title: Humor.
abstract: Humor has not been taken as seriously as it should be. Humor has many positive effects in the daily lives of patients and clinicians need to take advantage of these. Many indices of stress are attenuated and this serves to improve the therapeutic alliance. Freudian, rational emotive therapy, and kleinian views are presented, as well as examples of how to use playful therapy. In addition, advice on how to develop humor is given.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, PO Box 365067, San Juan, PR 00936-5067, USA. Electronic address: michel.woodbury@upr.edu.
authors.forename: Michel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Woodbury-Fariña
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, PO Box 365067, San Juan, PR 00936-5067, USA.
authors.forename: Joalex L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Antongiorgi
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005619:Freudian Theory; D006801:Humans; D007845:Laughter / Q000523:psychology*; D027641:Laughter Therapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D012737:Sex Factors; D014925:Wit and Humor as Topic / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Albert Ellis; Freud; Humor; Laughter yoga; Locus of control; Melanie Klein; Oxytocin; Playful therapy