Why Don't Psychotherapists Laugh? Enjoyment and the Consulting Room

Humour, laughter, and enjoyment are neglected topics in psychotherapy and psychoanalysis. This review examines the new, pioneering work, Why Psychotherapists Don't Laugh, by English Jungian analyst Ann Shearer, which discusses the importance of laughter and enjoyment as protection in extreme stress and within the individuation process. The book explores the importance of laughter and enjoyment in the clinical setting and examines its role in psychotherapy and psychoanalysis. This review provides a clinical illustration of the importance of the initial joke and terminal joke as part the therapeutic process.