Help Alison Return to HA & AATH

Hi everyone!

My name is Alison Landoni and I've been studying therapeutic humor for a few years both on my own and through AATH, the Association of Applied Therapeutic Humor. If you know me, I'm kind of like a "human muppet" and I use humor quite a bit with my clients to help reduce anxiety, combat depression, cope with trauma, increase social attunement, and allow for spacious, optimistic thinking and healing to occur.

Last year I joined AATH's Conference and began Level 1 of their Humor Academy which is a 3-year certificate program to become a CPA, Certified Humor Professional. What the heck is that? Well, it means that not only am I learning how to appropriately use humor with clients, I'm also contributing to the world of therapeutic humor with my own research and projects.

"The Humor Academy is a one-of-a kind, three-year, college-level program focused on the science, benefits, and application of humor. Each level of the Humor Academy lasts one year, and those who complete all three years earn the distinction of Certified Humor Professional (CHP). Continuing education credits are available through the Humor Academy, as well." - AATH.org

Attending the conference and Level 2 HA courses will allow me to venture into my research project where I hope to further my studies upon how Therapeutic Humor and Expressive Arts Therapies overlap. For more about HA Level 2 and Level 3 projects, click here: https://www.aath.org/humor-academy-projects

Mind you, I chose this path knowing it was a 3-year commitment, and at the time, I was making a living wage and thought I was almost done earning hours for my LMHC. Alas, life is what happens when we are making other plans. The state licensing board would not accept my LMHC hours at that job site (small private practice), so I needed to take a much lower-paying job with an agency. Not only has this shift made it difficult to make my own ends meet, but it has also made attending this year's Humor Academy and AATH Conference, now in person in Orlando, FL, pretty much impossible.

When one signs on to AATH's HA, you commit to attending all the classes and conferences. Last year, due to the pandemic, everything was online, so I could swing the tuition. I also assumed at that time I was going to have my LMHC by now and be making more money. This year, the events are all in person, so I need to raise funds for the Humor Academy classes, my HA Level 1 graduation, AATH Annual Conference, roundtrip flight, and hotel. You can find the rates and more about the event by clicking here: https://www.aath.org/humor-conference

My goal is to raise $2k of the estimated $2,081broken down here.

If just 80 people contribute $25 to this campaign, I can make this happen! This means I can continue to stay on target with my studies and apply this wisdom to my mental health practice clients, making the benefits immeasurable! Please forward this to anyone you know who might like to help.

Still wondering what the heck this is? Here's an overview from our Director and Instructor, Mary Kay Morrison:

Sure humor and laughter are great, but what good can it really do, you know, scientifically?

There is lots of research regarding how humor and laughter have helped in the medical fields, and it's now starting to gain footing in the mental health sector as well. The purpose of AATH is to continue to expand this understanding and make peer-reviewed contributions to the field.

Personally, I would like to revamp my 2019 capstone thesis, clean it up, add back the sections I had to delete and trim the fat, and maybe make it the foundation for a book or video series. If you would like to read my Lesley University capstone thesis "A Laughing Matter: Transforming Trauma Through

Therapeutic Humor and Expressive Arts Therapy" 2019 click here: https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1224&context=expressive_theses

While doing my research, I became a Certified Laughter Yoga Leader. Hopefully later this year, I will be starting a practice called Waves of Joy where I include LY, therapeutic humor, and expressive arts therapies. Applying what I could learn by attending HA Level 2 and the AATH Conference will definitely add value to my services!

So, I hope you will be able to contribute whatever you can to help me stay on track and attend HA Level 1 Graduation, HA Level 2 Classes, and 2022 AATH Annual Conference!

THANK YOU!