If one is unpleasant and the other pleasant the mind will then tend inevitably to move towards the pleasant one. So in therapy, I may often be playing a sophisticated game of Peep-po. We contemplate a fearful experience such as being in the alien world of the supermarket, and then suddenly it is changed, courtesy of Mr. Bean, to a happy one. Laughter is a natural response, which I encourage.
Laughter really is one of the most valuable tools in therapy.
This article first appeared in the Journal of the National Council for Psychotherapy and Hypnotherapy Register, Spring 95.