National Psychology Training Consortium

Introductory --- Designed for psychologists who may have little to no background in a specialized skill or content area. The learner can become acquainted with the theoretical underpinnings, principles, methods, and perspectives of a content area. Although it can be used as a foundation for more advanced learning, a program may simply focus on breadth, enrichment or general knowledge.

Course Description and Target Audience

Humor is a powerful, yet often underutilized tool in psychotherapy. This interactive workshop explores the evidence-based role of therapeutic humor in fostering connection, relieving emotional distress, and promoting resilience in clients. Participants will learn how to integrate humor safely and ethically into their practice while maintaining sensitivity to client needs and contexts. Target audience is mental health professionals who are working to develop skills to support client resilience and are interested in applying creative and innovative approaches.

Materials prepared for this workshop are demonstrated in literature and are practiced within the field. The topics and skills reviewed in this workshop will be applicable with clients and amongst colleagues. The content of this session requires application of individual clinical judgement on the timing of the application of the skills. The use of humor in counseling has gained increasing empirical support over the last five years as an effective therapeutic tool for building rapport, enhancing client engagement, and promoting emotional regulation. 

Several recent studies and reviews highlight these benefits: 

Humor and the Therapeutic Alliance: Humor, when appropriately used, strengthens the therapeutic alliance by fostering trust and reducing emotional resistance. Therapists report that humor helps clients feel more connected and understood during sessions (Marci et al., 2021; Academic Psychiatry, 2021)

Reducing Psychological Distress: Research shows that humor can alleviate symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress. By reframing problems through humor, clients often gain a new perspective on their issues, leading to cognitive restructuring and enhanced coping strategies (Martin et al., 2018)

Therapist Training in Humor: There is also increasing emphasis on training therapists to utilize humor safely and effectively in psychotherapy. Misuse, such as sarcasm or inappropriate timing, can harm the therapeutic relationship, underscoring the importance of cultural sensitivity and individualization of humor (SpringerLink, 2021). 

Specific Populations: Humor is particularly effective in working with populations dealing with trauma or severe mental health conditions. It provides relief from emotional pain and helps process difficult experiences in a safe, non-threatening way (Landoni, 2019)LINK.SPRINGER. 

Physiological and Psychological Benefits: Laughter associated with humor promotes physiological benefits like reducing cortisol levels and increasing endorphins, which are linked to improved mood and stress relief (Marci et al., 2021)PSYCHIATRY ONLINE. 

These findings demonstrate that humor, when applied skillfully and ethically, can improve therapy outcomes, foster client growth, and enhance the overall therapeutic process. For further details, explore publications in Academic Psychiatry and SpringerLink for the latest insights.

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Humor can be incredibly valuable, but they often come with certain limitations. Here are some key challenges: 

1. Subjectivity of Humor • Humor is deeply personal and cultural. What one person finds funny may not resonate with another, making it hard to create universal guidelines or exercises. • Psychological professionals from diverse backgrounds may struggle to connect with certain humor styles taught in the workshop. 

2. Context-Dependent Nature of Humor • Humor often depends on timing, delivery, and context, which can be difficult to replicate in a controlled workshop setting. • The dynamics of real-world therapy or client relationships are hard to simulate in practice sessions. 

3. Ethical Concerns • Using humor in therapy or psychological settings comes with risks. Humor can be misinterpreted, alienate clients, or trigger negative emotions. • Workshops may not fully prepare participants to navigate these ethical dilemmas effectively. 

4. Skill Transferability • Even after training, not all individuals may be comfortable or skilled at using humor naturally. Humor relies on spontaneity and emotional intelligence, which can be hard to "teach." • Practicing humor without confidence may feel forced or inauthentic, reducing its effectiveness. 

5. Overlooking Individual Differences • Humor strategies that work for some might not align with others' personalities or therapeutic styles. • Clients may have varying levels of tolerance for humor, and workshops may not adequately address this diversity. 

6. Limited Time for Practice and Feedback • Workshops are often short and intensive, leaving little room for ongoing practice and individualized feedback. • Learning to use humor effectively is a gradual process that requires real-life experience, which workshops can only introduce. 

7. Focus on "Light" Humor • This workshop will focus on light-hearted or therapeutic humor, avoiding more complex or darker humor styles that could be therapeutically significant but challenging to implement safely. 

8. Measuring Effectiveness • There’s no clear, standardized way to measure how well a mental health professional integrates humor into their practice after the workshop. • Success may rely heavily on self-reported comfort rather than measurable client outcomes. 

9. Risk of Trivializing Serious Issues • Overemphasis on humor could unintentionally trivialize the gravity of certain psychological issues. • This workshop requires individuals to use clinical judgement and cannot fully train individuals when not to use humor. 

10. Cultural Sensitivity • Humor can vary significantly across cultures, and workshops might not fully address cultural nuances, creating a risk of misunderstanding or offense. 

11. Limited Research Base • While humor has shown benefits in therapeutic contexts, empirical research on its structured application is still evolving. Workshops may lack evidence-based frameworks to guide practitioners. By recognizing these limitations, workshop organizers and participants can approach humor training with realistic expectations and integrate humor thoughtfully into their practice.

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Applying new skills come with risk. This workshop is no different in the request that participants practice a new skill and therefore risk the potential for discomfort. This workshop will ask participants to reflect on their own use of humor, their own comfort in applying humor and their personal relationship with humor. When reflecting on self, there is always a risk for emotional discomfort. This workshop will work to develop psychological safety and an infrastructure that allows for trying new things free from judgement.

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Building cultural diversity into a workshop on humor is essential to ensure inclusivity, sensitivity, and relevance. 

Here are some of the key strategies: 

• Interactive Activities: Use group activities that encourage participants to share examples of humor from their own cultures, such as idioms, sayings, or comedic traditions. This allows everyone to learn from one another’s experiences. 

• Culturally Diverse Feedback Loops: Encourage open discussions or anonymous feedback during the workshop, particularly regarding the inclusiveness and relevance of humor content. This helps facilitators adjust and ensure all participants feel represented. 

• Create Safe Spaces: Establish ground rules for respectful dialogue to ensure participants feel comfortable sharing cultural perspectives without fear of judgment. 

• Emphasize Inclusivity: Discuss how humor can connect people across cultures but also divide them when misused. Train participants to choose humor that bridges cultural differences rather than reinforces stereotypes or exclusion. 

• Teach Cultural Humor Sensitivity: Provide guidelines on identifying humor that may unintentionally offend or marginalize others. Encourage participants to think critically about stereotypes, cultural taboos, and power dynamics in humor. 

• Promote Reflection: Create space for self-reflection on participants' own cultural assumptions and biases about humor. Questions like, “What types of humor do I find funny? Why might others feel differently?” can foster awareness.

Learning Objectives

• Participants will be able to describe the psychological and physiological benefits of humor in therapeutic settings.
• Participants will be able to apply practical techniques for integrating humor into therapy without minimizing or invalidating client experiences.
• Participants will be able to identify appropriate boundaries and ethical considerations when using humor in clinical practice.
• Participants will be able to demonstrate humor-based interventions through group exercises and role-play scenarios.

Presenter Information

Mallori DeSalle, MA, LMHC, CCMHC, NCC, CHP, CPS-II Ms. DeSalle serves as the Senior Program Manager of Behavioral Health Clinical Training Projects at Prevention Insights. She has worked within the prevention, treatment and recovery fields for more than 20 years. Ms. DeSalle is also a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) and is Certified by MINT as a trainer and offers professional development around the world in a wide range of areas.

Live CE Training Location and Costs

Location

This presentation will be offered virtually through Zoom.

Registration Costs

This cost includes the training and materials required to obtain CE’s. Your CE certificate will be made available to you upon completion of the training. 

National Psychology Training Consortium (NPTC) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. NPTC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.