Humor as a Variable in the Process of Change

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Re: Article 44

From: Walt Manning
Date: 10/20/03
Time: 10:58:35 AM
Remote Name: 141.225.97.53

Comments

Thank you Amanda, Joni, and Lauren for your comments. Therapy with people who stutter usually IS a positive thing. Diagnostic and treatment activities with PWS is unique in the field of communication disorders. This is true, I think, because of the great variability of the problem and because we need to attend to the intrinsic as well as the surface features of the problem. But it is exciting and often fun. As Anders (see the articled Significance at this Conference) mentions, PWS have to be courageous and tough to live the lives they do. Watching a person who has led a highly restrictive life begin to expand their life (and their communicative abilty) is terribly exciting and fulfilling. And it can be fun. As I've mentioned earlier in my responses to questions, I don't know that we need to inject humor or "use" it in treatment as much as we just need to pay attention to indicators of humor as our clients achieve distance, paradigm shift, and mastery over the problem. Signs of those things as the occur are victories that should be recognized and rewarded for what they are and not thought of as artifacts of the therapeutic alliance. They are signs that people are become desensitized, separating from their problem, taking charge, and rewriting their stories. I don't want to forget the techniques that result in greater fluency but I'm usually more interested in helping my clients to become better at interacting with themselves and others. AS Joni mentions, being empathetic (understanding without judging) is often at the center of the therapeutic relationship and humor is one of the ways to make the connection with another. Understanding the stuttering experience is critical to having empathy. I've just completed a manuscript that will appear in a special edition of CICSD (Contemparary Issues in Communication Sciences and Disorders)that addresses this and realted issues in more detail. Thank you all for your comments.


Last changed: September 12, 2005