Humor And Irony In Psychotherapy: A Therapeutic Tool

Although we think of psychotherapy as something serious, which it is, the truth is that perhaps among the therapeutic tools used there is fortunately more humor than we think. Not always a serious subject should be treated following certain patterns that are considered “adequate”. Sometimes you have to use humor and irony to “lower your pants to reality.”

Do you know the laughter therapy workshops? Humor is used as a pretty serious tool for dealing with people whose life is full of sadness. Laughter can not only help us to feel good at that moment, but in the long term it can be very beneficial to know how to cope with pain and reduce stress. You want to release a bunch of good hormones, so smile!

Humor is a powerful weapon

When we are going through a difficult time, somehow unconscious, instead of trying to get out of that loop of pain, disappointment and sadness, we withdraw into an inactivity that effortlessly perpetuates that state. Think, how many times have you been sad and have you been watching dramatic movies or listening to songs with sad lyrics or melodies?

If we tried to dissipate all this, we would feel much better and, even, we would be better prepared to face all that is causing us so much pain. Although not only sadness causes us discomfort. Anger, anger and jealousy are also other types of emotions that can arise and that can be solved with a little humor.

It’s hard? Of course it is, but that is why humor is being included in psychotherapy, to help patients bring out their more cheerful side and thus see life in a different way. Sometimes things are not as they seem, they are not so dramatic or so disastrous.

That is the perception that we consider, but have you never been told that reality is as you see it? If you include humor in negative situations, your perception may change and you start to be much happier.

As the benefits of laughter are many and some are deeply unknown, here are some of the most important:

• It will help you cope with problems with ease : our emotions condition us to make a problem much bigger than it is. Sometimes the solution is in front of us, but we don’t see it because of our emotions. Laughing will allow us to reduce those negative emotions that are blinding us.

• It will allow you to express your emotions and feelings : when we feel bad, sometimes, we close ourselves in and do not open up with others. Including humor and irony can help you express what you feel, because you put aside that control that you try to exert over what happens to you.
• It will improve your self-esteem : there is nothing more important than knowing how to laugh at yourself, doing so is undoubtedly a great indicator that you identify yourself as you are. For this reason, humor will allow you to improve your self-esteem, accepting yourself in every way, without feeling ashamed, without repressing yourself, just being yourself.
• You will be able to see the situation in a much more casual way : negative emotions invite us to see in a rigid way what is happening to us, preventing us from being aware that everything is much easier than it really seems. In situations of attachment or toxic relationships it comes in handy.

Humor and irony are complements. Obviously, there will be many more procedures that will have to be carried out for the result of the therapy to be satisfactory. Of course, the use of these two elements will also lead to a better therapist-patient relationship, which will undoubtedly make everything flow much better and allow the patient to open up and relax.