In recent times, there has been a significant push to validate treatment approaches using the rigor of scientific research. This welcomed addition to the field of clinical psychology has been great for the field and has met with much success. A number of evidence-based treatments (EBTs) have been scientifically researched and proven effective (efficacious) in treating several clinical disorders.
Welcome back to our discussion of humor and comedy in deployed locations. Last time I interviewed comedian Kathleen Madigan about her USO performances over the years. In this part, I will speak with comedian Roy Wood, Jr. and former Army Specialist Michael Dillon about their experiences with comedy performances downrange.
Training is something that we have all experienced as healthcare professionals. We experienced training in our academic programs, our workplace settings, through continuing education requirements to maintain our licensing credentials, or as part of our professional development. We engage in all of this training in order to achieve a desired level of competence.
I’ve always loved comedy and gravitated towards individuals with humor and quick wit, whether in a friend, colleague, or comedian. I find that comedy and humor can be base, but in other moments incredibly stimulating intellectually and even emotionally powerful. Comedy can make connections between ideas and subjects that are seemingly unconnectable, it can short-circuit the brain into confusion and epiphany in a singular moment of time, dousing our brains with dopamine and contorting our bodies with intense laughter.
Welcome back to part two of our discussion about mindfulness-based interventions. Last time, I shared some of my experiences of leading mindfulness groups for Veterans. I also introduced the concept of a Zen koan as a way of approaching the question, “should I be teaching Veterans to meditate?” In the second part of this blog, I will discuss some additional considerations you might want to make when deciding if you should offer mindfulness to your clients. Before we launch into that, did you do your homework? Have you spent some time sitting with your koan since the last blog? If so, feel free to write any questions or considerations that came up during your practice in the comments section.