Article information
Abstract
The exploration of the possible strategies centered in positive emotions is a suggestion to investigate and probably useful to raise the efficiency of therapeutic interventions. Laughter and humor have been classified as part of the 24 personal strengths and are considered as one of the activities that encourage personal well-being, savoring, and promoting flow states. Laughter therapy, classified within alternative or complementary therapies in medicine, includes a group of techniques and therapeutic interventions aimed to achieve laughter experiences which result in health-related outcomes, both physiological and psychological. Recent advent of positive psychology has developed high interest and expectations in the benefits of adding positive techniques to laughter therapy (and to other mind-body therapies). Consequently with this modern approach positive laughter therapy was born, as add-on to conventional laughter therapy and positive psychology, with its contributions and limitations. Health professionals can exert an important role in order to disseminate overall benefits of “positive therapies” while applying them in real-world clinical settings, for both patients and themselves.
Keywords:
Laughter
Laughter therapy
Positive therapies
Applied positive psychology
Complementary/alternative medicine (CAM)
Resumen
La exploración de las posibilidades de estrategias centradas en las emociones positivas es algo sugerente para la investigación y muy probablemente útil para incrementar la eficacia de los tratamientos. La risa y el humor se han clasificado dentro de las 24 fortalezas personales y se los considera una de las actividades más proclives al bienestar subjetivo, el saboreo y la promoción de los estados de flujo. La terapia de la risa, clasificable entre las terapias alternativas o complementarias en medicina, es el conjunto de técnicas e intervenciones terapéuticas para conseguir experimentar risa que se traduzca en los beneficios fisiológicos y psicológicos conocidos. El reciente advenimiento de la psicología positiva ha despertado un grandísimo interés y expectación sobre los beneficios de aplicar el trabajo con recursos positivos a la terapia de la risa (y a otras terapias mentecuerpo). Por lo tanto, nace con este moderno enfoque, la terapia positiva con risa, como complemento de la terapia de la risa “general” y de la psicología positiva, con sus aportaciones y sus limitaciones. Los profesionales sanitarios pueden ejercer un importante papel para difundir los beneficios de las “terapias positivas” y aplicarlas en condiciones reales, tanto para los pacientes como para ellos mismos.
Palabras clave:
Risa
Terapia de la risa
Terapias positivas
Psicología positiva aplicada
Medicina complementaria/alternativa
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