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Oh, You Got Jokes Now: The Role of Humor as Intervention in the Clinical Relationship

Sunday, March 22nd, 2026   1:45 PM EDT -4:45 PM EDT
Glenn Maloney, MSW LICSW LADC C-DBT
$59.99

This class provides a "deep dive" into the ethical and mindful use of humor as intervention in psychotherapy and other helping professions.  Over the course of the class, participants will learn about the known history of humor in our species and in the psychotherapy profession.  The research about humor, both as used in psychotherapy and as studied more widely, will be reviewed.  We will explore humor in light of various theories including power dynamics, CBT, DBT, and SFBT.  

Through all of this, several primary purposes and uses of humor will be identified.  We will also explore potential signs that humor is the wrong choice in the moment.  The instructor will share their own experiences with using humor well in session, and participants will have the chance to share their own stories.  

About the Presenter

Glenn Maloney, he/they, is a psychotherapist, writer, and educator who lives in Duluth, Minnesota.  He received his undergraduate degree from  the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee in 2002, with a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication and Political Science. He earned a Masters of Social Work degree from the College of Saint Scholastica in 2016 and has been employed as a psychotherapist since.  He has worked in community mental health, college mental health, and at a co-occurring treatment center, Genesis Recovery Services, where he is currently employed part-time.  The rest of his time is spent in his own private practice, Most Excellent Psychotherapy, and in teaching, lecturing, and other academic pursuits.

In the past several years, Glenn has spent more and more time studying and presenting on the the uses of humor in the psychotherapy profession. This has included the publishing of his book “Finding the Humor in Psychotherapy: A Primer on the Clinical Art of Joking with Your Clients,” as well as speaking to and training literally thousands of mental health and human services professionals on the careful and meaningful use of humor as intervention in their work. Other professional highlights of this journey have included a trip to speak at UCLA in early May and being honored with the “Exemplary Leadership” award from the Minnesota Social Services Association District 3. He also speaks and teaches regularly about assessing and treating co-occurring disorders of mental illness and substance use. Glenn has also released a small book collecting some of his published poems, “Twelve Poems.”

Other than his vocational pursuits, Glenn loves traveling with his daughter and his partner.  Glenn also enjoys running and hiking, getting tattoos, camping, woodworking, and listening to hip hop, punk rock, and associated genres.  Glenn and his family live in a small home with a terrier and a beagle that generally don’t carry their own weight.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Summarize the history of humor and identify it as a central characteristic of human interaction.
  2. Review the research and evidence base behind humor and the use of humor in the helping professions.
  3. Define three primary uses of humor in therapy and the signs that it may not be the right intervention in a particular moment.

Agenda:

1.  The History of Humor

         A. Humor in our species

          B. Humor in Psychotherapy

                   1. Positive Viewpoints

                   2. Negative Viewpoints

2. Humor and Research

          A.  Psychotherapy Research

          B.  Research outside of the Psychotherapy Profession

3. Types of Humor

         A.  Typography in Psychotherapy

          B. Other methods of classifying humor.

          C.  "Good" and "Bad" humor for clinicians and intervention

4. Humor and Theory

          A.  Basic Theories from Social Work

               1. Humor and Power Dynamics

               2. Humor and Person-Centeredness

          B. Theories from Psychotherapy

               1. CBT

               2. DBT

               3. SFBT

5. Humor as Self-Care for the Service Provider

6. Wrap-up and the Three Primary Purposes of Humor

          A. Three Uses

          B. Stories from Our Sessions/Discussion

 

Covering all of this, and the amount of time spent on each topic, is guided by the amount of time allocated to the presentation by your organizers.

This workshop offers 3 Live Interactive Continuing Education Credits

This presentation is open to:
  • Social Workers
  • Professional Counselors
  • Therapists
  • Psychologists
  • Licensed Mental Health Practitioners
  • Medical Doctors and Other Health Professionals
  • Other professionals interacting with populations engaged in mental health based services
Course Level: intermediate
Level of Clinician: beginner
  • New practitioners who wish to gain enhanced insight surrounding the topic
  • Experienced practitioners who seek to increase and expand fundamental knowledge surrounding the subject matter
  • Advanced practitioners seeking to review concepts and reinforce practice skills and/or access additional consultation
  • Managers seeking to broaden micro and/or macro perspectives

Participants will receive their certificate electronically upon completion of the webinar and course evaluation form.

Disability Access - If you require ADA accommodations, please contact our office 30 days or more before the event. We cannot ensure accommodations without adequate prior notification. Please Note: Licensing Boards change regulations often, and while we attempt to stay abreast of their most recent changes, if you have questions or concerns about this course meeting your specific board’s approval, we recommend you contact your board directly to obtain a ruling. The grievance policy for trainings provided by NEFESH INTERNATIONAL is available here Satisfactory Completion Participants must have paid the tuition fee, logged in and out each day, attended the entire workshop, and completed an evaluation to receive a certificate (If this is a pre-recorded program, a post-test with a passing grade of 80% to receive a certificate.) Failure to log in or out will result in forfeiture of credit for the entire course. No exceptions will be made. Partial credit is not available. Certificates are available after satisfactory course completion by clicking here.
There is no conflict of interest or commercial support for this program.
  • CE You! is an approved sponsor of the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners for continuing education credits for licensed social workers in Maryland.
    CE You! maintains responsibility for this program.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed creative arts therapists. #CAT-0122.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0129.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0325.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0275.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0129.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0325.
  • Therapist Express is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0774.
Refund Policy:
Full Refund until 48 hours before scheduled date.
48 hours before: full refund less $5.00 processing fee. After event no refund will be given.
*exclusions apply for reasonable need and cause.