The Use of Humor in Therapy : Research-Based Training Recommendations

Despite its essential and universal nature, humor has historically received limited attention from the behavioral sciences, particularly as compared to other affective experiences like anger and sadness. Some authors (e.g., Bell & Malhi, 2009; Provine, 2000a; Roeckelein, 2002) suggest that this is because researchers have traditionally failed to "take humor seriously" and, according to O'Connell (cited in Roeckelein, 2002), have too often pursued its study in a piecemeal manner lacking scientific rigor, resulting in "no comprehensive network of facts about the development and purposes of humor in human existence" (p. 1). Roeckelein (2002) found not a single mention of humor, laughter, wit, comedy, or theories relating to these topics in introductory psychology textbooks published between 1930 and 1996.While research interest in the area has grown, especially over the last decade, it remains an elusive and nebulous topic, more likely to be examined in specialty psychology texts (e.g., social psychology and child development) than general ones (Martin, 2007; Roeckelein, 2002). Organizations (e.g., The International Society for Humor Studies; The Association for the Advancement of Therapeutic Humor), journals (e.g., Humor: International Journal of Humor Research) and internet phenomena such as "The Humor Project" (www.humorproiect.com) have made great strides in integrating information about humor from discreet fields such as the arts and humanities, biological and social sciences, education, and business management. Still, the therapeutic potential of humor remains a relatively young subject of serious scientific inquiry (Marci, Moran, & Orr, 2004; Sala, Krupat, & Roter, 2002). While humor does make appearances in self-help books and publications addressing clinical applications, these sources are much ...

Correlates of Program Completion in Juvenile Diversion

The current study evaluated the State Juvenile Diversion Program, managed by the District Attorney’s (DA) office in Denver Colorado. The purpose of this study was to review factors, which potentially contribute to success or failure in diversion. Research in diversion programing typically focuses on recidivism rates, but fails to examine which factors contribute to program completion. The analysis was conducted using data from 57 juveniles who entered the DA diversion program in 2015. This represents the majority of juveniles in the diversion program rather than a sample. The current study confirmed prior research findings that those juveniles who do not successfully complete a diversion program are more likely to reoffend. Additionally, the factors which were significantly correlated with successful completion of the diversion program were grade point average (GPA) and number of municipal tickets. The number of behavior reports in school before and after the Diversion program was significantly lower for both groups. Non-significant findings are also discussed as they may help guide future research.

The Importance of the First Psychotherapy Case in the Development of the Therapist's Professional Self as Viewed Through the Lens of Self Psychology

This paper explores the gap in the literature between what is herein referred to as the "first psychotherapy case" and its impact on the development of the trainee psychotherapist's professional self. The self psychology concepts of identity development, selfobject needs and fulfillment, narcissism, shame, countertransference, and structuralization are incorporated into the theoretical framework from which this developmental milestone is viewed. The theory's emphasis on early experiences and the development of self highlight the distinctiveness of the first case for the therapist. The beginning psychotherapy case poses a unique context for selfobject experiences and the developing self, involving both the therapist's presumably mature needs (assuming an existing cohesive nuclear self) and more infantile needs as the professional, peripheral self develops. As a result, the potential and important implications for the psychotherapist, the patient, training implications for the supervisor, and the ensuing treatment through termination are identified. The intent is to shed light on an area that is understudied thus far, and to begin a conversation as to why and how the impact of the first case on the psychotherapist should be examined. Implications, limitations, and ideas for future exploratory and qualitative research are also discussed.

Understanding Mastectomy from a Self Psychology Perspective: The Breast as a Self Object

For many women, if not all, breasts are an important component of bodyself-image; a woman may love them or dislike them, but she is rarely neutral" (Young, 2003, p.152). Breast cancer may be one of the oldest forms of cancer known to humans (American Cancer Society, 2010), and in 2008 in the United States over 182,000 women and almost 2,000 men were diagnosed with some form of breast cancer (American Cancer Society, 2008). In that same year 40,480 women and 450 men died from the disease. While any type of cancer diagnosis can instill a fear of mortality and incapacitation in the recipient, breast cancer holds a special meaning for women because of the significance placed on the breast both personally and societally. Removal of the breast tissue and muscle, or mastectomy, remains one of the primary forms of treatment for this disease. The breast plays an important role in a woman's identity, and the loss of one or both breasts due to breast cancer can have a monumental impact on her sense of self. A mastectomy affectsnot only a woman's relationship with herself, but with her family, friends, and society. It changes her outlook on life, her perception of her roles in the world, and her interest in interacting with others. Exploring these issues is important to understanding how doctors, nurses, mental health professionals, family members and support networks can best assist patients in coping with their illness. This paper attempts to understand the psychological issues and injuriesassociated with mastectomy through the lens of Self Psychology. It postulates that the breast itself is a selfobject for most women, and that its loss results in the fragmentation of the self. I will focus particularly on women between the ages of 25 and 40 years of age, in the marital and parental phases of developmental (Wolf, 1988), as the effect of a mastectomy on body image, sexuality, and genderbased roles such as motherhood has been shown to differ according to the age of the patient, with younger patients experiencing more distress (Ashing-Giwa et al, 2004).

Applying Positive Psychology in Early Childhood.

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a framework for applying positive psychology in elementary classrooms. The target age group is children in grades K-3 (ages 5 to 8) because this age group can benefit the most from an early introduction to strategies that promote positive development (Cowne & Hightower, 1989; White, 1996). The following sections will: (a) introduce constructs of positive psychology; (b) present developmental data on how these constructs can be applied to children ages 5 to 8 years; (c) present ideas for incorporating positive psychology practice into K-3 classrooms; (d) present strategies for incorporating positive psychology with multicultural considerations; and (e) present ideas on how to implement strategies based on positive psychology that are compatible with grade level standards and sociopolitical teaching expectations.

Exploring How AFFECT (A Family Focused Emotion Communication Training) and Self Psychology Are Mutually Enhancing

This paper implicitly advocates for a rapprochement between psychodynamic and behavioral approaches to psychotherapy, by exploring the similarities and differences between self psychology and A Family Focused Emotion Communication Training (AFFECT), a behavioral parent training model. Self psychology, a theory with broad applicability, has been applied to several modalities besides behavioral ones. Generally speaking, self psychology and AFFECT are both relational approaches to psychotherapy that emphasize the impact of parent responsiveness, more specifically empathic attunement, on a child's emotional development and emotion regulation. Differentiating aspects of each model are identified to enhance the other model. AFFECT has relevance for pushing self psychology theory more in the direction of operations, which has implications for enhancing the research potential of self psychology, as well as for the training of the self-psychologist. Conversely, self psychology has relevance for coaching the parent with low self-esteem and decreased self-efficacy in AFFECT, which has potential implications for AFFECT treatment outcomes.