REV ING UP YOUR HUMOR AATH 29th Annual Humor Conference & Humor Academy PHOENIX, ARIZONA OR BUST 2016! APRIL 7-10, 2016 HILTON PHOENIX MESA ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016 Schedule at a Glance Thursday, April 7, 2016 7:30 a-5:30 p Registration 8:30 a-5:00 p 5:30-6:30 p ASSOCIATION FOR APPLIED AND THERAPEUTIC HUMOR Humor Academy - All Levels (Pre-conference) Are you interested in developing your knowledge about the science and research around humor and its practical uses for work, life and play? Join us. Welcome to the Official Opening of The 29th AATH Conference A fun evening is planned; you don t want to miss it! Hosted by your conference co-chairs, Brenda Elsagher, Jae Pierce-Baba and Beth Slazak. 6:30-7:00 p Taco Bar Reception 7:00-8:00 p KEYNOTE Joyce Saltman Are You in Your Right Mind? How our Brains Affect Our Personalities, Learning Styles and Personal Interactions. In this presentation, Joyce Saltman, Prof Emeritus-Southern CT State University will invite the audience to look at the elements involved in left and right-brainedness, and how these preferences affect our personalities, learning styles and personal interactions. An interactive informal instrument will show all participants their own leanings and help them all laugh at themselves! 8:15-9:45 p AATH Talent Variety Show: hosted by Beth Slazek & Andrew Tarvin They will open up the search for talent in January. Watch your email. Friday, April 8, 2016 7:30 a Breakfast 8:00 a-12:30 p Bookstore and Exhibits Open 8:00-9:00 a Legend Wisdom with Humor Heroes: Allen Klein, Joyce Saltman, Sporty King, Don & Alleen Nilsen 9:00-10:30 a KEYNOTE Karen Knotts A Deputy s Daughter Imparts Mayberry s Lesson in Humor Karen Knotts, daughter of comedy legend, Don Knotts, uses photos and stories from The Andy Griffith Show to give lessons on how the show found humor in everyday life and how these lessons can be applied by all of us on our own.
Friday, April 8, 2016 (continued) 10:30-10:45 a BREAK 10:45 a-12:45 p Humor Samplers: choice of three, 30 minutes each Cactus Room Route 66 Room Desert Room Grand Canyon Room Cynthia Keeler and David Mann, Clowning in Therapeutic Settings Cynthia Keeler and David Mann provide a forum for participants to learn more about the roles, responsibilities, and successes of using the Clown Arts in Caring and Therapeutic settings including a brief history of the Caring Clown in a therapeutic environment and the current research concerning the use of Arts in Medicine. Daniel Lappin, Comedy & Tragedy in Trauma Therapy Daniel Lappin, principal therapist at The Natural Arts Wellness Center will lead a workshop that bridges the psychology of humor with Trauma therapy, incorporating mind-body, hands on and integrative health modalities. Based upon original scholarship from over 50 client case studies of adults with self-reported trauma, this workshop will highlight how humor and comedy are valuable tools for trauma and tragedy therapy, because comedy and tragedy share similar physiology. Julie Ostrow, Improv For Life Humor, laughter and improv coach, Julie Ostrow will share her insights on using improv in various aspects of life in this hands on fun and dynamic applied improvisation workshop. Jennipher Wiebold and Penny Willmering, CRIP JOKES: When and How to Use Disability Humor to Build Rapport Current literature supports the hypothesis that individuals with disabilities who have hope and humor tend to have more successful adjustment outcomes. By helping participants raise their cultural competence about effective application of disability humor, this presentation will provide knowledge and understanding of the effective use of therapeutic humor in the context of disability and, in the context of an individual s adjustment to disability. 12:45-2:15 p Lunch Deb Gauldin Lunch, Scholarship Awards and up to date news on AATH. All are welcome. Music might be involved. 2:15-3:00 p Author Book Signing: Calling all AATH members present with books, sign away! 3:00-3:30 p BREAKOUT SESSIONS: Choice of one, 30 minute breakout Diane Roosth Roberta Gold Gurinder Bains Humor Vignettes From the Healthcare Toolbox Healthcare professionals are licensed and bound by legal and ethical concerns regarding their scope of practice. Laughter and humor are tools for clinical intervention for coping and stress management when used appropriately with patients and families. In this practical session, vignettes will be presented, followed by a discussion of the ethical and clinical implications of using humor and laughter in health care. Life is an Attitude: Techniques to Enhance Positive Encounters With Others and Improve Self-Image Roberta Gold, Recreational Therapist, will provide ways to develop a positive attitude - one that uses humor and laughter to enhance positive encounters with others as well as an improved self-image. Participants will learn simple techniques to use daily for themselves, their children and others in their lives. Humor, Exercise and Inflammation Gurinder Bains, Assistant Professor MD PhD at Loma Linda University, will share the importance of how humor has an effect on body inflammation including current research results in this field.
Friday, April 8, 2016 (continued) 3:45-4:45 p BREAKOUT SESSIONS: Choice of one, 1 hour breakout Ruth Bachman Atay Citron Navigating Change: One Handed in a Two Handed World Ruth Bachman, award-winning author of Growing Through the Narrow Spots, lost her hand to cancer when she was 54 years old. Having found that using humor kept her and those in her network of support positively engaged in her journey into one-handedness, she now speaks to diverse audiences about how in life, our attitude about change is critical. Participants will be engaged in exercises designed to recognize and harvest the humor in their life circumstance Can Clowns Heal? The Integration of Israeli Dream Doctors into Hospital Medical Teams Atay Citron, associate professor of Theatre at the University of Haifa, Israel will present the achievements of Israeli medical clowns of the Dream Doctors Project since its inception in 2002. Research presented will highlight the impact of the clowns unique contribution to patients wellbeing in general and to medical procedures in particular. Sue Stephenson Happiness@School Project from Ontario Sue Stephenson, author of Kidding Around: connecting kids to happiness, laughter and humor will share the results of the Happiness@School Project, now in its 3rd year, a program that combines research from positive psychology and mental health and well-being with current research on humor as a strategy to cope with stress and improve learning. 5:00-6:00 p KEYNOTE Larry Barron, Phd, Bruce Glenn, Phd, Mrs. Kate Offer, Opera singer The Use of Humorous Music in Stress Reduction. We ll be participating in research! Larry Barron, PhD, professor of psychology at Grand Canyon University, and Bruce Glenn, PhD, instructor of English at Arizona State University, will present results of an empirical study to reduce stress in students at Grand Canyon University through music and humor therapy. An informative and entertaining keynote featuring Mrs. Kate Offer, Opera singer. Saturday, April 9, 2016 7:30 a Breakfast 8:00 a-12:30 p Bookstore and Exhibits Open 8:00-9:00 a 9:00-10:15 a KEYNOTE Dr. Michael Miller 10:15-10:30 a BREAK Legend Wisdom with Humor Heroes: Ed Dunkelbau, Steve Wilson, Steve Sultanhoff, Bobbe Lyon, Don Baird, and Karyn Buxman Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at University of Maryland, Dr. Michael Miller, author of Heal Your Heart (Amazon s #1 Rated Book on Heart Disease) will review the research that he and others have conducted on laughter and other positive emotions over the past 15 years. Using the latest tools to measure vascular health, he will provide insights into how therapeutic laughter may slow vascular aging by up to 10 to 20 years! 10:30-11:30 a BREAKOUT SESSIONS: Choice of one, 1 hour breakout Katherine Puckett Making Jelly Out of Your Cactus, Finding the Beauty in Challenging Situations Katherine Puckett PhD, Department Director and Division Chief for Mind-Body Medicine at CTCA, shares a personal perspective on using humor, good-hearted living TM and other healthy practices to thrive despite living in a literal or emotional desert. Even in the face of fear and hopelessness when life can be quite prickly one can incorporate humor and self-care to improve overall wellbeing and find beauty in challenging situations
Saturday, April 9, 2016 (continued) Megan Werner & Whitney Farrar Cindy Miles Alleen & Don Nilsen You Don t Need A Spoonful of Sugar, Pulling Laughter and Humor Techniques Out of Your Bag In this presentation, Licensed, Clinical Mental Health Counselors, Megan Werner and Whitney Farrar will help audience members learn various humor and laughter interventions, intertwined with components of positive psychology to laugh it up where ever they are. While this selection of information has roots in therapeutic practice, the information and applications will be creatively pertinent to all in attendance. Lucky participants will be able to embrace the latest research on humor and laughter studies, happiness, and holistic wellbeing, with additional notes on the use of strengths, talents, and creativity. The Five Elements of Joy Cindy Miles, Family Caregiver Resource Coordinator for the Southwestern Commission Area Agency on Aging, and Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher (CLYT) will engage participants in a variety of activities, which will embody each of the Five Elements of Joy (Singing, Dancing, Playing, Laughing, and Gratitude). Participants will identify and celebrate each of the elements of joy in their daily lives. Psychology of Humor and Body Language AATH Lifetime Achievement award winners and ISHS (International Society of Humor Studies) legends, Alleen and Don Nilsen will elaborate on some of the theory and connections between the psychology of humor and body language in this multi-media workshop presentation. 11:30 a-2:00 p Luncheon with Research Poster Presenters and the Level II Humor Academy Presentations 2:00-2:30 p Informative Hall Presentations 2:30-4:00 p Humor Samplers: Choice of three, 30 minutes each Cactus Room Route 66 Room Desert Room Grand Canyon Room Frank Chindamo: Why and How to Make YouTube Videos About Things Other Than Cats Frank Chindamo, Adjunct Professor at USC, UCLA, Chapman University and Emerson College, will share practical information on the WHY, HOW and WHAT of creating web-based videos. You too could be a YouTube sensation! Michael Rousell: Surprise! How Humor Works as a Gateway to Healing Lynn Shaw: Laughter for Life: How to Rev Up and Prevent Rust Out Different from burnout, rust out is a common phenomenon among helping professionals, students, and anyone losing their zest for living. Rust out impacts our work environment, leisure experience, and overall wellness. In this workshop, Clinical Social Worker and Certified Life Coach, Lynn Shaw, will help us discover the why and the how this happens so we can rev up before we rust out. Utilizing results from a self-care study with social work students, original humor, anecdotal outcomes, and practical strategies, participants will identify how to rev up with laughter for life. Harald Ellingsen: Why I hate to Talk About Humor Using theory and humor itself, AATH s favorite Scandinavian standup comedian will speak on the benefits of laughter, humor and the importance of maintaining a positive attitude in life. 4:15-5:15 p KEYNOTE Izzy Gesell Using Applied Improv Techniques to Engage Your Audiences with Laughter and Joy Organizational alchemist, Izzy Gesell will lead a highly interactive and energetic session where participants will Learn how to play, use and understand Improv techniques that they can apply immediately to keep themselves and their audience involved, focused and interested. Experiential learning at its best. 7:00 p-12:00 a Dinner and Awards Banquet Memorials by Bobbe Lyon and Don Baird Country line dancing, funk & rock and roll. Western Wear Optional
Sunday, April 10, 2016 7:00 a Breakfast 7:15-8:15 a Dine with a Humor Hero: Table Discussions 8:00 a-12:00 p Bookstore and Exhibits open 8:15-9:30 a KEYNOTE Sheva Carr Operation Big Sister: A Mission to Heal Human Trafficking with Humor Using a real life case study on human trafficking, Sheva Carr, author, speaker, movie producer, Doctor of Oriental Medicine, will show how humor not only heals individuals, but can actually heal larger social issues and empower and inspire social change agents to innovate and persevere in their missions without burnout 9:30-10:30 a BREAKOUT SESSIONS: Choice of one, 1 hour breakout Erica Swiatek Laura Hayden Linda Tourloukis Mary Laskin Play to Learn Erica Swiatek, adjunct faculty in Creativity and Change Leadership at Buffalo State, will present on the P.L.A.Y. model which helps anyone designing or delivering courses to increase knowledge applicability and decrease training times. This session will introduce participants to past and present research on how play impacts learning and how learning is enhanced through play. The Healing Aspects of Laughter, Averting Caretaker Stress and Burnout Dr. Laura Hayden, physiotherapist and professional comedian/speaker, will lead an interactive session in which participants will learn practical self-management techniques to cope with or combat stress, including how to add laughter and a healthy dose of Vitamin H (Humor) to their work day. Laughter Yoga Linda Tourloukis, Master Trainer with Laughter Yoga University International, will provide a new way to interpret the difference in Humor, Laughter and Joy and how we might perceive the value of each more significantly. Participants will be invited to consider and conceptualize the difference between happiness and joy and be intrigued at how spirituality might factor more beneficially into our everyday purpose and process in personal, purposeful and professional ways. Applying Therapeutic Laughter with Chronic Pain Patients Mary Laskin, CLL CLYL, has been practicing nursing for more than 30 years and currently works as a Case Manager for a Chronic Pain Management Program at Kaiser Permanente. In this workshop, participants will learn about the results of adding a therapeutic laughter session to an existing 6-week Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Rehabilitation (CBTR) program offered to chronic pain patients in an HMO organization. 10:30-10:45 a For the Good and Welfare of AATH 11:00 a-12:00 p CLOSING KEYNOTE Renee Rongen Punch Up Your Life With Humor Recognized by her peers as a master storyteller, award winning author and brilliant comedian, Renee Rongen is a motivational and inspirational keynote speaker, author and life strategist. Renee s messages transcend barriers of age, gender and occupation and her entertaining, engaging and energetic style, coupled with customized rich content moves audiences to act, live and work differently. You will find her authenticity and transparency are why she is one of the most in demand and top rated speakers in the U.S. and Canada. We are thrilled to host Renee as our closing speaker for this year s conference. 12:30-1:30 p Wrap up Humor Academy Luncheon. Past CHP s, teachers and academy members only. Registration Required. 2:00 p Board Meeting 2:30-5:30 p Cancer Treatment Centers of America tour. Free by bus. 220 East State St., Floor G, Rockford, Illinois, 61104 815-708-6587 info@aath.org www.aath.org