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Humor: A Therapeutic Intervention for Child Counseling

Rachelle G. Berg , Gerald Parr , Loretta J. Bradley & Jeremy J. Berry
a a a a a

Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA Version of record first published: 24 Sep 2009.

To cite this article: Rachelle G. Berg , Gerald Parr , Loretta J. Bradley & Jeremy J. Berry (2009): Humor: A Therapeutic Intervention for Child Counseling, Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 4:3, 225-236 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15401380903192705

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Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 4:225236, 2009 Copyright Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 1540-1383 print/1540-1391 online DOI: 10.1080/15401380903192705

1540-1391 1540-1383 WCMH Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, Health Vol. 4, No. 3, August 2009: pp. 00

Humor: A Therapeutic Intervention for Child Counseling

Humor: R. G. Berg A Therapeutic et al. Intervention

RACHELLE G. BERG, GERALD PARR, LORETTA J. BRADLEY, and JEREMY J. BERRY

Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA

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Counselors utilize many strategies, techniques, and tools when building a therapeutic alliance or addressing childrens issues. Due to the serious nature of discussing problems or perhaps because of the fear of seeming insensitive, counselors often overlook humor as a means to enhance therapy. Whether deliberate or spontaneous, humor can add creativity and insight to counseling sessions. Humor is a valuable therapeutic adjunct in making assessments, forming a therapeutic bond, helping children develop social skills, encouraging catharsis, addressing resistance, reframing maladaptive beliefs, and replacing rigid, self-absorbed perspectives. This article discusses several types and examples of humor and uses case studies to illustrate interventions. KEYWORDS humor, counseling, children, adolescents, techniques, creativity

Humor touches every facet of living. It is found in books, in movies, on television, and in everyday social interactions. Surprisingly, however, humor as an integral aspect of counseling theory and practice has received only ancillary attention in the counseling literature. Ellis (1977, 1984, 1987, 1996), for example, addresses humor as a therapeutic intervention, but in reading his ideas one is left with the feeling that humor is an extension of his personal style rather than an essential ingredient of his theory. Similar conclusions can be derived from studying such theorists as Adler (1964), Farrelley and Brandsma (1974), Haley (1996), and Mosak (1987). Although

Address correspondence to Rachelle G. Berg, College of Education, Texas Tech University, Box 41071, Lubbock, TX 79409-1071, USA. E-mail: rachelle.berg@ttu.edu 225

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Reality Therapy (Glasser, 2000) identifies fun as a basic need, this theory does not appear to feature humor in the process of counseling. A review of the leading counseling textbooks makes this point salient. Coreys (2005) text, Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy, for example, devotes only 12 lines of the entire text to using humor in therapy (pp. 3132), except for a small paragraph on its use by Ellis (p. 280). The eighth edition of the text by Corsini and Wedding (2008), Current Psychotherapies, does not include any reference to humor in its subject index. A programmed text often used in courses on techniques of counseling, Essential Interviewing: A Programmed Approach to Effective Communication by Evans, Hearn, Uhlemann, and Ivey (2008), also makes no mention of humor. These omissions may result in counselors misusing humor or not using it at all with clients. The purpose of this article is to encourage counselors to add humor to their repertoire of counseling interventions and to elevate its application beyond intuition to a planned strategy. Gladding (1995) concluded that while the counseling process can be rigid and is one that is traditionally viewed as serious, humor has been shown to occur frequently in counseling through the natural interactions of its participants. Even though the strategic use of humor is rarely in the mainstream of counselor training, recent literature on humor reveals that the topic has been discussed from many facets, spanning various fields, thus suggesting that humor is viewed as an important tool for maintaining and improving physical and mental health. Using the literature on humor, this article will specifically focus on how humor can enrich the counselors work with children.

IMPORTANCE OF HUMOR
One initial reason to use humor during therapy is to develop rapport between the child and the counselor. The therapist/client relationship involves a power differential, especially when the client is a child. The initial stages of counseling can be stressful for a child, and humor can be a familiar and productive way of alleviating stress. One way to make the child feel more comfortable with the situation is for the therapist to use humor to reveal himself or herself as real, approachable, and human (Franzini, 2000). The counselor could exchange life experiences with clients to illustrate universality (Bernet, 2001; Gladding, 2005) and show that life does in fact go on after feeling hurt and humiliated. Using humor in this manner may also help build a feeling of alliance between the counselor and client (Brooks, 1994). Zall (1994) suggests that the use of humor in the beginning stages of counseling establishes that the counseling environment is a safe place to discuss any topic, while simultaneously allowing the child to determine limits for therapy.

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Experiencing fear and self-protection may be part of any therapeutic relationship, especially when the client did not choose to attend, a situation that often occurs with young children. Laughing with clients can help lighten the mood and reduce the need for self-protection in several ways. Humor can help the client talk about difficult subjects. Humor provides distance between the client and the sensitive topic; moreover, the client may experience freedom to explore issues that otherwise can be overwhelming. Humor may also help clients hear difficult feedback (Bernet, 2001; Brooks, 1994). Using humor in counseling can help reduce tension, both inside and outside the therapy session. A timely joke or humorous comment may defuse a tense moment between counselor and client (Brooks, 1994; Franzini, 2000), such as those that arise during power struggles with adolescent clients. In a similar vein, humor allows clients to release hostile feelings in a socially acceptable manner (Manke, 1998, p. 372). Using these tactics in the microcosm of the counseling environment teaches children an important skill that may help them defuse tense situations in their everyday lives. When observing or using humor as a means of tension reduction, the counselor must take care to ensure that the humor is not used as a defense against discussing the problem at hand, for example, if a client starts to act silly when a serious topic is introduced (Zall, 1994). Modeling the appropriate and nonhostile use of humor and teaching children how to use it in different social situations can benefit the child outside the therapy room. Kilgore (2003) suggests that teaching children jokes, and even practicing them, empowers children with a social skill that leads to making and keeping friends. This may not only help the child gain peer approval and respect, it can also help the child defuse conflict situations such as teasing or bullying (Kilgore, 2003; Klein, 2003; Martin, 1988). Further, assessing the childs use of and response to humor can help with diagnostics in several areas. Humor is one indicator of cognitive and social development (Bernet, 2001; Dana, 1994). For instance, very young children commonly enjoy potty humor and nonsense words, so if this is the main means of amusement for an older child, it could indicate delayed development.

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TYPES OF HUMOR
Various types of humor have been identified and include the unexpected, exaggeration, incongruity, word play, nonverbal humor, and retrospective humor. Different types of humor may be appropriate for different clients. Counselors must be cognizant of the clients cognitive stage of development so that they dont inadvertently cause insult or confusion (Kilgore, 2003; Klein, 2003; Martin, 1988; McGhee, 1979; Zall, 1994). Sensitivity should also

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be used when choosing a type of humor to ensure that it matches or challenges the mood appropriately and has a therapeutic purpose. Maples, Dupey, Torres-Rivera, Phan, Vereen, and Garrett (2001) advocated that the use of humor should be tailored or customized to the particular client and his specific cultural orientation (p. 59). Therefore, counselors must have an understanding of a wide range of humor styles to meet the specific needs of their clients.

The Unexpected
One type of humor enjoyed by all ages is the unexpected. The unexpected contains elements of trickery and surprise and is usually in the form of a joke or riddle (Klein, 2003). This type of humor would be useful as an icebreaker, rapport builder, tension breaker, or tool for the child to use to make new friends. Some examples of the unexpected are:
Riddle: Whats clear on the outside and gray on the inside? Answer: An elephant in a sandwich bag. Humorous Story: A cowboy had two horses, but he couldnt tell them apart. He cut off one horses mane, but it grew back. He cut off the tail but that grew back too. A friend suggested that he measure the horses. The cowboy measured them and went back to his friend and said, That was a great ideathe black one was two inches taller than the white one. (Hahn, 2006, p. 9)

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Exaggeration
A second type of humor is exaggeration. This type is useful for pointing out unproductive thoughts or behaviors. The childrens book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst (1972) is an example of exaggeration. The main character faces one mini disaster after another but realizes, in the end, that those days happen to everyone. Similarly, a counselor could ask a child to purposely exaggerate the worstcase scenario of a current concern to point out the improbability of the very worst happening. Exaggeration should be well timed and applied only when it is appropriate to, and harmonizes with, the context of a counseling relationship, lest children misperceive that the counselor is minimizing or devaluing their concerns.

Incongruity
Incongruity is one of the earliest forms of humor to develop and is composed of impossibilities and improbabilities, such as movies with talking animals. Bergen (1998) mentions calling things and people by the

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wrong names, or silly names, as another form of incongruity for very young children. Riddles are another form of incongruity that combines with the unexpected to puzzle the listener. Once the child learns them, they can be used to stump others, thus giving the child a sense of mastery.
Riddle: What question can never be answered by Yes? Answer: Are you asleep?

Word Play
Word play is another form of humor enjoyed by children, although it should be noted that young children under the age of 6 or 7 may not understand this type of humor (Bergen, 1998; Gladding, 2005). The double meaning of word play surprises and delights, leaving the listener with different ways to see an issue.
Example: Have you got any kittens going cheap? asked a customer in a pet shop. No, sir, replied the owner, all of our kittens go meow (Hahn, 2006, p. 16).

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Nonverbal and Slapstick Humor

Nonverbal and slapstick humor can involve many areas of communication. The actor Jim Carrey demonstrates the many aspects that go into humor besides words: tone of voice, facial expression, body movements, and props. All of these types of communication can be attended to in order for the counselor to be humorous. Slapstick humor can help to get a clients attention or to make a young child more comfortable with the environment.

Retrospective Humor
One area of humor that is often significant in a counseling relationship is retrospective humor. Retrospective humor is distinguished from other styles of humor in that it is initially not experienced as humor (Goldin et al., 2006). For the child who is further along in the counseling process, it can be cathartic to recall a previously stressful moment in a humorous manner. This type of humor should be child directed rather than directed by the counselor to avoid the perception of minimizing the childs experience. While the client may direct intentional or unintentional humor, Goldin et al. contend that client-directed humor might provide the counselor with an indication that humor is appropriate to use in sessions. The use of retrospective humor may also demonstrate that a client is improving. It is evident that humor has many uses and can assume various forms. The next section of this article will provide case examples of how humor can be creatively adapted to enhance mainstream theories of counseling.

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CASE ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE ECLECTIC AND STRATEGIC USES OF HUMOR

While it is widely recognized that humor must be used strategically, this section will illustrate the strategic use of various types of humor with children who have a broad range of concerns. Pseudonyms are used, and details are altered to protect confidentiality. First, it is best to respond positively when a child initiates the use of humor. In fact, we often see if humor can be used as leverage to cement the childs commitment to counseling.

Case of Robert
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Robert, a child struggling with school because of attention deficit and hyperactivity, introduced humor during his initial counseling session with a knock-knock joke.
Robert: Knock-knock. Counselor (CO): Whos there? Robert: Ben. CO: Ben who? Robert: Been waiting so long Im exhausted.

Robert then asked, Can we start this counseling with jokes? The counselor replied, Sure, and if you would like, I will share some of my jokes too, but lets tell jokes later. Great, Robert replied. The counselor employs the Premack Principle (Premack, 1959, 1963), which states that desired behavior can be strengthened when highly prized behavior is used as a reward. Thus, to encourage focused and productive work on problems, the counselor can use the exchange of jokes as a reward for childrens willingness to face the problems that brought them to counseling. Furthermore, finding genuine opportunities to acknowledge Roberts ability to remember a vast fund of knock-knock jokes, the counselor sought to strengthen Roberts self-esteem and intellectual efficacy. As the themes that concerned Robert surfaced over time, the counselor selected jokes that served as a springboard for the focus of therapy. For example, Robert held very high standards for himself, and with school being quite a challenge in view of his learning challenges, the following joke was offered to bring some perspective to his struggles:
Question: What is the best way to make straight As? Answer: With a ruler! (Yahoo kids jokes, n.d.).

Another valuable source of humor is Charles Schulzs Peanuts cartoons wherein Charlie Brown is forever lovable in spite of his failures and selfdefeating stubbornness (Schultz, 19502000).

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Case of Teddy
An example of how a child can naturally and spontaneously use humor to cope with life demands was provided by Teddy, a shy 10-year-old whose father brought him to counseling because he did not have any close friends.
CO: How did the week go? Teddy: Not so good. CO: Really, what happened? Teddy: The kids are teasing me because I dont wear boxer shorts. CO: That sounds like something that can be fixed pretty easily. Teddy: Well, I asked Mom to buy me boxers, but she said they wouldnt give me enough support. CO: So that was itno boxers for you? Teddy: Nope, but I told her that if she hadnt noticed, I didnt need much support!

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Neither the dad nor the counselor could restrain their caring laughter. This spontaneous comment led to continued work on assertiveness, and Teddy was encouraged to use humor with peers as well as with family. Dad bought Teddy several pairs of boxers.

Eclectic Uses
To encapsulate other eclectic uses of humor, we have found the following applications enrich our work with children. For depressed children, we introduce humor within the counseling session only after we see some progress. We use homework fairly early in treatment, however; this includes reading humorous books and watching humorous movies or television shows, depending on the childs preferences and developmental readiness. Later, as the rapport has solidified and the child has moved toward a more hopeful outlook, we introduce jokes, puns, and riddles calibrated to the childs readiness intellectually and emotionally. Examples of books we like include A Teacher on Roller Skates by David Adler (1989), The Funniest Knock-Knock Book Ever! by Joseph Rosenbloom (1986), and Belly Laughs! by Charles Keller (1990). Role playing is an ideal way to exaggerate maladaptive interpersonal behaviors or self-defeating thoughts. For illustration, a dialogue with Joan, an aggressive 11-year-old girl, is provided.
CO: We have been working on ways you can be assertive rather than aggressive. Lets role play how not to talk to a teacher who has disciplined a student like you, okay? Which role do you want to play, the student whom we call Frieda, or the teacher, Ms. Smith?

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Joan: Ill be the teacher. CO: Okay, Ill be an aggressive student. Lets say that Ms. Smith has just told Frieda to stop talking because she was bothering others who are trying to do their work, okay? Joan: Yea, I get it. CO: Here we go, Im going to be an aggressive Frieda. CO as Frieda: Quit picking on me or I will poke your eyes out and bite off your nose (said with a very loud voice, glaring eyes, and closed fists). Joan as Ms. Smith: Dont talk like that or I will send you to the principal. CO as Frieda: Ill punch him in his belly with a pogo stick if you do. (Joan laughs at the slapstick humor conjured up by the images created by the role play.) CO: Lets stop and discuss why this is no way to treat a teacher, or anyone for that matter.

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Role playing can also exaggerate irrational beliefs and reframe views that stand in the way of mental health. When counseling a nonassertive child, for example, the counselor might exaggerate self-deprecation by verbalizing thoughts like I am no better than a worm and deserve nothing better than a bit of dirt to fatten me up for a fishermans hook. The ensuing discussion usually results in the child acknowledging that no child should be treated like a worm or think of her/himself like that. Role playing can then affirm how precious every child is as a birthright and other reframes that challenge a discounted view of ones worth. Exaggeration is contraindicated for some topics: death of a pet or a loved one, for example. Likewise, some children are too literal to grasp that exaggeration is a way of seeing issues in another way, often a more adaptive way. The next section will expand on this section by focusing on applications in group counseling.

THE USE OF HUMOR IN GROUP COUNSELING

Children and adolescents will often use jokes in group therapy. When a joke occurs, the therapist must determine whether this joke was used to distract the group from dealing with an unsettling topic or if the joke can be used to facilitate group work (Bernet, 2001). Oftentimes, group counselors will use jokes as a form of rounds, where each client has an opportunity to tell a joke. Bernet states that each client should receive feedback regarding what the group thought about their joke. It is important for therapists to allow the clients to tell any manner of joke within the confines of the group, while explaining that these jokes may not be appropriate outside the group. Some jokes may be considered offensive or inappropriate in settings outside the confines of the group, and feedback within the group may be a unique way of gauging how others feel about a particular brand of humor. Humor in

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group therapy can focus the client toward many goals. Children are frequently interested in participating in the free exchange of humor, and this is a dynamic tool for getting the group involved. The structure of the group may allow each child to get feedback from the other members of the group, which can further facilitate group cohesiveness. Children are often more spontaneous in this format, as they are unaware of the unique information about themselves they are revealing (Bernet, 2001). In addition, this type of feedback may help the child assess their understanding of what is acceptable in a therapeutic setting, and what is acceptable outside of this particular setting.

CAUTIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS WHEN USING HUMOR

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While humor can be a valuable counseling tool with children and adolescents, it is best to utilize it thoughtfully and with caution. Counselors recognize that the misuse of humor can harm the relationship with the client (Kubie, 1970). Counselors should ask themselves why they are using humor and be able to explain how it enhances the counseling process (Maples et al., 2001). Clients are not alone in using humor to avoid difficult problems, for sometimes counselors use humor to lighten the moment and, in turn, avoid facing the challenging issue. Gladding (2005) and Goldin et al. (2006) point out that to avoid difficulties in using humor, a counselor must consider timing, appropriateness, and receptivity. Counselors must take extra caution using humor in beginning stages when trust and rapport are built. The clients mood at the time must be taken into account since there will be times when the use of humor is obviously inappropriate (Martin, 1988). Humors specific purpose in counseling should be in facilitation, as it must fit into the current continuum of what is unfolding in treatment (Goldin et al., 2006). Counselors must consider each client individually when using certain types of humor. There is a consensus in the field (Dana, 1994; Klein, 2003) that the childs cognitive level and capacities should be taken into account when choosing a type of humor; for example, concrete thinkers might miss the subtlety of abstract humor. The clients cultural background is also important to consider since different cultures have varying expectations of the counselor and the therapy process and different responses to types of humor. Maples et al. (2001) point out that trust and respect must be firmly established before joking with culturally diverse clients, and professionalism should be observed at all times. For some cultures, such as Native American and Asian cultures, humor is accepted during informal situations, but would seem out of place and unprofessional if a relationship has not yet been established. Maples et al. also caution the counselor to consider and respect the clients cultural

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experience including experience with racism, discrimination, and oppression; to limit self-ridiculing stories with cultures that see the counselor as expert, and perhaps to ask permission to use a certain type of humor when in doubt.

CONCLUSION
Humor is an often underutilized tool that can be misused in counseling. When used positively and thoughtfully, it improves the counseling relationship and environment, helps the counselor assess the clients cognitive abilities and mental health, and teaches young clients new skills they can use in their everyday lives. Humor is a vehicle to establish and maintain a therapeutic alliance with children. It says, in terms of meta communication, to the child, I am approachable and I invite your creativity. I take your concerns seriously, but I see you as a person, not as a problem child to be fixed. Humor can be misused just as other interventions, such as confrontation, and can be poorly timed or ill suited to the individuality of the client. Humor is often contraindicated for certain topics and for children who have difficulty grasping the meaning behind the messages that underlie humor. Similarly, not all counselors are drawn to or feel comfortable with humor. Nevertheless, when humor synchronizes with the counselors and clients ways of relating to life and communicating to others, it is a potential power toolone often overlooked by training programs and counselors seeking creative ways of helping.

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Corsini, R. J., & Wedding, D. (2008). Current psychotherapies (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thompson Brooks/Cole. Dana, R. S. (1994). Humor as a diagnostic tool in child and adolescent groups. In E. S. Buckman (Ed.), Handbook of humor (pp. 4151). Malabar, FL: Krieger. Ellis, A. (1977). Fun as psychotherapy. Rational Living, 12, 26. Ellis, A. (1984). How to deal with your most difficult clientyou. Psychotherapy in Private Practice, 2, 2535. Ellis, A. (1987). The use of rational humorous songs in psychotherapy. In W. F. Fry, Jr., & W. A. Salameh (Eds.), Handbook of humor and psychotherapy: Advances in the clinical use of humor (pp. 265285). Sarasota, FL: Professional Resource Exchange. Ellis, A. (1996). The treatment of morbid jealousy: A rational emotive behavior therapy approach. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy: An International Quarterly, 10, 2333. Evans, R. D., Hearn, M. T., Uhlemann, M. R., & Ivey, A. E. (2008). Essential interviewing: A programmed approach to effective communication (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thompson Brooks/Cole. Farrelley, F., & Brandsma, J. (1974). Provocative therapy. Fort Collins, CO: Shields. Franzini, L. R. (2000). Humor in behavior therapy. The Behavior Therapist, 23, 2529. Gladding, S. T. (1995). Humor in counseling: Using a natural resource. The Journal of Humanistic Education and Development, 34, 312. Gladding, S. T. (2005). Counseling as an art: The creative arts in counseling. Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association. Glasser, W. (2000). Counseling with choice theory: The new reality therapy. New York: Harper Collins. Goldin, E., Bordan, T., Araoz, D., Gladding, S., Kaplan, D., Krumboltz, J., et al. (2006). Humor in counseling: Leader perspectives. Journal of Counseling and Development, 84, 397404. Hahn, J. (2006). 777 great clean jokes: A sparkling collection of unsullied humor. Uhrichsville, OH: Barbour. Haley, J. (1996). Learning and teaching therapy. New York: The Guilford Press. Keller, C. (1990). Belly laughs! New York: Simon and Schuster, Inc. Kilgore, L. (2003). Humor in clinical therapy with children. In A. J. Klein (Ed.), Humor in childrens lives: A guidebook for practitioners (pp. 3346). Westport, CT: Praeger/ Greenwood. Klein, A. J. (2003). Introduction: A global perspective of humor. In A. J. Klein (Ed.), Humor in childrens lives: A guidebook for practitioners (pp. 315). Westport, CT: Praeger/Greenwood. Kubie, L. S. (1970). The destructive potential of humor in psychotherapy. In W. M. Mendel (Ed.), A celebration of laughter (pp. 6781). Los Angeles: Mara Books. Manke, B. (1998). Genetic and environmental contributions to childrens interpersonal humor. In W. Ruch (Ed.), The sense of humor: Explorations of a personality characteristic (pp. 361384). Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. Maples, M. F., Dupey, P., Torres-Rivera, E., Phan, L. T., Vereen, L., & Garrett, M. T. (2001). Ethnic diversity and the use of humor in counseling: Appropriate or inappropriate? Journal of Counseling & Development, 79, 5360.

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Martin, R. A. (1988). Humor and mastery of living: Using humor to cope with the daily stresses of growing up. Journal of Children in Contemporary Society, 20, 135154. McGhee, P. (1979). Humor: Its origin and development. San Francisco: W. H. Freeman. Mosak, H. H. (1987). Ha ho and aha: The role of humor in psychotherapy. Muncie, IN: Accelerated Development. Premack, D. (1959). Toward empirical behavioral laws: I. Positive reinforcement. Psychological Review, 66, 219233. Premack, D. (1963). Rate differential reinforcement in monkey manipulation. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 6, 8189. Rosenbloom, J. (1986). The funniest knock-knock book ever! New York: Sterling. Schultz, C. (19502000). Peanuts. Seattle, WA: Fantagraphics Books. Viorst, J. (1972). Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. New York: Atheneum. Yahoo kids jokes. (n.d.). Retrieved June 28, 2009, from http://kids.yahoo.com/ jokes/4419 Zall, D. S. (1994). Ya get it? Children, humor, and psychotherapy. In E. S. Buckman (Ed.), Handbook of humor (pp. 2539). Malabar, FL: Krieger.

Rachelle G. Berg and Jeremy J. Berry are doctoral students in Counselor Education, Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership, College of Education, at Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX. Gerald Parr is a Professor in Counselor Education, Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership, College of Education at Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX. Loretta J. Bradley is a Paul Whitfield Horn Professor in Counselor Education, Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership, College of Education at Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX.