AATH 2019 Humor Conference Chicago

Is major loss ever a laughing matter, and if so, when?  It depends!  It can be, for some people, some of the time.  How can we know?  Attendees at this presentation will hear vignettes of people who experienced serious loss (e.g., cancer diagnosis, onset of a disabling condition, death of a loved one, job loss, uncomfortable aging) and who did or did not use humor to cope.  Following a brief overview of guidelines from professional literature, participants will be invited to take part in mini-role plays in which they enact either 1) a person who’s had a major loss or 2) someone having a brief encounter or serving as a primary support for the person who had that major loss. During the debriefing that follows, attendees will use their role-play experiences to bring the theoretical material to life, demonstrating how the timely and attuned use of humor can empower us to feel more solid on the inside.