Humor In Counseling Therapy: Article Analysis

This article addresses the use of humor in counseling therapy, with a particular focus on how to implement new ways of therapy. Numerous studies were cited in relation to before explaining the study done by the author. The purpose of the experiment was to enhance the positive outcomes for the client and the therapist. One extremely potent, yet seemingly unrecognized tool in therapy is humor (Olsen, 1994). For instance, the urge to laugh is a basic human need (Chapman & Foot, 1976), therefore the inability to laugh can be interpreted as a sign of severe emotional disturbance (Schaefer, 1993). It was hypothesized that through the use of humor in therapy, the experience of pain and avoidance could be switched into enrichment and comfort, to improve self-awareness and enhance well-being. The sample population for this study consisted of a single case of a 13 year old girl, who lived in an orphanage, and participated voluntarily. …show more content…
The research methods used in this article were conducted narrative in-depth and open interviews; to better understand the subjective experience of humor as a positive technique for reflection, also empirical data was collected. In Gestalt Therapy, Deflection is seen as a contact boundary disturbance where the client avoids connection, by shifting the contact to some other topic that provokes less anxiety. In addition, this article contributes to my understanding of the various techniques of Gestalt Therapy and how humor can be an essential tool of not only healing but coping with stressful situations. In conclusion, the increased awareness of sensory modalities, contact boundaries, deflection, awareness of sense-of-self and self-support, as described in the Gestalt approach, could be integrated with the influence of

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