Humor in Therapy: The Case for Training Therapists in its Uses and Risks

Abstract

Formal humor training for therapists is proposed as an elective part of their academic curriculum. The paucity of rigorous empirical research on the effectiveness of this historically controversial form of clinical intervention is exceeded only by the absence of any training for those practitioners interested in applying humor techniques. A representative sample of its many advocates' recommendations to incorporate humor in the practice of psychological therapies is reviewed. Therapeutic humor is defined, the role of therapists' personal qualities is discussed, and possible reasons for the profession's past resistance to promoting humor in therapy are described. Research perspectives for the evaluation of humor training are presented with illustrative examples of important empirical questions. In addition to its potential salubrious effects on clients, therapeutic humor might have the positive side effect of preventing or minimizing professional burnout in therapists. This potentially major psychotherapeutic resource, highly praised by some, remains insufficiently evaluated and essentially untapped.

The Use of Humor to Promote Patient-centered Care

“…These observations appear to support Abel (1998), Buxman (2000), Franzini (2001), and Robinson's (1983) claims that providers must ensure patients' receptivity to humor in order to avoid being offensive. Without this interpersonal sensitivity, a provider's use of humor can prove more detrimental than beneficial.…”

The Healing Power of Laughter: The Applicability of Humor as a Psychotherapy Technique With Depressed and Anxious Older Adults

“…These interactions can increase positive emotions and encourage sharing during therapy (Franzini, 2001). As a weekly intervention, humor therapy sessions have been shown to reduce chronic pain, decrease feelings of loneliness, increase happiness, and increase life satisfaction in a residential, cognitively normal population of men and women ages 65 to 95 (Tse, Lo, Cheng, Chan, Chan, & Chung, 2010).…”

The Use of Humor, Jesting, and Playfulness With Traumatized Elderly

“…Humor in a therapeutic setting can be intentional or spontaneous and Franzini (2001) defines humor this way, To be most helpful, the humorous point should have a detectable relevance to the client's own conflict situations or personal characteristics. The form of the humor could include a formal structured joke or riddle (although relatively rare), a pointing out of absurdities, an unintended pun or spoonerism, behavioral or verbal parapraxes, examples of illogical reasoning, exaggerations to the extreme, statements of therapist self-deprecation, repeating an amusing punchline, illustrations of universal human frailties, or comical observations of current social and environmental events.…”