Tag-Archive for » Applied Humor Therapy «
Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor
Show your support and help spread the word for “Healing Humor” as a Way of Life — NOT a Band Aid, by wearing your “Healing Humor” button, along with a smile!
50% of all sale proceeds for each button sold is contributed to Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor (AATH).
Great for every day wear, as well as on Clown Rounds! Quantity discounts are available. Eye-catching new multi-color ”tie-dyed” background with our “Healing Humor” logo and saying.
For more information, click on this link (here) for: HealingHumorButtons
Applied Humor in the healthcare setting has tangible benefits!
Therapeutic Clowns are gathering in Toronto this week to learn more about delivering Applied Humor Therapy through clown arts in the healthcare venue!
Here is an insightful interview dicsussing the health benefits of healing humor by CTVglobemedia with Dr. Peter Spitzer aka “Dr. Froot Loop,” a medical doctor from Australia and co-founder of The Humour Foundation, and Fools for Health founder “Dr. Haven’t a Clue,” professor Bernie Warren of Canada, on this week’s conference and tangible research-based results of Applied Humor Therapy:
Click on this link here, to view the online interview…
Take-away Points from this great interview:
- Therapeutic Clown’s Perspective is what’s “right” in the situation.
- The Applied Humor Therapy is referred to as “Open Heart” Sugery.
- Today, there are thousands of clowns doing this important work around the world!
A Hospital or Caring Clown’s mission has always been to do nothing more than to cheer patients through a gentle presence as a means of taking the patient’s mind off their current health condition or painful situation.
Patients are always our primary focus during visitations.
The rule of the day in Rounds is simple is always best. If the patient is under heavy medication, he or she will not really be able to fully participate or grasp the concept of a long or intricate presentation. If a patient is able and seems a likely candidate, we perform nose transplants on the spot, with their visitors participating in the procedure. We often perform along with the visitors, drawing everyone into the act.
Sizing up the audience, including the patient’s condition and alertness, is the second rule of the day on Rounds. Analyzing the environment in the room also plays an important part in determining our performance – are there visitors? What is the mood in the room? Sometimes, our gentle presence is enough, with a smile and wave, to brighten a patient’s day. Sometimes that is all the energy they may have to take in what we can offer.
We entertain the staff at the nurse’s station and in the hallways, as schedule allows. The staff enjoys their joy-filled interlude and comedic stress-relieving moments with us.
Visitors are often treated to entertainment in the patient’s rooms, but sometimes we catch them by surprise in the hallways, waiting rooms, elevators and lobby.
Clowns exist to entertain, and in doing so, freely offer joy-filled wonder and exploration to discover the possibilities that exist amongst all of us.
What a blessing and a privilege for hospital clowns or caring clowns to do the important work we get to do. It may be to share only a brief moment… a light-hearted exchange, sometimes merely sharing a quiet presence offered as a means to break the monotony, or a peace-full interruption of unceasing pain for a patient.
Hospital clowns and caring clowns take their funny biz very seriously, as they spread contagious laughter, cheer, mirth and merriment wherever the meandering path may lead. As they cheer the patients, visitors and staff, hospital clowns not only do the important work of sharing healing humor, but also make friends and memories with children of all ages, all along their merry way!
Special moments leave heartprints long after the event. As for clowns on rounds, many experiences leave indelible prints on their collective clown hearts. Countless memorable moments happen during hospital visitations. The patients, visitors and staff often share how much they enjoyed the performance. Even when a patient is unable to express appreciation in a way that might be discernable by most, we get the message – from their heart to ours.
We feel immeasurably blessed.
Join us in Center Ring for this month’s AHeart4Clowning TalkRadio Show, as we spotlight one of the most versatile and all-round highly experienced Hospital or Caring Clowns you might be fortunate to get your funny bone tickled by!
Follow the Big Top spotlight to find AHeart4Clowning TalkRadio Show on Thursday, February 11th at 10AM PT/ Noon CT/1PM ET L-I-V-E, as host Becky “CarroTop Rainbo” Cortino interviews very special guest Kathy “Huggles” McLaughlin, Hospital/Caring Clown extraordinaire:
A clown since 1974 and actively performing in many venues, Kathy “Huggles” McLaughlin’s love is Caring Clowning. “Huggles” is a hospital clown entertainer frequently appearing in the healthcare venue for the last 12 years, and currently performing in 5 different hospitals. Kathy also lectures and teaches on the subject throughout the US, Canada, and at Clown Camp Wisconsin. “Huggles” joy-filled journey has also taken her to perform in Russia, Japan, Scotland, Mexico, Guatemala and a few other countries to visit children in hospitals and orphanages.
In this fun interview, Kathy shares her experiences and memorable clown adventures over these many years, and insights into what it takes to be a Hospital or Caring Clown. Got questions? Call-in or join the chat and text-in your questions during the show! Catch the show streaming L-I-V-E, or catch this show after the broadcast, from the archive.
Miles of Smiles: Becky Cortino
Having been performing before mostly captive audiences since 1997 in the healthcare setting, I have often enjoyed connecting with like-minded others involved in grassroots organizations. Our facilities differ, but one thing I have learned is our concerns and focus are very similar. There is much to learn and share!
Just prior to writing my first book on establishing a hospital clown or family entertainer group, I met many clowns and family entertainers who expressed their heartfelt desire to do what I am fortunate to get to do every month — cheer patients! This fueled my drive to get that book written, to help others set up a group in their hospital or area.
After I finished writing the first book, my mission became clear and is very simple: I want to help further clown arts and humor programs in hospitals and healthcare settings globally. Together, we are doing that – but I strive to encourage it on a much broader scale than what we are currently doing.
How to do this? In 2008, I established 2 active groups on Facebook and am building community in our specialty. Now, I am also asking for a bit of help — but just a little bit 
Please take our short Hospital Clown/Healthcare Performer Survey to tell us what you think, and about what you do at your facility. All respondents remain anonymous and no personal information is required to participate.
Here is the link for our short survey: Click this link here for the survey
As most folks in this venue, I am a volunteer. I am not paid for hospital visitations or performances I have freely given since 1997, nor am I salaried to coordinate, or for any ongoing training I have provided the hospital group I’ve been honored to serve as coordinator for since 2003. I do not have a trunkload of supplies and gadgets to sell you. No fees are collected to maintain this site or any related community groups – so know I am fully-vested in my global mission.
As part of building community, I would like to know what you think and more about the kind of work you do. Your input is important and your thoughts are appreciated — I know you are as driven by your passion, as I am!
Click this link here for our short survey
Tell us what you think… what you do at your facility…
If you have a question, a referral or need help in your area, please use the Contact Form and drop me a note. I look forward to hearing from you!
Thank you for your thoughts 
Recently, a professional family entertainer shared with me their discomfort with changing up their act, a personal reaction to meet more stringent guidelines now in place by a hosting healthcare facility.
Change in an act requires careful examination of many elements in the performance, not the least of which includes the entertainer. Even minor revisions take time, concentration and commitment to see the fine-tuning enhances, rather than adding unnecessary clutter, or possibly removing a key ingredient.
It is a well-known fact that people resist change every day, in every way. Artistic license and creativity are two areas to be respected. Based upon these two irrefutable truths, the professional family entertainer’s reaction is understandable, but gives others pause to wonder what the focus of their performance is — on the entertainer, or for the audience?
By the fact that family performers exist to entertain, it would seem no matter how talented, no performance occurs without the audience. Otherwise, they are merely practicing.
The purpose for hospital visitations, Clown Rounds or healthcare visits is not to “put on a show.” It is to relieve the pain, stress, loneliness or suffering experienced by the patient – the intended ’audience.’ If a “show” is presented, no real connection is made. Thus the ‘audience’ is really a mere spectator, not drawn into the the joy and wonder of the moment, away from their condition or situation.
Perhaps it is that playing with the audience, rather than to the audience is more difficult for some. Maybe performing a practiced routine to receive applause and admiration from all for incredible feats of skill are really what is being sought. Most new entertainers are robotic in their performances, being careful not to “lose their place” in a well-rehearsed act. The presence of any of these possible tendencies calls for an in-depth personal examination as to purpose and focus of an entertainer’s performance.
Hospital clowning is known to be one of the most highly-regulated clowning specialties, due to the protocols, procedures and mandated training. It defies logic to think it should be otherwise, risking life and limb, and spreading disease rather than laughter and cheer. Ignoring policies and best practices is a sure way to be banned from entertaining in any hospital or healthcare facility.
As hospital clowns, caring clowns and healthcare family entertainers, we must do our important work within the guidelines and procedures presented. Health conditions and new developments in the field give rise to the opportunity of developing personally, and in performance in new, exciting ways. This provides an ever-changing framework to further develop professionally.
While the voiced concern of one professional family entertainer is understood, the ability of ‘thinking outside the box’ has been an ever-present element in the type of performances we do.
How are you retooling your performance to meet any new healthcare guidelines or protocols? Please let us know, by leaving a comment…
As a precautionary measure to combat the spread of H1N1 (also known as the Swine Flu), new policies and procedures are being put into place in healthcare facilities worldwide.
This has impacted hospital visitations for those in the Applied Humor Therapy venue:
- Some hospitals have banned or suspended hospital clown group visits for this season
- Some hospitals have amended visitation policies, but allowed clown visits to continue
For those who are currently not making Clown Rounds due to temporary suspension of these visits, it is difficult to have to sit on the sidelines for an unknown period of time.
However, this bit of extra time and space gives hospital clowns and healthcare family entertainers the opportunity to explore new dimensions and learn new skills! Some well-worn props in need of repair, or to be refreshed are waiting for attention. Maybe time and effort could now be lavished on that dream routine or must-have accoutrement waiting to be invented?
For those hospital clowns, caring clowns and healthcare family entertainers who are fortunate enough to continue their Clown Rounds, the heightened awareness of potential infection, coupled with the associated stringent institutional policies, provide new opportunities for Applied Humor Therapists to rise to a greater level of professionalism in their performances.
Finding new ways to spread laughter and cheer and not infection in their entertainment bits, fine-tuning presentation by making one-on-one time with each patient more meaningful, and staying healthy in the process are all possible, with renewed emphasis on best practices and hygiene protocol.
Either condition for the hospital clown, caring clown or healthcare family entertainer require the Applied Humor Therapist to not be swept away by the situation, but rather think outside the box — to their next step.
Such is always the case for those of us who make Clown Rounds, but this time our efforts are reframed with a new focus. This is an opportunity for increased professionalism on all counts. It is an epidemic opportunity!
How about you? Have new policies been established in your hosting healthcare facility? Have they affected your entertaining or visitations in any way? Please leave a comment and let us know…
My Mission is Simple: To help further Clown Artsand Humor Therapy programs in hospitals and healthcare settings globally. Together in the collective sense, we are doing that – but I strive to encourage it on a global basis…
Do you have a program in your area, are you interested in starting one up, or are you currently involved in a healthcare humor program? How may I help you? I have many resources available on this topic – you can find details and a Contact Form on this site.
Recently, I did a series on ”We shouldn’t leave while the patient is still enjoying us, should we?” My response to that question is based on the premise for any hospital clown or healthcare family entertainer’s reason for being in the venue — the focus should be on the audience only, one-on-one on the patient.
By watching the patient moment-to-moment, gauges how long your performance is going to be, within an allotted amount of time. However, there are so many more factors to consider. Experience comes into play (pun intended!), and helps the seasoned healthcare performer to know when to pack up the show and thank the audience.
My years of experience in hospital clowning since 1997, have fine-tuned my internal timer. No matter where I may be in the well-rehearsed performance or with the patient, when the allotted time is reached, I bid them farewell. There’s no avoiding it — just like a pop-up timer!
Still the question remains in the minds of so many: “We shouldn’t leave while the patient is still enjoying us, should we?”
I have to laugh, because I know it is asked with the purest of intentions of the heart. In a recent conversation on this topic with a very experienced clown friend whose friendship I cherish, and advice I treasure, my friend answered this so well. “Leave them always wanting more.”
Ah, truer words n’er were spoken – true Clown Wisdom from the heart!