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EP17 Topical Panel 13 - Humor in Therapy - Stephen Gilligan, PhD, Cloe Madanes, HDL, LIC, and Bill O'Hanlon, MS

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Topic Areas:
Topical Panels |  Humor |  Psychotherapy |  Therapist Development |  Couples Therapy |  Strategic Therapy |  Ericksonian Hypnosis and Therapy Techniques
Bundle(s):
EP17 Audio Streaming Build a Bundle
Categories:
Evolution of Psychotherapy |  Evolution of Psychotherapy 2017 |  Pioneers in Couples and Family Therapy
Faculty:
Stephen Gilligan, PhD |  Cloe Madanes, HDL, LIC |  Bill O'Hanlon, MS
Duration:
1:00:23
Format:
Audio Only
Original Program Date:
Dec 16, 2017
License:
Never Expires.
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Tags: Humor Gift Wrapping Psychotherapy Therapist Development Boundaries Empowerment Family Guidance Intergenerational Dynamics Reframing Role Reversal Strategic Therapy Systemic Interventions Tailoring Therapeutic Alliance

Description

Description:

Humor can convey deep meaning; it is one way of gift wrapping conceptual realizations for clients.

Educational Objectives:

  1. Indicate ethical considerations for using humor in therapy.
  2. Indicate three benefits and three limitations for using humor in therapy.

*Sessions may be edited for content and to preserve confidentiality*

 

Outline:

Introduction and Panel Setup

  • Panelists: Stephen Gilligan, Cloe Madanes, and Bill O'Hanlon.

  • Emphasis on the power of humor in fostering connection during therapy.

  • Audience encouraged to ask questions via microphones.

Cloe Madanes' Use of Humor in Therapy

  • Uses two types of humor: shared with clients and personal for her own amusement.

  • Helped a suicidal man shift perspective by highlighting the absurdity of his situation.

  • Used fines as a humorous way to help a client with a heart condition stop overeating.

  • Suggested a husband strip when nagged by his wife—a playful tactic that improved their dynamic.

Bill O'Hanlon on Humor and Therapy

  • Influenced by Erickson and Minuchin; sees humor as a tool to unblock creativity.

  • Emphasizes humor’s role in breaking rigid thinking and opening possibilities.

  • Describes therapists needing tenderness, fierceness, and playfulness.

  • Shared Erickson’s use of absurd interventions, like cursing his name, to shift client behavior.

  • Advocates not taking oneself too seriously and being open to failure in therapy.

Stephen Gilligan’s Perspective on Humor

  • Humor can shift emotional states and bring healing insights.

  • Used humor during EMDR to help a client access a traumatic memory.

  • Told story of Erickson using humor to help a WWI pilot stop drinking.

  • Stresses grounding, respect, and connection when using humor.

Audience Questions and Therapist Responses

  • On detecting "bullshit": therapists must differentiate between genuine and disconnecting communication.

  • Cloe uses humor to reframe parental complaints and reduce tension.

  • Proper use of humor depends on therapist-client connection and timing.

  • Gilligan recounts using humor to highlight and neutralize absurd client behavior.

Closing Reflections

  • Humor helps build resonance and connection in therapy.

  • Cloe emphasizes the importance of empathy and human connection when using humor.

  • Humor with paranoid clients must be introduced only after trust is built.

  • Authentic laughter, when grounded in real connection, can be deeply therapeutic

Credits

Faculty

Stephen Gilligan, PhD's Profile

Stephen Gilligan, PhD Related Seminars and Products

Stephen Gilligan Ph.D., is a Psychologist in Encinitas, CA. He was one of the original NLP students at UC Santa Cruz; Milton Erickson and Gregory Bateson were his mentors. After receiving his psychology doctorate from Stanford University, he became one of the premier teachers and practitioners of Ericksonian hypnotherapy. This work unfolded into his original approaches of Self-Relations and Generative Self, and then further (in collaboration with Robert Dilts) into Generative Coaching. These different traditions have all been updated and integrated into the present Generative Change Work, which includes the applications of Generative Coaching, Generative Psychotherapy, Generative Trance, Hero’s Journey, and Systemic Change work.

Cloe Madanes, HDL, LIC's Profile

Cloe Madanes, HDL, LIC Related Seminars and Products

Cloé Madanes, HDL, LIC, is a world-renowned innovator and teacher of family and strategic therapy and one of the originators of the strategic approach to family therapy. She has authored seven books that are classics in the field: Strategic Family Therapy; Behind the One-Way Mirror; Sex, Love and Violence; The Violence of Men; The Secret Meaning of Money; The Therapist as Humanist, Social Activist and Systemic Thinker; and Relationship Breakthrough. She has presented her work at professional conferences all over the world and has given keynote addresses for The Evolution of Psychotherapy Conference, the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy; the National Association of Social Workers, The Erickson Foundation, the California Psychological Association and many other national and international conferences. Madanes has won several awards for distinguished contribution to psychology and has counseled outstanding individuals from all walks of life.

Bill O'Hanlon, MS's Profile

Bill O'Hanlon, MS Related Seminars and Products

Bill O'Hanlon, MS, has written over 30 books, appeared on Oprah with his book Do One Thing Different, and has been a top-rated presenter at psychotherapy conferences all over the world. He was a student of the late Milton H. Erickson and created Solution-Oriented Therapy and Possibility Therapy.

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