Humor and Laughter in Counseling: A Content Analysis of 39 Videorecorded Counseling Sessions

Abstract

ABSTRACT Humor and laughter have long been considered psychologically beneficial; however, the use of humor in counseling remains controversial. There is a scarcity of empirical studies on the topic, while available studies have yielded conflicting results. A content analysis of 39 video-recorded counseling sessions was conducted to examine the frequency and features of humor. Quantitative results showed that laughter was present in all 39 sessions. Both clients and counselors were shown to initiate humor with similar frequency. However, clients laughed significantly more than counselors. Qualitative results illustrated some documented psychological functions of humor in counseling. The omnipresence of humor and laughter in the dataset and associated benefits and risks, highlights the need for intentional use in counseling, informed by empirical research.