The Healing Power of Humor | Robin A. Johnson | TEDxRiverOaks

NOTE FROM TED: While some may find this helpful as a complementary approach, please seek professional help if you are struggling and do not look to this talk as a substitute for mental health advice. This talk only represents the speaker's personal views and understanding of humor, healing, and the brain. TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers. The guidelines we give TEDx organizers are described in more detail here: http://storage.ted.com/tedx/manuals/t...

What happens when comedy meets resilience? Through anecdotes and her own experiences with adversity, comedian and survivor Robin "Phoenix" Johnson, who volunteers with trauma support groups, highlights the importance of finding light through dark times. A stirring reminder of the healing power of laughter — and how it can help us rise from the ashes when facing trauma's fire. After twenty-six years of service in the United States Army, Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Robin Johnson discovered her new mission was to heal people with laughter. She created HEAL*ARIOUS, a non-profit offering programming that focuses on incorporating humor to improve psychological performance. She works in collaboration with clinicians to develop customized programming for veterans, first responders, athletes, and corporate executives. She is a Level III Certified Humor Professional through the Association for the Applied & Therapeutic Use of Humor, a thought leader on infusing humor into mental health and leadership, and a nationally touring comedian that speaks to audiences across the world about the power of humor. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx