Humor In Counseling Therapy: Article Analysis

This article addresses the use of humor in counseling therapy, with a particular focus in 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 apparently little recognized tool in therapy is humor (Olsen, 1994). The urge to laugh is a basic human need (Chapman & Foot, 1976). The inability to laugh is 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 …show more content…
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. 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. 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 humor.
Humor therapy is generally used to improve quality of life, provide some pain relief and reduce stress. Researchers have described different types of humor. Passive humor is created by observing a comic film, or reading a book, for example. Humor production is a type of humor that involves creating or finding humor in stressful situations, it gives us a different perspective on the many challenges of our complicated lives. It is thought, that being able to find humor in everyday events can be helpful. Our world is full of good and bad things. People who focus on the bad things experience higher levels of unhealthy stress. People, who amplify the good things finding humor in the bad things that happen every day, tend to be healthier and a lot more fun to be

Show More

Related Documents: Humor In Counseling Therapy: Article Analysis

Humor In Counseling Therapy: Article Analysis

Psychology and Online Courses Essay