Steven Sultanoff, drawing from 30 years of study and his book, Humor Matters, discussed the importance of humor in mental wellness. He explained the four areas of humor activation—laughter, mirth, wit, and relational fusion—and their associated health benefits.
He also shared his personal journey into therapeutic humor, his methods for teaching clinicians how to use humor, and his “prescription for a playful life,” which highlights the need for empathic humor while strongly cautioning against hostile humor.