Comedy Improv and Mental Health

In their upcoming Featured Session at Psych Congress, “A Funny Thing Happened: Improv and Mental Health,” The Therapy Players, Chicago’s premier all-psychotherapist comedy improv troupe, will discuss how comedy can be a helpful adjunct to psychotherapy. The Therapy Players will also perform a live skit for session attendees.

In this Q&A, The Therapy Players give a teaser of what to expect at their session and share their insights on how comedy can be a useful tool in psychotherapy.

This Featured Session will take place on Saturday, October 30, 2021, from 4:45 PM to 5:45 PM CST.

Answer: Our founding member, Dave Carbonell, PhD, had formed the Freudian Slippers, an improv troupe of psychology graduate students, in 1982. That troupe dissolved when the members graduated, but he always wanted to get back to improv someday. In 2013, he began recruiting mental health professionals for an improv troupe, and Therapy Players was born.

Q: How have you been able to successfully integrate comedy with psychotherapy?

A: Psychotherapy is, at its core, an exploration of the human condition. Humor is one of the healthiest defense mechanisms and adds levity when life seems hard. While we primarily focus on comedic improv, many of us have training in other forms that allow for a full spectrum of this exploration. That being said, we really like a good laugh. 

Q: What has been the overall response from your patients in weaving in improv into their therapy sessions?

A: Positive! The opportunity to build skills and practice in a therapeutic environment allows for rehearsal in less-threatening situations to then generalize into their daily lives. The idea of playing a game also varies the structure of therapy and takes the pressure off what often feels like a formal, one-sided exchange.

Q: Do you find that this type of therapy works better or worse for any particular mental health disorders?

A: Other than acute states of certain disorders, such as active psychosis, improv can be incorporated into all types of treatment. Improv can be especially powerful with pediatrics, groups, anxiety disorders, and those looking to develop social skills. Improv also has incredible benefits for those looking to develop flexible thinking and acting, making it highly effective for disorders of overcontrol.

Q: Can you give us a brief teaser of what we can expect at your session?

A: Laughter, tears (probably from laughing too hard), mirror neurons, and a side of trust-building. (Mashed potatoes?)