Seriously Funny: The Clinical Role of Humor in the Grief ...
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St. Catherine University St. Catherine University
SOPHIA SOPHIA
Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers School of Social Work
5-2013
Seriously Funny: The Clinical Role of Humor in the Grief Process Seriously Funny: The Clinical Role of Humor in the Grief Process
Jessie Rae Rayle St. Catherine University
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Recommended Citation Recommended Citation Rayle, Jessie Rae. (2013). Seriously Funny: The Clinical Role of Humor in the Grief Process. Retrieved from Sophia, the St. Catherine University repository website: https://sophia.stkate.edu/msw_papers/251
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RunningHead:HUMORANDGRIEF
SeriouslyFunny:TheClinicalRoleof
HumorintheGriefProcess
by
JessieRaeRayle,BFAMay,2013
MSWClinicalResearchPaper
PresentedtotheFacultyoftheSchoolofSocialWork
St.CatherineUniversityandtheUniversityofSt.ThomasSt.Paul,Minnesota
inPartialfulfillmentoftheRequirementsfortheDegreeof
MasterofSocialWork
CommitteeMembers:CollinHollidge,Ph.D.,(Chair)ElizabethRezek,LICSWKristiJohnson,LICSW
TheClinicalResearchProjectisagraduationrequirementforMSWstudentsatSt.CatherineUniversity/UniversityofSt.ThomasSchoolofSocialWorkinSt.Paul,Minnesotaandis
conductedwithinanine‐monthtimeframetodemonstratefacilitywithbasicsocialresearchmethods.Studentsmustindependentlyconceptualizearesearchproblem,formulatearesearchdesignthatisapprovedbyaresearchcommitteeandtheuniversityInstitutionalReviewBoard,implementtheproject,andpubliclypresentthefindingsofthestudy.Thisprojectisneithera
Master’sthesisnoradissertation.
HUMORANDGRIEF 2
Abstract
Withtheintroductionoflaughtergroupsandlaughteryogatosuchdistinguished
medicalfacilitiesastheMayoClinicandCancerTreatmentCenters,theuseofhumor
asatherapeutictoolisbeginningtoemerge.Thisstudyaimstogainan
understandingofwhatmotivatestherapist’stousehumorwhileworkingwith
grievingclientsthroughaqualitativeapproach.Fourlicensedtherapistswere
interviewedonthetopicsoftheoreticalorientation,intentionaluseofhumorwith
grievingclients,theclinicalrisksandbenefitsofusinghumorandthetherapist’s
personalpreferencesofhumor.Themajorthemesfoundinthisstudyweretherole
thathumorplaysincreatingalliances,measuringsafety,assessingtheclientandself
care.Thisstudyconcludedthathumorcouldplayaverysignificantroleinthegrief
processbyimprovingthetherapeuticalliance,assessingtheclient’srecoveryand
actingasatoolforself‐careonthepartofthetherapist.
HUMORANDGRIEF 3
Acknowledgements
Iwouldliketothankmyfamily,Fahzah,Mahzah,Thithter,andLoveyfor
makinghumoranessentialpartofmydailylifeandalwayslaughingatmyrecycled
jokes!
Iwouldalsoliketothankmychair,ColinHollidge,andmyCommittee
members,FrankiRezekandKristiJohnson.Yourabilitytoreschedulethingsis
amazing!
HUMORANDGRIEF 4
TableofContents
Introduction...............................................................5
LiteratureReview..........................................................7
Methodology.............................................................16
ConceptualFramework...................................................20
Findings..................................................................23
Discussion................................................................33
References...............................................................38
AppendixA...............................................................42
AppendixB...............................................................43
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Introduction
“PerhapsIknowbestwhyitismanalonewholaughs;
healonesufferssodeeplythathehadtoinventlaughter.“
FriedrichNietzsche
Peopleoftenspeakoflaughingsohardtheycry,butneverofcryingsohard
theylaugh.Manypeopledon’tthinkabouthumorousthingswheninastateof
despairyet,accordingtoNormanCousins,thatisexactlywhatweshouldbedoing.
NormanCousinsissitedinalmosteverycurrentresearcharticleasamajorcatalyst
inmovinghumor’seffectsonmedicalpatientstoamorerespectedandnotedlevel.
Inhisarticle,“AnatomyofanIllness”,Cousins(1976)describeshisjourneyof
healinghimselffromAnkylosingSpondylitisthroughtheuseofhumorandlaughter.
PerhapsevenmorefamousthanCousinswasHollywood’sfavoritedoctor,Patch
Adams,whousedhisclowningabilitiestobringhumorandamorehumanisticpoint
ofviewtothedeliveryofcareamonghispatients.Infact,hehastakengroupsof
“clowns”tohospitals,orphanages,prisonsandnursinghomesaroundtheglobein
hopesofimprovingthelivesofsufferingpeople(Adams,2000).Althoughbothof
thesemenhavemadeheadlinesthroughtheiruseofhumorinpractice,therehave
alsobeennumerousscientificstudiescompletedthatclaimthereismoretruthto
theterm,“Laughteristhebestmedicine”thanonemaythink.Manystudiesinthe
areaofhumorfinditcausespositiveemotionalstatesalongwithcreatinglower
levelsofdistressandanger(Martin,2007;Papa&Litz,2011);andasitwouldbe,
highlevelsofangeranddistressaresymptomscommonlyfoundinagrieving
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person(Utz,Caserta,andLund,2011;Bonanno&Keltner,1997).
Griefisastatethatalmosteverypersoncomestoknowatsomepointinhisor
herlife,beitthroughthedeathofalovedone,thelossofanidentityordiagnosisof
aterminalillness.TheclinicalworldhasbeenworkingwithElisabethKubler‐
Ross’sfivestagesofgriefsince1970,butthesestageswereoriginallyintendedto
describestagesadyingpersonmaygothrough,notagrievingfamily.While
Kubler’smodelwasagoodstart,cliniciansarenowlookingforalternatewaysto
workwithgrievingclientsinamoreholisticandhumanisticapproach(Konigsberg,
2011).Thissearchforamoreholisticapproachtogriefopensanewframeof
thinkinginrelationtohumorinthegriefprocess.Infact,astudydonewith
widowedadultsfoundexperiencinghumorandlaughterwasstronglyassociated
withlowergriefanddepression(Lund,Utz,CasertaandVries,2009);andwhile
theremaybeminimalresearchonthiscorrelation,cliniciansseemtobeinterested
intheuseofhumorintheirpractice.
Withtheintroductionoflaughteryoga,laughtertherapyandotherhumor‐
basedpracticesinplacesliketheMayoClinicandCancerTreatmentCenters,humor
isalsomakingitswayintothesocialworkworld.Sincesocialworkersworkwith
grievingclientsunderstandingtheroleofhumorasacurativeagentmaybeauseful
tool.Thisqualitativestudyaimstoanswerthequestion;whatistheroleofhumor
inthegriefprocessasunderstoodbylicensedtherapists?
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LiteratureReview
Thefollowingliteraturereviewfocusesongriefandhumorasseparate
entities.Itthenreportsonresearchlinkingthetwoinordertobestunderstandthe
possiblerolethathumorcould/doesplayinthegriefprocess.
Grief
“Griefisanaturalresponsetoloss.It’stheemotionalsufferingyoufeelwhen
somethingorsomeoneyouloveistakenaway”(Smith,2012).Althoughthis
definitionmayseemverysimpleforthoseexperiencinggrief,itencompassesallthat
griefisandcanbe,whenapersonlosestheirhealth,receivesamentalhealth
diagnosis,orlosesalovedone.Intheyear2011,over2.5millionpeoplediedinthe
UnitedStatesalone(CDC,2011).Eachofthosedeathsleftnumerousfamily
membersand/orfriendstowadethroughtheemotionsfromthelossoftheirloved
ones.Althoughtheyallexperiencesgrieffromsimilarlosses;itcanbestatedwith
muchconfidencethateachpersonwentthroughadifferentandindividualizedgrief
process.Becausepeopledealwithgriefindramaticallydifferentways,twodifferent
categoriesofgriefhavebeenestablishedtobetterassistinthetreatmentofthose
sufferingfromgrief;NormalGriefandComplicatedGrief,alsocalledPathological
Grief(Papa&Litz,2011;Lichtenthal,Cruess&Prigerson,2004;Boelen&Bout,
2008).
NormalGriefisusuallyaccompaniedbysymptomsthatcanincludesadness,
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longing,guilt,andanger(Papa&Litz,2011).Thesesymptomsareusuallyat
heightenedlevelsforthefirst2‐4monthsafteraloss,butthegrievinggradually
regainthecapacityforinterestsandrelationships;eventuallyreturningtoanew
normal(Tomita&Kitamura,2002;Papa&Lite,2011).Mostpeoplewhoare
dealingwithbereavementandlosswillexperienceNormalGrief,whileonly10‐15%
ofthispopulationstruggleswithComplicatedGrief(Lichtenthal,etal.,2004).
ComplicatedGrief,orPathologicalGrief,hassimilarsymptomstonormalgrief
butcomplicatedgriefdiffersinthetimethatittakesthegrievingpersontoreturnto
a“normal”routine.Ifsomeoneissufferingfromcomplicatedgriefheorshewill
continuetohavepersistentmourning,yearning,emotionalpain,andwithdrawal
(Papa&Lite,2011).ComplicatedGriefcanbesodebilitatingthatithasbeen
proposedasaclinicaldiagnosisintheupcomingDSM‐V(Boelen&Bout,2008;Papa
&Lite,2011;Lichtenthal,etal.,2004).
PhysicalandPsychologicalEffectofGrief.Aspreviouslydiscussed,notwo
peopledealwithgriefinthesameway,yettherearesimilarphysicaland
psychologicaleffectsthatcanmanifestfromasignificantloss.Sadness,anxiety,
helplessness,irritabilityandloweredself‐esteemarejustafewofthepsychological
symptomsofgriefreportedinCasarett,Kutner,andAbrahm’s(2001)consensus
paperwhichdescribesaclinician’sroleinbothnormalandcomplicatedgrief.
Casarettetal.(2001)goesontoexplaintheimportanceofnormalizingthese
reactionsinordertoallowapersontomovethroughthemourningprocess(p.210).
Thephysicalsymptomsofgriefcanrangefromfatigue,sleepproblems,chest
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pains,headachestogastrointestinaldistress(Casarettet.al,2001;Jeffreys,2005;
Banonno&Kaltman,2001).BanonnoandKaltman(2001)alsodiscusspastresearch
focusedoneffectsofgriefontheimmunesystem.Theyreportonnumerousstudies
thathaveconcludeda“compromise”inagrievingperson’simmunesystem(p.720),
thoughitisconclusivelystatedthatmorestudiesneedtobeconductedtomakea
concreteconnectionbetweenthegriefandtheimmunesystem.Jeffreys(2005)
emphasizestheimportanceofacareprovidertoidentifythephysicalsymptomsof
griefinordertobettertreatthegrievingclient.Jeffreys(2005)alsosuggests
“advisinggoodsleepinghabits,physicalrelaxation,physicalexerciseandspecially
designatedtime‐outsfromactivegrieving”(p.49).
GriefTherapy.Foryearsgriefhasbeendissectedbynumerousresearchers
fromElisabethKubler‐Ross’famousfivestagesofgrief,tomorerecentstudiesof
RobertNeimeryerwhofocusesonmeaningreconstructionafterasignificantloss
(Jeffreys,2005).Therearemanydifferentbreak‐downsofphases,tasksand
processestobetterhandlegrief,yetaccordingtoLichtenthal,Cruess&Prigerson
(2004),whoconductedacriticalreviewofclinicalinterventionsforgrief,“the
proposedstagetheoriesofgriefhavenotfoundevidencesupportingtheresolution
ofgriefbyclearlycutstages”(p.643).Infact,thereisyettobeaspecificgrief
therapythathasproventoeffectivelytreatalltypesofgrief.
Inameta‐analysisdonebyNeimeyerandCurrier(2009)involvingthereview
of61outcomestudies,including48peer‐reviewedarticles,itwasfoundthat
generalpsychotherapywasmoreeffectivewhencomparedtogrief‐focusedtherapy.
HUMORANDGRIEF 10
Theaffectsofnon‐randomizedgrieftherapydidyieldahighlevelofeffectiveness
immediatelyfollowingtherapy(.5effectsize),buttheeffectsizedroppedtoalmost
zeroonlyeightmonthsfollowingtreatment.Psychotherapyontheotherhand,
stayedthesamelevel(.8effectsize)fromthelastdayoftreatmenttoeightmonths
aftertreatmentwascompleted.ThoughtheNiemeyerandCurrier(2009)studywas
verycomprehensive,itdidnottakeintoconsiderationotherformsoftherapythat
mayhavegreaterorlessereffects.
Inameta‐analysisbyPapaandLite(2011),whichprimarilyfocusedon
NormalandComplicatedGrief,asimilarconclusiontoNeimeyerandCurrier(2009)
wasfound.Afterreviewingnumerousstudies,PapaandLite(2011)foundno
empiricalsupportforusing“griefwork”toassistwithapersongoingthrough
NormalGrieftoreturntopre‐bereavementfunctioning(p235).Howeverwhen
focusedonComplicatedGrief,itwasconcludedthatExposureTherapyand
CognitiveBehaviorTherapy(CBT)togetherwasmostsuccessfulwhencomparedto
stand‐alonegrieftreatment.PapaandLite(2011)alsodiscussedthenotionthatan
earlyinterventionmayendupbeinginappropriateandconsequentlyworsen
symptomsdowntheroad(p230).
Becausethereisalackofempiricalevidencetofavoraspecificgrief‐focused
therapy,itcanbeconcludedthatitisnecessaryforfutureresearchtocontinue
exploringtheoutcomeofdifferenttypesoftherapytobesthelpthosesufferingwith
grief.
Humor
HUMORANDGRIEF 11
Apersoncanusemanytypesofhumorintheirdailylivestoincludesatire,
political,low‐brow,gallowsandintellectual.Thesetypesofhumorallhaveone
thingincommon;noteveryonewilllaughatthem.Becausenoteveryonefindsthe
samejokesorsituationsfunny,itmaybedifficulttocategorizewhatwillcause
laughterandwhatwillpossiblyoffend(Hayworth,1928).Thequesttofindonetype
ofhumorthatismoreeffectiveatproducinglaughterthananotherhas
demonstratedtobeadifficultandendlesspathbymanyresearchers(Smuts,2009).
However,ithasbeendeterminedthattherearecategoricallytwotypesoflaughter,
DuchenneLaughter,laughterwhichisstimulusdrivenandemotionallyconnected
(ie,ajoke,funnysituationand/orjoy),andnon‐DuchenneLaughter,self‐generated
andemotionlesslaughter(Mora,2008).Smuts(2009)alsoexplainsphthonic
laughter–laughterfrommaliceorenvy.Thoughitmaycomefromadarkplace,
phthoniclaughterisalsoaformofDuchennelaughter.Agroupmaysharethistype
oflaughteriftheysharethesamesupposedassumptionsthatwouldbeconsidered
offensiveorinappropriatebyanotherpersonorgroup.Smuts(2009)alsoexplains
thathumorcanbeusedasaneffectivewaytobringupadifficultsubjectorpoint
outfaultthatmayotherwisebedifficulttoaddress.
PhysicalEffectsofHumor.AccordingtoRodA.Martin’s,ThePsychologyof
Humor(2007),physicalhealthisa“complexconcept”;thereforeitisdifficultto
attributehumor,another“complexconcept”,asareasonorcontributortoan
increasedlevelofphysicalhealth(p.313).InNormanCousinsarticle,“Anatomyof
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anIllness”,Cousins(1976)describeshisjourneyofhealinghimselffromAnkylosing
Spondylitis,throughtheuseofhumorandDuchennelaughter.Heclaimedthat10
minutesofDuchennelaughtercouldgivehim2hoursofpainfreesleep.Bennett
andLengacher’s(2006)meta‐analysisalsosupportsCousin’s(1976)claimthat
thereisadefiniteconnectionbetweentheuseofhumorandself‐reportedphysical
health.BennettandLengacher(2006)reviewednumerousstudiesthatfound
exposuretoahumorousvideocanincreaseaperson’sSIgA(ameasurablepartof
theimmunesystemfoundinsaliva)levelsoftheirimmunesystem(p.160).Thus
supportingthefactthathumorcanplayaroleinaperson’sphysicalhealth,but
becauseofpossiblemethodologicalissuesinthestudies,moreresearchisrequired
tomakethisadefinitivestatement.
Justlikegrieftherapy,manyresearchershaveconcludedthatthereisnot
enoughevidencetoprovethatanincreaseinphysicalhealthcanhappensolely
throughtheuseofhumor.Afteracriticalreviewofpublishedresearchonthetopic
ofhumorandhealth,Martin(2001)alternatelyconcludedthatthereareonlyafew
significantcorrelationsthatcanbemadebetweenhumorandphysicalhealth.
Martin(2001)alsostatesthatthereistoomuchconflictingresearchontheeffectsof
humorandlaughteronphysicalhealthforanotablerelationshiptobeassumed.
ThoughmanyresearchersagreewithMartin,Mora(2011)arguesthatlaughter,the
resultofhumor,hasyettoproveanyadversephysicaleffectsonthebody(Mora,
2011).
PsychologicalEffectsofHumor.Oneareathatalloftheliteratureagreed
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uponwasthepositiveaffectsthathumorandlaughterseemstohaveon
psychologicaloutcomes.ThoughMarin(2001)waswearytoclaimphysiological
benefits,hedidstatethatlaughterwasfoundtocausepositiveemotionalstatesin
themajorityoftheresearchreviewed.ThisconclusionisechoedinBennettand
Lengacher’s(2006)findings,whichfoundhigherscoresontheCopingHumorScale
(CHS)and/ortheSituationalHumorResponseQuestionnaire(SHRQ)inparticipants
whohadlowerlevelsofloneliness,depressionandstress.Thisresearchwas
supportedbyDanzer,DaleandKlion’s(1990)studyontheeffectsofhumorstimuli
oninduceddepression.Danzeretal.(1990)discoveredthatagroupofstudents
whowatchedadepressingvideofollowedbyahumorousvideo,returnedtotheir
pre‐experimentalbaselinewhilethosewhodidnotviewahumorousvideoafterthe
depressingvideodidnotreturntotheirbaseline.LastlyastudybyWanzer,Sparks,
&Frymier,(2009)interviewed205olderadultsandfoundthatthosewhoused
humoronaregularbasisreportedgreatercopingefficacyandahigheroverall
satisfactionwithlife.Theseresearchconclusionscouldpossiblyleadafuture
researchertomakeassumptionsaboutthepositiverolethathumorandlaughter
mayhaveinthegriefprocess.
EffectsofHumorinBereavement.Lund,Utz,Caserta&DeVries(2008),in
theirstudyof292recentlywidowedmenandwomeninvestigatednotonlythe
effectsofhumor,butalsotheimportancetheparticipantsputonhavingasenseof
humor.Theoutcomeprovedtosupportpastconclusions;theparticipantswho
werefoundtobemakingthemostpositivebereavementadjustmentswerethe
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participantswhowerealsoexperiencinghumorandlaughterintheirlives(Lundet
al.,2008).Theoutcomeofthisstudygivesconcreteevidenceforgriefcounselors
promotingnotonlytheuse,butalsotheimportanceofhumorinthegriefprocess
(Lundetal.2008).AccordingtotheresearchstudybyKeltnerandBonanno(1997),
itwasfoundthatDuchennelaughterpredictedalowerlevelofgriefseverity.The
previouslydiscussedbenefitsandexplanationsofhumorandlaughterpainteda
broadpictureofthepsychologicalbenefitsofhumor,butthisresearch,focusing
specificallyonthegriefprocess,seemstojustifyhumor’sroleinthegrieving
process.
HumorbasedTreatments.Humortherapyisjustoneofthemodalitiesthat
ispromotingtheuseofhumorasaneffectivetherapeutictool.Thepopularityof
laughteryogahasbeenincreasingintheUnitedStatessinceitsconceptioninIndia
in1995(Martin,2007).Astudyof70womendiagnosedwithdepressionwereput
throughbothexerciseandlaughteryoga;itwasconcludedthatlaughteryogahad
thesameeffectsasexercisedidonimprovingdepressionandincreasinglife
satisfaction(Shahidi,Mojtahed,Modabbernia,Mojtahed,Shafiabady,Delavar&
Honari,2010).Anotherstudyoflaughteryogafoundanimmediateimprovementof
moodandanimprovementinthesubject’slong‐termanxietyafter10sessionsof
laughteryoga(Dolgoff‐Kaspar,Baldwin,Johnson,Edling,&Sethi,2012).
Franzini(2001)conductedameta‐analysisreviewofresearchontheuseof
humorintherapy.Thereviewwassothoroughthathecreatedathree‐pagelistof
pastresearchandtheoriststhatsupportedthebenefitsofusinghumorin
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psychotherapy.AccordingtoFanzini(2001)thepastresearchhasfoundhumor
benefitstheclinicaltreatmentinamyriadofwaystoinclude;reducingdiscomfort
anxiety,servingasacatharticrelease,makingtherapysessionsmorememorable,
anddisplaygenuineemotion(p189).Ontheconversesideofpromotinghumor,
Fanzini(2001)alsocreatedalistofcautionsinusinghumorinpsychotherapy,
whichincludedconcernsthatfocusedon;patientsassumptionthatthetherapistis
“makingfun”,thepatientmayfeelattacked,usinghumortohideconflict,and
possiblecountertransferenceproblems(p192).Martin(2007)alsodiscussedthe
useofhumorinpsychotherapyandstated,“humorhasbeenarecommendedand
usefultoolinindividualtherapy,counselingandgrouptherapy”(p337).Becauseof
theserecommendationsMartin(2007)statesthathumorcaneitherbeusedasa
“therapeutictechnique”ora“communicationskill”(p337).
HUMORANDGRIEF 16
Methodology
Afterathoroughreviewoftheliteratureongriefandhumor,theresearch
questionforthisstudyinvestigatedtherolehumorplaysinthegriefrecovery
process.Theanswertothisresearchquestionwasdiscoveredthroughaqualitative
studyusingexploratorymethodologytobetterinvestigatethespecificwaysin
whichsocialworkersusehumorwithgrievingclients.
Sample
Theparticipantsofthisstudywereobtainedthroughapurposivestrategyby
creatingasnowballsamplingoflicensedtherapistswhohadidentifiedthemselves
asusinghumorwithgrievingclients.Thisallowedforamorein‐depthlookatthe
rolehumorcouldplay,asopposedtointerviewingparticipantswhodidnotuse
humor.Thesampleforthisstudywascomposedoflicensedtherapistsinthestate
ofMinnesotawhowereactivelyworkingwithgrievingclientsatthetimeoftheir
interview.Therewerefourparticipantsinthesamplewhofitthepreviouslystated
qualifications.Theseparticipantshadself‐identifiedasusinghumorintheircurrent
practice.One(25%)oftheparticipantswasworkingwithgrievingclientsinagroup
settingandthree(75%)oftheparticipantswereworkingwithclientsonan
individualbasis.
DataCollection
Thedataforthisqualitativeresearchstudywasgatheredthroughasemi‐
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structuredinterview(SeeAppendixA),allowingforprobingquestionstobe
includedtobestfitthereal‐timescenario.AfterapprovalfromtheUniversityofSt.
ThomasIRB,anemailwassentouttopossibleparticipantsexplainingthepurpose
ofthestudyandpossiblerisks/benefitsofparticipating.Thisemailaskedthatthe
recipientconsiderparticipationaswellasrequestingtheypassalongthis
informationtosomeonethatmayfittheparticipationcriteriaforthisstudy.
Interestedparticipantswerethenaskedtoemailtheresearchertoconfirmtheir
eligibility.Afterminimalresponse,afollow‐upemailwassenttopromoteresponse.
Afteraparticipantreplied,afollowupemailwiththeinterviewquestionsand
consentform(SeeAppendixB)wassentandaphonecallwasmadetoschedulethe
interviewtime,dateandlocation.Theinterviewslastedapproximately45minutes
andfocusedontheinterviewee’suseofhumorwithgrievingclients.Priorto
recordingtheinterviews,theresearcherconfirmedtheparticipanthadreadthe
consentformandinterviewquestions,andgavetheparticipantanopportunityto
askquestionsorclarifyanyoftheprocessinformation.Theresearcherthen
recordedtheinterviewonadigitalrecordingdeviceanddownloadedthefiletoher
computeruponcompletion.Theparticipantwasalsoremindedthattheycoulddrop
outofthisprojectatanytimeforanyreason.
Measurement
Themeasurementinstrumentusedbythisresearcherwasasemi‐structured
interview.Theresearcherofthestudycreatedeightprimaryquestionsbasedonthe
reviewedliteratureandguidancefromtheresearchchairandcommitteemembers.
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Thesequestionsincludedthefollowingtopics;thetypeoftherapythatispreferred
bytheparticipantwhenworkingwithagrievingclient,theparticipant’sintentional
orunintentionaluseofhumorwithinpreferredtherapy,thehinderingand/or
beneficialaspectsofhumorincounselingclientswithgrievanceissues,typesof
humorthatincreaseordecreaserecoveryandaspecifictypeofhumorthatthe
participantleanstowards.
DataAnalysis
Beinganexploratorystudy,thedatafromthesemi‐structuredinterviewswas
analyzedthroughcontentanalysis.Byusingcontentanalysistheauthorofthestudy
identifiedthemesandpatternssolelybasedontheinterviewsconductedforthis
researchproject.Aftertheverbalinterviewrecordingsweretranscribed,the
authorofthestudyscouredthewrittentranscriptionsforrepetitivewordsand/or
excerpts,whichwerethenturnedintocodesandgivenmeaningthroughanalyzing
commonalitiesandcomparisonstopreviousliterature.Finallythesecodes
translatedintothemainthemesoftheresearch.Theconclusivethemesofthe
interviewsmadeupthefindingsofthisresearchprojectandwerethenappliedto
futureuseandstudieswiththepurposeofdefininghumor’sroleinthegriefprocess.
ProtectionofHumanParticipants
Inordertomaintainconfidentiality,theauthorofthisstudycreatedaconsent
formbasedonSt.CatherineUniversity/UniversityofSt.Thomasconsentform
templateandchecklist.Itfocusedonbackgroundinformation,thespecificresearch
proceduresandrisks,explainedtheconfidentialityandalsoinformedthe
HUMORANDGRIEF 19
participantsthattheinterviewwillbeaudiorecordedandtranscribed.Thisconsent
formandresearchquestionwasdistributedtoeachparticipantpriortothe
interview.Theparticipantssignedtheconsentformpriortostartingtheinterview.
Theinitialinterviewrecordingswerekeptonamemorystickandkeptlockedfile
cabinetthehomeoftheinterviewer.Thewrittentranscriptionsoftheverbal
interviewswerealsocompletedbytheinterviewerandkeptonthesamethumb
driveastheinterviewrecordings.Therecordingsandtranscriptionswerenot
labeledwiththenames,nordidtheyincludeanyidentifyinginformationofthe
interviewees.Boththeinterviewrecordingsandthetranscriptionfileswillbe
destroyednolaterthanMay25th,2013.
HUMORANDGRIEF 20
ConceptualFramework
HumorandGriefarefoundatoppositeendsofthespectrumwhenconsidering
thestereotypicaldisplayedemotionsofeach.Becauseofthisobviousdifference,
thisresearchprojectwillbeexaminedthroughPersonCenteredTheory.Thisbroad
theoryencompassestheentirespectrumfromgrieftohumor.
PersonCenteredTheory
PersonCenteredTheoryprizestherelationshipbetweenthetherapistand
clientinorderfortheclienttoachievepsychologicalwellbeing(Pattersonand
Joseph,2007).CarlRogers,whodevelopedtheframeworkforPersonCentered
Theoryinthe1950’s,statedthisabouthistheorywell:
“Aspersonsareempatheticallyheard,itbecomespossibleforthemtolisten
moreaccuratelytotheflowofinnerexperiencings.Butasaperson
understandsandprizesself,theselfbecomesmorecongruentwiththe
experiencings.Thepersonthusbecomesmorereal,moregenuine.These
tendencies,thereciprocalofthetherapist'sattitudes,enablethepersontobe
amoreeffectivegrowth‐enhancerforhimselforherself.”
Inordertoachievepsychologicalwell‐beingandbecomea“fullyfunctioning
person”,Rogerssuggeststhreequalitiesthatatherapistmustnurtureinorderto
betterservehisorherclientbasedinPersonCenteredTheory(Truscott,2010).
Thefirstofwhichisgenuineness,orcongruence.Itisimportantforthetherapistto
notonlybegenuineinhisorherreactionsandemotionsinvolvingtheclient,but
alsopayattentionandbeopentohisorherownexperiencesoutsideoftheclient’s.
HUMORANDGRIEF 21
Thepurposeforthisgenuinenessistopromoteboththeclientandthetherapistto
beinthemomentofthesessionandthereforebothbe“emotionallypresentand
available”(p.74).
ThesecondqualitythatatherapistmustnurturewhileusingPersonCentered
Theoryis“unconditionalpositiveregard”.Thischaracteristicisessentialfor
buildingtrustinthetherapeuticrelationshipthroughanever‐presentaccepting
attitudetowardtheemotionsandthoughtsoftheclientinthepresentmoment.Itis
importanthowevertonotbegintousethistorewardgoodbehaviororthoughtwith
positiveregard.Thiscouldcreateanunhealthyrelationshipbasedontryingto
pleasethetherapistinsteadoftrustingthatthetherapistwillaccepttheclientatall
times(Truscott,2010).
Lastly,atherapistmustpractice“empathicunderstanding”.Bystrivingto
understandtheclient’sperspectiveandexperienceoftheworld,thetherapistwill
betterunderstandandbettercommunicatewiththeclient.Itisn’tenoughjustto
understandempatheticallybutalsotoensurethattheclientfeelsthetherapistis
empathetictohisorhersituation(Truscott,2010).Allthreeofthecharacteristics
arevitaltoalltherapist’sabilitytohelptheclientmovetoafullyfunctioningperson.
Personcenteredtheorystatesthataclientshouldbeempoweredand
encouragedtoactasa“fullyfunctioningperson”whois“organismicallycongruent”
(PattersonandJoseph,2007).Poland’s(1971)findingsseemtocomplement
Roger’stheoryperfectly.AccordingtoPoland(1971),notonlyhashumorbeen
foundtobeusefulindevelopinginsight,butithasalsobeenassociatedwiththe
markofagoodtherapeuticalliance.Thusunderstandingtheimportanceofthe
HUMORANDGRIEF 22
therapeuticallianceandhowtohelpaclientcreateacongruentselfthroughPerson
CenteredTheorywillhelptoevaluatehowtheparticipantsinthisstudyusehumor
whenworkingwithgrievingclients.Asthisresearchdissectstheroleofhumorin
thegriefprocess,itwillbeimportanttorememberthathumorisnotalineartool,
butaconstantlygrowinganddevelopingtraitforboththeclientandthetherapist.
HUMORANDGRIEF 23
Findings
Thisresearchprojectfocusedontheuseofhumorinthegriefprocessand,
aftertheinterviewingprocess,numerousapplicablethemessurfaced.Four
participantswereinterviewedinthisproject;eachparticipanthadidentifiedusing
humorintheirworkwithclientspriortoparticipatinginthisresearchproject.All
fourparticipantswereworkingwithgrievingclientsonaregularbasisandthe
causeoftheirclient’sgriefrangedfromlossofalovedone,diagnosisofmental
health,lossofhousing,tolossofphysicalhealth.Theinterviewquestionsfocused
ontheparticipant’stheoreticalorientationwhenworkingwithgriefwhichwas
operationalizedbythequestion,“Whattheoreticalorientationdoyouusewhen
workingwithgrievingclientsandwhy”,thetherapist’sintentionaluseofhumor,
whichwasoperationalizedbythequestion,“Doyouusehumorintentionallyinthe
therapeuticprocess?Inwhatpart/way”,andthebenefitsandrisksofusinghumor
withgrievingclients,whichwasoperationalizedbyfourquestions;“Doyouavoid
usinghumor?Inwhatpart/way”,“Tellmeaboutatimethatyouhaveusedhumor
andfoundittobebeneficialtoaclient’srecovery”,“Tellmeaboutatimethata
clienthasusedhumorandfounditbeneficialtotheirrecovery”and“Inwhat
situationsistheclientmost/leastlikelytousehumor”.Threemajorthemesarose
fromthesequestions;positiveusesofhumorwithgrievingclients,humorasatool,
andparticipant’suseofhumorinself‐care.
Eachparticipantstatedthathe/sheusedadifferenttheoreticalorientation,
strengthsperspective,person‐centered,mindfulnessbasedandnarrative
HUMORANDGRIEF 24
transformationaltherapy,whenworkingwithgrievingclients.Althoughallfour
participantsusedadifferenttheoreticallens,eachthemeuncoveredinthisstudy
washighlightedineveryparticipant’sinterview.
PositiveuseofHumorwithgrievingclients
Eachoftheparticipantsstatedtheyintentionallyusedhumorinthe
therapeuticprocesswhenworkingwithgrievingclients,yetallmentioned
numeroustimesthatthetherapistshouldtaketheclient’sleadwhenconsidering
thetypeandtimingofhumor.Allparticipantscouldidentifyrisksofusinghumor
withclientsthataregrievinginanunhealthymannerand/orclientsdiagnosedwith
anti‐socialpersonalitydisorders;yet,allagreedthatthebenefitsoutweighedthe
risksifusedinanappropriateandsensitiveway.Manybenefitsofusinghumor
aroseduringtheinterviews;twoofthemostprominentbenefitswerebuildingan
allianceandthe“safety”oftherelationship.
BuildinganAlliance.Alloftheparticipantsstatedthattheuseofhumor
helpstobuildahealthyworkingalliancewiththeirgrievingclients.Twoofthe
participantsusedsimilarverbiageaboutallianceswhilediscussingtheiruseof
humorwithaclient.Thefirstdiscussedthealliancethatiscreatedthroughtrusting
thetherapistbyusinghumor:
HUMORANDGRIEF 25
“Sototheextentthepersoncaneitherappreciatehumororevenusehumor,it
issayingtothetherapistthattheytrustthem,otherwiseIdon’tthinkthatthey
wouldengageinit.SoIusethatasamarkofthetherapeuticalliance.”
Thesecondparticipantdiscussedthecreationofanalliancebyestablishingpersonal
groundthroughtheuseofhumor:
“SoIreallywantedtobethoughtfulaboutok,‘lateronwhenyou’reawayfrom
hereandtheseemotionsareatthesurface,Iwantyoutobeawareofthat.
Whatareyougoingtodo?’Andhesaid,‘Idon’tknow’andIsaid,‘Youknow
whatworksformeisicecream.’Andwelaughedandthenwetalkedaboutit,
whatflavoroficecreamwelike.Noweverytimeheseesmeandheleaves,he
says,‘don’tworryIgoticecreaminthefreezer.’Anditcreatesanallianceand
personalground,anditalsohelpswhenhecomesbackintosessionanditcould
bereallydifficultagainlike,tokindofnormalizeit.”
Thefollowingparticipantsdidnotusetheterm“alliance”,butbothdiscussedthe
conceptofmakingaconnectioninordertojoinwiththeclientatanappropriate
level.Bothstatedthathumorcouldbeacatalystforastrongertherapeuticalliance.
“Yourbeinggenuineandeveryonecomeswithasenseofhumor,and
sometimesIthinkthatflexibilitythatwehavetomeetthemwheretheyareand
beingacceptingofthatandnotshamingandbeingabletoconnectwiththem
throughhumorandespeciallywhentheycomewiththat[grief].”
HUMORANDGRIEF 26
“Shewasabletorelaxandabletolaughandsowebonded...thatwasjust
partofourrapportbuildingingeneralwasherformaluseofhumorasa
copingskillandsowewouldjokeaboutsomeofthestuffwiththatandIthink
itremindedusofthefactthatwehadthingsincommonbecauseIdon’twantto
beinthereandhavesomebodyfeellikeIamabovethemandIthinkitbreaks
downthatbarrierbecausehumorcan,unlessthereisreallyactiveMH
symptomsthataregoingon.Ithinkhumorisawaytojustgenerallyjoinwith
people.”
Safety.Thesecondmostprominentbenefitofusinghumorwithgrieving
clientswas“safety”.Participantswereaskedaboutthebenefitsofusinghumorand
theresponsesallstated,atsomepoint,thathumoreithercreatedoraccurately
testedthesafetyoftherelationship.Thewordsafetycameupnumeroustimesin
theinterviewprocesswitheachclient.Thusbringingsafetyintothethemesof
usinghumorinthegriefprocess.
Twoparticipantsstatedthatwhentheclientuseshumoritcouldbeawayfor
himorhertocreatesafetyinthesituation:
“Ithinkthathumorisawayofnormalizingsituationswhichmakeusfeel
uncomfortableinmanyaspects,soIwouldsaythatitisconsistenttoseehumor
asdeescalatingsituationsorcreatinganalternativeviewthatallowsustofeel
saferandthat’swhyIthinkhumorissoimportantinthetherapeuticrealm,
becausemorethananything,therapyshouldbeasafeenvironment.”
HUMORANDGRIEF 27
“Ithinkit’sattachment,Idon’tthinktheyeverlearnedthatsafetypiece.They
neverhadhumorintheirhomeortheywereneglectedorneedsweren’tmet
emotionallysotheyneverlearnedhowtouseit[humor]appropriately.”
Otherparticipantsdiscussedusinghumortocreateasafespacefortalkingabout
difficultsituations.
“That’ssomethingItalkaboutwithhumorandpainmanagement,sometimes
talkingandjokingaboutitgivesthemalittlemoredistancefromit,soitmakes
italittlemoresafetotalkabout.”
“Ithinkit’sasafetything.Ithinkitcanbesafe.It’sasaferplacetogobackto.”
“Sometimesherlaughingaboutsomething,aboutsomeincidentthatIfeelit’s
saferformetokindofjoininandreflectbackonherjoy,andsoIguess,Imean
that’sprobablythesafestwaytodoit.”
Humorasatool
Accordingtoallfourparticipantstheuseofhumorwithgrievingclientscan
beausefultherapeutictoolnotonlytoassesstheclient’sstageofgrief,butalsoto
reframethegriefandgiveanalternateperspectiveoftheclient’sloss.Allfourofthe
participantssharedtheideathathumorcanbeusedasatherapeutictool.Ofthe
manytoolsavailabletotheparticipants,humorcanbeaveryapplicabletoolwhen
workingwithgrievingclients.
HUMORANDGRIEF 28
Assess.Aspreviouslystated,eachparticipantagreedthattherearetimes
whenhumorwouldnotbeausefultool.Oneparticipantexplainedhowtoassessif
theuseofhumorbytheclientishealthy:
“Inaword,unhealthyhumorisnotfunny...ifyoudon’tseehumorinit,Imean
itdoesn’thavetobehilarious,butifyoudon’tseehumorinitthenthereis
somethingwrongwithit.IjusttellthepersonthatIamconfused,IsayIam
notsureandIdon’tpushthemonitbutIsaywellIamalittleconfusedandI
amnotsurewhatthatindicatesorwhatthatthreadsbackto,butwecancome
backtothatlater.”
Thisparticipantcontinuedtoexplainthenegativeeffectsonspecifictypesof
grievingclients;
“Detachedindividuals,thereisthatkindofnervouslaughter“thetitters”asI
refertothemas.Thenthere’stheindividualsintheenmeshed;ifthere’sany
kindoflaughteritusuallyalsoproducessomenegativeaffectaswell,Ireferto
thataswailingflaughts.”
Twoparticipantsidentifiedaclient’sabilitytousehumorasagaugeofthe
client’srecoveryprocess.
“AfewsessionslaterIintroducedmetaphorsandsomehumorandhewas
actuallyable,aboutthreemonthsorso,torespondtothehesawsome
elementsofitthatcontainedsomehumorthathehadneverbeenabletotalk
aboutitbecauseifhelightenedtheloadaboutthat,itmeantthathetookhis
HUMORANDGRIEF 29
brotherofftheissueofresponsibility...beforethathewasn’twillingto
consider.Soitisaveryincrementalprocessanditwashelpfulandhewasable
tousehumor”
“Ithinkitshouldbepartofanassessmentlike,whenwasthelasttimeyou
laughed?”
Reframe.Thesecondwaythathumorisusedasatoolisintheclient’sability
orwillingnesstoreframeasituation.Threeoftheparticipantsdiscussedhumoras
atooltoreframetheclient’sgriefandhelptheclienttomoveforwardintheprocess.
“Shebroughtthatintothetherapysession,wetalkedaboutitandshewas
finallyabletounderstandthatlaughterisariverthatcontinuestomove
forwardandlaughingisnotnecessarilydisrespectforthepersonbutinasense
honoringtheindividual.ItsaysIcanputmyfeetinthesewatersandmove
forward”
“Iwillseeifwhetherornottheyarewillingtoconsideralternative
interpretationstothings.Iftheyarewillingtoconsideralternativeperspectives
tothings.”
“Hecomesinandhe’slaughingaboutit,andhesays,“NowIcouldsithereand
lietoyou,butyouknow”,Ithinkhecalledmesergeantorsomething,“Yourjust
goingtocallmeoutsothisiswhatIhavedone.”Sonowheisabletobehonest
aboutitandmysenseisheisn’tcomfortablebeingdirectsoheuseshisown
humortohelphimbehonest.”
HUMORANDGRIEF 30
“Ihaveseenhumoractuallydeescalatesomeverytensesituationsthatcould
haveescalatedtophysicalconflictandthensuddenlysomebodysayssomething
anditisfunnyandtheotherpersonstartslaughingandyoucanjustseethe
tension...sothat’swhatIwantclientstoseeabouthumorinthegriefprocess
thatitisawayofdeescalatingthingsandcreatingspacetoviewitdifferently.”
Theparticipantswerealsoaskedaclarifyingquestionastowhyand/or
whentheyusehumorasatoolforreframing;
“Thepointofusinghumoristogivethemadifferentvantagepointofview
withintheparadigm.That’sthewholepointImeanifIweretoboilitdown
that’swhatitsallabouttogetthepersontolookatsomethinginanewway”
“Iuseitwhentheclientisfeelingprettyheavyintheroom.And...tohelpthe
clientnormalizethesituationthatisgoingon”
“Ifwearelaughing,wearehere.Ourmindisn’tsomeplaceelse.”
“Laughterisjustonewaytokeepusinthepresentmoment.”
UseofHumorforSelfCare
Whenaskedwhattypeofhumoreachclientused,theconversationsall
turnedintotheparticipant’shistoryofusinghumor.Allstatedthattheywere
broughtupwithhumorasacopingskillintheirfamilies.Whenaskedaboutgallows
humor,theuseofdarksarcasticandsometimesgrotesquehumorinorderto
HUMORANDGRIEF 31
“maintainone’ssanity”(Martin,2007,p.48),threeoftheparticipantsstatedthat
theyuseitasacopingskill,butonlyinaprofessionalmanner.Eachparticipant
expressedutilizinghumorasaninterventionforself‐careindifferentways.Two
participantsstatedthattheyfeltithelpedthemtohaveahealthierrelationshipwith
theirclientsandthosearoundthem.Asoneparticipantstated:
“Ithinkthatinmentalhealthifwearegoingtobehealthycliniciansand
healthyworkers;ifwearenotdoingthatinanappropriatewayoutsideofthis,
partofyourpersonality,ifyournotacknowledgingthat,itsgoingtofilterinto
yourworkwithyourclients.”
Anotherparticipantagreedwiththisnotionbystating:
“Wehadtofindawaytolaughaboutotherthings,justtokindofholdthatall
together.Youcanhave‘bothand’.”
Threeparticipantsspokeaboutthepositiverolethatlaughterandhumorplaysin
theirlives.Eachofthethreeparticipantsmadethefollowingquotesthatsuggestthe
importanceoflaughterandtheparticipant’sopinionsoftheirpersonaluseof
humor:
“IguessIhavealwayslikedtohaveasenseofhumorandbesilly.PlusIwas
alreadyalaughteryogaleader,soIjustknewweneededtolaugheverydayto
staypresentandfocusedandfocusonwhatwasgoingright.”
“It’sjutaskillthatyoudevelopandIkindofhavedoneitmywholelife,andits
whoIam,it’sasense,kindofintuitive.”
HUMORANDGRIEF 32
“Imeanlaughterisapartoflifeandlaughteristhebestmedicine.Peopledon’t
dieyouknowwhenpeoplesay“Idiedlaughing’Idon’tthinkyoudiefrom
laughingIthinkyoudiewhenyoudon’t.”
HUMORANDGRIEF 33
Discussion
Summary
Thisstudysetouttoexploretheroleofhumorinthegriefprocessas
describedbylicensedtherapistscurrentlyworkingwithgrievingclientsinagroup
orindividualsetting.Threemainthemesemergedfromthedata;positiveusesof
humorwithgrievingclients,humorasatool,andparticipant’suseofhumorinself‐
care.Amongthesethemeswastheoverallconclusionthatnotonlyistherearolefor
humorwhenworkingwithgrievingclients,buttheintentionalusebyeither
therapistorclientcouldhaveagreatimpactonthetherapeuticprocess.Though
manyofthesethemesdidnotaligndirectlywiththosestudiedintheliterature
review,strongcorrelationscanbemadebetweenthetwo.
ComparisontoLiteratureFindings
Eachparticipantexplainedthatbuildingandmaintainingatherapeutic
alliancethroughtheuseofhumorcouldbeabenefittotheclient’sabilitytomove
throughgrief.Alloftheparticipantsalsoagreedthatusinghumorcouldconnect,
buildtrust,andnormalizetherelationshipbetweenclientandtherapist.This
supportsMcCallum,PiperandOgrodniczuk’s(2002)researchthatfocusedonthe
dropoutrateswithcomplicatedgriefclients.Theauthorsfoundthatagoodalliance
andcohesionwasastrongholdforaclientstayintherapy(McCallum,Piper,
OgrodniczukandJoyce,2002).Itcouldthenbeconcludedthatifhumorhelpsto
HUMORANDGRIEF 34
buildanalliancewhenworkingwithgrievingclients,thentheuseofhumorshould
beseenaspositiveandusefultherapeutictool.Thoughtheexactverbiageof
“alliance”wasnotfoundintheliteraturereview,itwasfoundbyMartin(2007)that
humorisausefultoolandcaneitherbeusedasa“therapeutictechnique”or
“communicationskill”(p.337).Itshouldbenotedthattherehasbeenresearchon
humor’sroleinbuildinganallianceanditwasreportedbyPoland(1971)thatthe
useofhumorisagoodmeasureofthetherapeuticalliance.Poland’sclaimalso
alignswiththisresearchproject’sfindingsthattheuseofhumorcanhelpconstruct
theimportanttherapeuticingredientof“safety.”Numeroustimestheparticipants
talkedaboutclientsusinghumorinordertocreatesafetyinthesituation;
participantsusedthewords,“normalize,deescalating,andattachment”.Allofthese
themeswerefoundand/orinferredinFanzini’s(2001)meta‐analysisreviewof
researchontheuseofhumorintherapy.
Whenusinghumorasatherapeutictool,thisresearchfoundthatitwas
mostlyusedtogaugetheclient’srecoveryprogress.Themostcommonthemethat
thisresearchandthefindingsoftheliteraturereviewfound,weretheclient’slower
levelsofgriefsymptoms.Inpreviousresearch(Lundetal.2008;Keltnerand
Bonanno,1997),itwasfoundthatgrievingclients,whousedhumor,either
unintentionallyorintentionally,reportedlowerlevelsofgrief.Whilethisresearch
projectandthosereviewedwerecongruentinoverallthemes,thisresearchproject
alsofoundthatmostparticipantsexplainedthedecreaseinlevelsofgriefwhena
clientwasabletoreachadifferentperspectiveoftheirgrief.
HUMORANDGRIEF 35
Thisresearchalsouncoveredthethemeofself‐careonpartofthetherapist.
Itwasconcludedfromthisprojectthathumorisavitaltoolforallparticipantsinthe
roleofself‐careinordertoworkbetterwithboththeclientandcoworkers.Though
itshouldbenotedthatthisfindingwasnotsupportedbythereviewedresearch.
Theparticipantsdiscussedusinghumorthroughouttheirlives,andspokewellof
thebenefitsithasprovided.Participantsalsostatedthattheyuseddifferenttypes
ofhumor,butallcouldagreethatitwasanimportantaspectoftheworktheydoas
therapists.
LimitationsOfProject
Therewerenumerouslimitationsofthisproject,thefirstbeingthesmall
samplesize.Althoughmanyinvitationswereemailed,onlyfourrespondents
followedthroughwiththeinterview.Thislimitationmayhavebeenbecauseofthe
researcher’srecruitmentmethod.Becausethisresearchusedasnow‐ballsample,
theresearchermayhavebeenincorrectinherassumptionsthattheinitialemails
wouldcontinuetobepassedontopotentialparticipants.Alsoduetothesmall
samplesize,itisdifficulttogeneralizethefindingsofthisparticularproject.
Thisresearchprojectwasdesignedwithqualitativequestioningandthe
researchersinterpretationofthedatacollected.Thiscanbealimitationnotonly
becauseoftheresearchesunknownbiasesbutalsotheparticipant’sinterpretation
ofthequestions.Thislimitationwasunavoidableinthisparticularresearch;
HUMORANDGRIEF 36
however,futureresearchmaylookatthistopicthroughaquantitativelensinorder
toavoidtheselimitations.
Anotherlimitationofthisresearchwastheparticipant’sroleinthetherapy
process;thisstudylookedsolelyatthetherapist’sopinionsandprocesseswhen
usinghumorinthegriefprocess.Itwouldbebeneficialtoquestioneitherina
qualitativeorquantitativestudy,theclient’sviewpointontheroleofhumorinthe
griefprocess.Thistypeofstudymayuncoversimilarthemesthatcouldthenbe
appliedtofuturestudies.
ContributionstoSocialWork
Thelikelihoodthatasocialworkerwillworkwithagrievingclientisalmost
guaranteed;thereforeknowingwhattoolstohaveatone’sdisposalisanimportant
factorinaclient’ssuccessintherapy.Ensuringthatastrongtherapeuticallianceis
builtisimperativetotheclient’shealthandwell‐being.Socialworkersarealso
constantlyassessingclient’srecovery;thisprojecthasproventhathumorhasthe
potentialtobeagaugeintherecoveryandprogressintherapy.Associalworkers
continuetotakeonmoretherapeuticrolesinsociety,itwillbeimperativethatthey
practicehealthyself‐care.Thisresearchprojecthasalsoshownthathumorcanbe
animperativeroleinthestresslevelsandself‐careritualsofsocialworkers.
Therewerealsothemesintheliteraturethatdidnotsurfaceinthe
participant’sinterviews.Itshouldbenotedthatsocialworkersalsoworkwith
HUMORANDGRIEF 37
clientswithphysicalailmentsthatmayprecipitatementalhealth.Accordingtothe
literaturediscussed,itwouldbenefitsocialworkerstoconsiderintroducinghumor
intotheirpracticewithsuchclients,asthepossiblephysicalbenefitsofhumorhas
proventopromoterecoveryinsomestudies.
Anotherimportantaspectforsocialworkerstotakeintoconsiderationisthat
eachclientisuniqueinhisorherownuseofhumor.ItisessentialthataSocial
Workerallowtheclienttoleadtheuseandtypeofhumor,inordertoavoid
offendingorbreakingthetherapeuticalliance.
SuggestionstoFutureResearch
Itisthehopethatthisresearchprojecthassparkedaninterestofcurrent
and/orfuturesocialsworkertolookmoredeeplyintotheroleofhumorinthegrief
process.Aqualitativestudyoftheclient’sthoughtsontheroleofhumorinthegrief
processwouldbebeneficialtoaugmentcurrentresearchonthetherapist’sviews.
Therewerefewstudiescompletedthatdiscussedthedailyuseofhumorasan
individualandthepossiblebenefitsorrisks.Itwouldbenefiteachpersonworking
withgrievingclientsintherapytohaveamorewell‐roundedviewpointofthistopic
would.
HUMORANDGRIEF 38
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HUMORANDGRIEF 42
AppendixA
InterviewQuestions
1. What theoretical orientation do you use when working with grieving clients and why?
2. Do you use humor intentionally in the therapeutic process? In what part/way?
3. Do you avoid using humor? In what part/way?
4. Tell me about a time that you have used humor and found it to be beneficial to a client’s recovery.
5. Tell me about a time that a client has used humor and found it beneficial to their recovery.
6. In what situations is the client most/least likely to use humor?
7. What type of humor, sarcasm, cartoons, self-deprecating, have you found to be the most useful/detrimental in your self-care as a therapist?
HUMORANDGRIEF 43
AppendixB
HUMORANDGRIEF 44
HUMORANDGRIEF 45