the ways in which humor can be effectively used in the client-counselor relationship are explored (i.e., using humor as a diagnostic tool and as a therapeutic tool). Finally, counseling vignettes are provided and admonitions regarding the improper application of humor in counseling are reviewed.

This article explores the existence of humor in counseling from the perspectives of several leaders in the field. Specifically, the last 5 authors describe some of their thoughts and experiences regarding the emergence of humor in counseling.

This study investigated the effect of predicate usage, facilitative skill level, and participant sex on the participants' ratings of empathic understanding.

This article explores important dimensions for family therapists to consider when counseling couples in long-term, later-life marriages. It also describes a variety of interventions that have been used to facilitate changes in the marital relationships of such couples. Clinical vignettes demonstrating the application of related techniques, along with methods of dealing with resistance, consideration of including or excluding offspring, and counterindications are described.