Relationship between counselor-initiated humor and client's self-perceived attraction in the counseling interview.

Something to laugh about: Humor as a characteristic of effective therapists.

“…The therapists described humor as a potentially useful intervention. Although they asserted that humor should be used carefully, they suggested that it can ease client anxiety, lighten the mood, enhance the therapy relationship, and render the therapist more human, findings consistent with existing theory (Bader, 1994;Gelkopf & Kreitler, 1996;Godfrey, 2004;Haig, 1986) and research (Bennett, 1996;Falk & Hill, 1992;Golan, Rosenheim, & Jaffe, 1988;Megdell, 1984;Rosenheim & Golan, 1986;Rosenheim, Tecucianu, & Dimitrovsky, 1989). They also occasionally used humor to nurture insight or a new perspective, again consistent with existing literature (Bennett, 1996;Gelkopf & Kreitler, 1996).…”

The use of banter in psychotherapy: A systematic literature review

“…Finally, empirical research regarding the use of humour in psychotherapy does not reveal quite the same picture as in other areas; several studies in fact indicate that either nonhumorous interventions were rated as more effective (Rosenheim & Golan, 1986;Rosenheim et al, 1989) or that no significant differences could be found between nonhumorous and humorous statements/conditions (Foster & Reid, 1983;Killinger, 1987). Other findings suggested an increased liking towards therapists when humour was perceived as funny by both client and therapist (Megdell, 1984) as well as negatively targeted humour towards other group members accounting for the majority of humour within groups (Peterson & Pollio, 1982).…”