Humour on the Couch

Alessandra Lemma (Author)

9781861561459, Wiley

Paperback / softback, published 1 March 2000

216 pages
25 x 20 x 1.5 cm, 0.34 kg

"There’s evidence to suggest that laughter has beneficial effects...we need more studies to better understand the relationship." (Reader's Digest, August 2006)

The aim of this book is primarily to highlight humour?s communicative, relational and innovative value in everyday life and in the privileged space, carved out of everyday life, that is psychotherapy. Chapter one describes philosophical, social and psychological perspectives on humour. In Chapters two and three humour is presented as a form of playing which originates in the earliest exchanges between mother and baby and which confers significant advantages on our adaption. In Chapter four the relationship between physical and mental health and humour is examined in the light of the research literature from psychology and medicine. Chapter five restricts itself to a discussion of psychoanalytic views on humour in psychotherapy. Finally, chapter six reviews evolutionary perspectives of humour.

Introduction - a Funny Thing Happened to me on The way to Therapy. . . .

On Humour's Tightrope.

Subject Areas: Psychology [JM]