“Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly”
G.K. Chesterton
Picture of Dr Steven M Sultanoff
Last week, I blogged about the importance of play and absurdity in the clinical setting.
This week, I’ll offer one of the ways creative laughter and play (and absurdity) may be introduced into the room for a variety of reasons and to catalyze importance shifts in clients’ (and therapists’) experience of themselves. I will concentrate on how this is effected in a group setting, but, of course, many of these devices can be enjoyed in one-on-one settings.
Take a moment if you will, to reflect on your name.
Notice your reaction at this very moment.
‘What an idiotic thing to ask of a reader’ you might ask.
Or, ‘What on earth do you mean by “reflecting on my name”?
‘My name is Joe/John/Henri/Xavier/Fauntleroy etc’, you might respond with a touch of irritation’.
‘What of it?’.
What of it indeed.
Fact is, most people are deeply identified with their name, their Joe-ness, or John-ness or Xavier-ness etc and this little label carries with it enormous baggage of all types, not the least of which is (generally) gender identity. As I write this, I have to reflect on how out-of-date I am in terms of today’s fluid gender notions, but … but … despite it all, I do hear a carping of protest in my ears – ‘you have only used men’s names in your example!’
But my musing digression only serves to take me away for the group setting and humour.
So names have various types of meanings and associations that people identify with and hold onto very strongly. Take Macedonia as an example …
Sometimes in group, either spontaneously or deliberately, we choose to use different names for group participants and we might do so with complete disregard for gender identities. Despite it being a fairly well-worn ‘device’ or ‘contrivance’, it always elucidates laughter and fun, especially with new participants. And it can be played around with in so many ways.
So a new participant may join the group and in the introduction part of the induction, it may happen that one of more older participants may introduce themselves with incorrect names and the session proceeds on this basis. Towards the end of the session, someone will break it to the new member, either by saying something like: ‘Actually, my name is not Tom, it’s Jeff’, and the unpacking of the what follows is often so delightful.
Sometimes this name change might become part of the group process in terms of a question like: “Whom would you like to be today”?, and people are free to change their persona for a minute of for an hour of for the session.
Take a moment to reflect on whom you might like to be for a moment or for a day. How would you experience the world if you were a James and not a Spencer (or a Grace and not a Pauline)? How might you engage others from this changed perspective, if only just from a place of permission to change perspective? Could you enjoy life as you might a Carnival, where all conventions are shifted eradicated or transmogrified for a time?
In the clinical setting, such diverse shifts allow for laughter and lightness, as well, as a subliminal means of dis-identification with a fixed notion of self. This has importance in opening up possibilities of shaking up some rigid notions of ‘low self worth’. Apart from encouraging flexibility in a client’s experience of self, it is offered not as a didactic intervention, but rather as fun and creative enjoyment of life is in itself vital in any healing and creative process.
One of the 3 central tenets of Buddhism is that of Anatta, no-self and this has been extrapolated into one of the 6 main areas of ACT therapy. It is this ‘self-as-context’ which can be so exquisitely played around with in a humour-filled therapeutic encounter.
Next week, I will offer a few of the important reasons that laughter and humour is helpful to the here-and-now.
Michael Cohn – April 2015
