Abstract
Objective
Despite an abundance of literature detailing the potential benefits of the use of humor in therapy, humor is rarely taught to psychiatric residents as a method of therapeutic intervention. This communication attempts to explain how current understanding of attachment theory and neuroscience may assist psychiatric faculty and supervisors in their teaching of humorous therapeutic interventions.
Methods
This article reviews and synthesizes the extant literature on the use of humor, as well as recent work in neuroscience, attachment theory, and mentalization.
Results
Humor can be conceptualized as an instance of implicit relational knowing and may thus contribute significantly to the therapeutic action of psychotherapy as a subcategory of “moments of meeting” between therapist and patient. However, training residents to use humor in psychotherapy requires more individualized attention in supervision and classroom seminars. Factors such as individual proclivities for humorous repartee, mentalizing capacity, and an authentic interest in adding humor to the session may be necessary to incorporate spontaneous humor into one's technique.
Conclusions
New findings from the areas of attachment theory, neuroscience, and right-hemisphere learning are providing potential opportunities for sophisticated teaching of the use of humor in psychotherapy.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Freud S. The joke and its relation to the unconscious. New York: Penguin; 1905.
Mindess H. Laughter and liberation. Los Angeles: Nash; 1971.
Winnicott D. Playing and reality. Middlesex: Penguin; 1971.
Saper B. The therapeutic use of humor for psychiatric disturbances of adolescents and adults. Psychiatr Q. 1990;61:261–72.
Richman J. Points of correspondence between humor and psychotherapy. Psychother Theor Res Pract Train. 1996;33:560–6.
Kidd SA, Miller R, Boyd GM, et al. Relationships between humor, subversion, and genuine connection among persons with severe mental illness. Qual Health Res. 2009;19:1421–30.
Salameh WA. Humor in psychotherapy: past outlooks, present status, and future frontiers. In: McGhee PE, Goldstein JH, editors. Handbook of humor research. Volume II Applied studies. New York: Springer; 1983. p. 61–88.
Ellis A. Fun as psychotherapy. Rational Living. 1977;12:2–6.
Kubie LS. The destructive potential of humor in psychotherapy. Am J Psychiatry. 1971;127:861–6.
Banmen J. The use of humour in psychotherapy. Int J Adv Couns. 1982;5:81–6.
Franzini LR. Humor in therapy: the case for training therapists in its uses and risks. J Gen Psychol. 2001;128:170–93.
The Process of Change Study Group. Non-interpretive mechanisms in psychoanalytic therapy: the ‘something more’ than interpretation. Int J Psychoanal. 1998;79:903–21.
The Boston Change Process Study Group. Change in psychotherapy: a unifying paradigm. New York: Norton; 2010.
Amini F, Lewis T, Lannon R, et al. Affect, attachment, memory: contributions towards psychobiologic integration. Psychiatry. 1996;59:213–39.
Schore AN. The right brain implicit self lies at the core of psychoanalysis. Psychoanal Dialogues. 2011;21:75–100.
Gallese V. Mirror neurons, embodied simulation, and the neural basis of social identification. Psychoanal Dialogues. 2009;19:519–36.
Baker R. Some reflections on humour in psychoanalysis. Int J Psychoanal. 1993;74:951–60.
Gabbard GO. Long-Term psychodynamic psychotherapy: a basic text—second edition. Washington DC: American Psychiatric Publishing; 2010.
Gabbard GO. Love and hate in the analytic setting. Northvale: Jason Aronson; 1996.
Gabbard GO. The exit line: heightened transference-countertransference manifestations at the end of the hour. J Am Psychoanal Assoc. 1982;30:579–98.
Allen J, Fonagy P. Restoring mentalizing in attachment relationships: treating trauma with plain old therapy. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing; 2012.
Safran JD, Muran JC. The resolution of ruptures in the therapeutic alliance. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1996;64:447–58.
Gabbard GO, Horwitz L, Allen JG, et al. Transference interpretation in the psychotherapy of borderline patients: a high-risk, high-gain phenomenon. Harv Rev Psychiatry. 1994;2:59–69.
Gabbard GO. Why I teach. Acad Psychiatry. 2011;35:277–82.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Valentine, L., Gabbard, G.O. Can the Use of Humor in Psychotherapy be Taught?. Acad Psychiatry 38, 75–81 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-013-0018-2
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-013-0018-2