The therapeutic value of laughter.

• Author: Granick, Samuel

MIXING HUMOR with psychotherapy hardly seems like a suitable combination. Anxiety, depression, obsessive thoughts, and disturbing fears are no laughing matter. The person seeking help and relief through psychotherapy, it would seem, is unlikely to appreciate hearing jokes or humorous comments from the therapist. In fact, the psychotherapist might be perceived as unsympathetic and uncaring, which would but the treatment process in jeopardy.

Yet, the reality is that many therapists regard humor to be a valuable, productive vehicle that has helped their clients progress effectively in dealing with personal, social, and emotional problems. When rapport and trust have been established, humor may be expected to produce beneficial results, if utilized prudently.

The following psychotherapeutic interaction is illustrative. An elderly man sought help toward gaining control over his impulsive expressions of anger toward children and adults through loud name-calling, harsh criticism, and threats, a long-standing condition. The first few sessions were devoted to history taking, clarification of the circumstances associated with his temper outbursts, and reassurance that he had the capacity to achieve better self-control. It was noticed that the man enjoyed telling of incidents in which he made remarks that caused people to laugh.

During one of the sessions, he was exceedingly tense and irritated with himself over a a recent occurrence at home. He had lost his temper with several youngsters from his family who were visiting because they were playing in a noisy fashion. He expressed his guilt and disappointment to me, particularly since he now recognized that the kids were behaving quite normally. Similar incidents had occurred in the past, even though he was trying to control himself. "What should I do, Doc?," he asked, on the verge of tears.

"Close your eyes," I said, "and quietly recall the children and their noisy play." I then put on a red clown nose and asked him to open his eyes. With a loud burst of laughter, he squealed in delight, "You're a real funny guy, Doc! "

I then offered him a clown nose to put on and asked him to look into the mirror. "Are you still angry at the children and yourself"?, I inquired.

"Of course not. They're just kids! They like it when we play together, and I get a kick out of them also," he replied. I suggested that he keep the clown nose and use it at home whenever he felt the impulse to be inappropriately angry and abusive.

When the entire incident was reviewed, he realized that, if he could convert those experiences which tended to upset him to comical situations, he would be better able to regulate his unsatisfactory responses. Indeed, in sessions that followed, he reported with great satisfaction his success in controlling his behavior when he used this approach.

This anecdote illustrates one of the important features of the psychotherapy process-enabling an individual to be aware that an annoying situation often may be experienced as comical and benign. One's reactions, then, are more likely to be thoughtful, leading to congenial and appropriate behavior. The therapeutic value of humor and laughter has been acknowledged widely for quite some time. Since the Middle Ages, philosophers, physicians, and social reformers have observed that laughter contributes to improvement in people's health and spirits. More recently, research psychologists and physiologists have reported that it has favorable effects on breathing and heart rates, as well as the relief of stress and anxiety. Many mental health workers have suggested that humor and laughter lead to the promotion of an effective therapeutic alliance between client and therapist, the improvement of self-regard, roadening of perspectives, and stimulation of creative...