by Margot Escott, M.S.W., L.C.S.W.

As far back as biblical days, folks understood the therapeutic value of humor. The Book of Proverbs reveals that "A merry heart doeth good like medicine, a brittle heart drieth the soul." But it wasn't until Norman Cousin's 1977 "Anatomy of an Illness" that the general public and scientists began taking a serious look at the potential value of therapeutic laughter, humor and play. Since then, serious research into the effects of laughter on the body-mind have resulted in a new field of medicine, psychoneuroimminology, which has led to the development of government funding for the "Office of Alternative Medicine" -- thus granting legitimacy to the old adage that "laughter is the best medicine."

Before looking at specific ways therapists can introduce humor into their practices here are a few of the proven benefits of laughter:

• Research by Dr. Lee Berk and Dr. Stanley Tan at Loma Linda University has scientifically measured the decrease in production of "stress hormones" produced by the body when subjects were engaged in hearty laughter.
• Laughter interrupts the pain cycle of illness, whether physical or psychological. One of the worst effects of panic is the release of adrenaline and other chemicals that decrease our ability to fight off infection. Laughter and humor can transform feelings of panic and bring patients back to a state of relaxation.
• Hearty laughter stimulates the right and left side of the brain by increasing oxygen flow to the brain. With more oxygen, we have high levels of brain processing which results in more creativity and better problem-solving.

My interest in alternative therapies like guided imagery and music therapy have led to my developing workshops on humor, laughter and play designed specifically for addicts and co-dependents. There has actually been an evolutionary process in my workshops, as I review the titles. Ten years ago I was calling the seminars "Discovering your Inner Child through Humor and Play," eight years ago it was "Healing your Inner Child through Humor and Play," five years ago it was "Co-dependence -- No Laughing Matter," and now my focus is on "Get Over it -- Discovering the Responsible Adult Within."

There are several ways to introduce humor into your practice and remember those words of wisdom "when in doubt leave it out." You have your own special, unique brand of humor and so do your clients. I am not advocating that therapists become stand-up comics; in fact, the type of humor interventions I use are rarely in the form of "jokes."

Sometimes the best way to begin to implement humor is in a non-invasive method I call "Waiting Room Humor." Display collections of your favorite cartoonist (John Calahan appeals to many addicts because his humor is so disturbing!), or invite clients to bring their favorite cartoons and share them on a cork board in your waiting area. You might also have toys and games (no Nintendo please), crayons and pads available. I let clients know they have permission to use anything in the room, and if they are able to "play" they enter sessions more relaxed and often have sparked memories that will be useful in treatment.

A structured exercise to use in groups or small workshops is called "Positive Play Experiences before the Age of 12." Now, if there's time left after naming this activity, have members partner off. This in itself can be a frightening activity, so use your imagination -- tell people to find a partner who is: wearing a similar-colored article of clothing, grew up with the same number siblings, comes from the same galaxy, etc. The instruction is for one partner to share for two to three minutes all the positive play experiences they can recall prior to age 12. Since this can also be very scary for some folks who are talented at dredging up all the bad stuff from childhood, the facilitator can share some of his or her own positive play experiences which will hopefully trigger memories for the client.

When bringing up your own memories it helps to include all of the senses -- the feel of the snow on your red wool mittens while you made snowballs, the fragrance of flowers in early spring, etc. This will also increase clients' abilities to recall their own positive memories. The other partner is instructed to only listen and not give any feedback such as "and how did that make you feel?" It's important that each participant has time to share, and after they have finished the partners can process together or with another dyad.

This exercise usually has a magical effect on clients. As they recall those "happier times," they begin to smile and laugh more and genuinely start to connect with the child they used to be. I will tell clients after this exercise to look deeply into the eyes of their partner and see if they can see that playful child -- and usually they can! This exercise is a terrific springboard to helping clients look at their current laugh and play lives, or lack of it, and in group start to brainstorm ways to bring more laughter into their daily lives.

Victor Borge said: "The shortest distance between two people is a smile." And that is an excellent place to start if you have a limited arsenal of humor interventions. Remember to begin to look for humor, and humor will find you!

Margot Escott is a social worker in private practice in Naples, Fla. She has presented seminars and workshops on Healing with Humor throughout the country. She can be reached at 941/434-6558 or by e-mail at escott@naples.net