What is Clown Therapy?

Happiness and laughter are good for the mind, body, and spirit. Clown Therapy is a prescription that is welcome in many children's hospitals. Clowns are dressed up in doctor garb, or doctors specializing in humor dressed up in clowning garb. Doesn't matter. The idea of clown therapy is to bring joy and laughter into the sick room to ease tensions and offer relief. The clowns and their funny antics distract the children from focusing on their pain and help to lift their spirits a bit.

Who is Dr Patch Adams?

Dr. Patch Adams, the founder of The Gesundheit! Institute, is probably the most notable person to have educated the pubic on the significance of laughter promoting healing. Patch Adam, both medical doctor and clown is famous for his holistic view of medicine and his desire to treat the whole patient not just the physical ills.

What About the Fear of Clowns?

Clown therapy sounds like a good way to create an atmosphere of positivity but what if you have coulrophobia (clown phobia, or fear of clowns)? Paul Carpenter is a clown in the John Lawson's Circus in the U.K. who offers special kind of clown therapy called clownseling.. Paul invites people into his dressing room during the pre-show to watch him put on his clown makeup and costume. This way he is seen in his normal everyday personas before Paul converts into Popol, his clown persona.

_{clown photo © Justin Sullivan / Getty Images}

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