The need for humor in psychotherapy
Humor can lighten the load of life, can alleviate the pain and change perspectives. Humor has the power to give energy even when the going gets tough. That’s why it can be an important element in any form of (psycho-) therapy.
Still, a lot of psychotherapists don’t consider humor as a useful intervention in psychotherapy. Maybe it’s because we have an important job to do, frequently with people in serious distress. Somehow this combination seems to prevent us to give space to the humor that is surrounding as 24/7. Our clients feel the weight of their suffering and before we know it we feel the same weight! So where is the fun? Research (see the designated section) shows convincingly that humor can help our clients in several ways to overcome their ordeals. And it can help us to keep enjoying our work.
Therefore, both our clients and ourselves can use the power of humor. Find out how you can train yourself to use more humor in your day-to-day life and in your work with clients on this page.
“So many tangles in life are ultimately hopeless that we have no appropriate sword other than laughter. I venture to say that no person is in good health unless he can laugh at himself.”
How can it help our clients?
If clients look for help by a professional, it means they are stuck. They weren’t capable (yet) of finding a solution for their ordeal. The tendency for people in crisis is to do ‘more of the same’. Therefore they get even more stuck.
Humor by default causes confusion, laughter and leads to new perspectives. Both on a cognitive, emotional and physical level humor provides us with an opportunity to free ourselves and get ‘unstuck’.
A commonly heard doubt of colleagues is whether humor isn’t irreverent towards the client. The answer is yes! That’s the important point of humor. With respect for our client we don’t take their habitual defense mechanisms and coping strategies too seriously. We help our clients to put their situation, their emotions and their way of handling their crisis in perspective, a different perspective. That way we not only prevent ourselves helping the client to do ‘more of the same’, but we also create new possibilities.
It’s not only about creating new perspectives, but also about the reconditioning of problematic material to a humorous mindset. About the physical benefits of laughing and the feeling of relieve after having laughed heartily about your own problems.
With so many benefits, let’s see what you can do to use more humor in your work!
Training in humor
Under construction. A program will follow soon. But if you’re interested in possibilities for an in company training or a training you want to offer for your training center, you already send a contact form.
Provocative Therapy
Using the mix of good contact, humor and challenge.
The Power of Humor
Training for (Psycho-)therapists.
The Power of Humor
Keynotes
Provocative Therapy
From 2 day courses to a year formation.
Under construction.
The Power of Humor
Developing and expanding your sense of humor.
Everybody has his/ her sense of humor. But we don’t always use it as much as we could. For example in our work with clients. In a lot of different therapies humor can be helpful or even play a big part. Of course in the provocative therapy, but also in for example CBT, schema therapy, family and couples therapy. Sometimes we just feel a barrier or we think that we are not funny enough to start using more humor.
Therefore we developed this training in which you will discover your own sense of humor and ways to expand and reinforce it.
- What will you learn?
- How will we accomplish that?
Recommendations of participants
"The neurotic builds castles in the air, the psychotic lives in them, and the psychotherapist collects the rent."
Keynotes
Under construction
Noteer hier wat een bezoeker van jou kan en mag verwachten. Je kan hier ook gelijk vermelden wat je allemaal aanbiedt. Druk belangrijke woorden dik.
- Gebruik opsommingen om kort aan te geven wat iemand mag verwachten
- Probeer je specifiek op jouw doelgroep te richten
- Houd het op ongeveer 3 à 4 regels
Ruimte voor extra tekst.
Neem laatste bezwaren weg.
Past and actual collaborations
"What tastes bland to the unconscious, does not sink in."
Do you have a question?
Send an e-mail via the contact form below. We’ll be in contact a.s.a.p.
