Chicago-area Psychologist Honored by Humor Organization
Press Contact: Gary Carr, Rising Moon Marketing & Public Relations, (925) 672-8717, carrpool@pacbell.net
Princeton, NJ. February 8, 2005 . Ed Dunkelblau, Chicago-area psychologist, has been named the 2005 Lifetime Achievement Award winner by the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor. The award is presented for a person's extraordinary contribution to the association, whose mission is to advance the understanding and application of humor and laughter.
Dunkelblau joined the association in 1991 and served several years on the association board, including as president from 1997 to 1999. He served as co-chair of their annual conference from 1992 through 2004. As conference co-chair, Dunkelblau is recognized for the extensive local, regional and national media coverage he arranged to promote the conference each year, including CNN, NickNews with Linda Ellerby, and local network affiliates.
In his private practice, Dunkelblau is director of the Institute for Emotionally Intelligent Learning and director of training for Hoffman Estates Health and Human Services in the Chicago area. He is a recognized international authority on the healing value of humor, having written two chapters for books on humor and psychotherapy.
Citing the recent tsunami disaster, the war in Iraq, hurricanes in Florida, and other extreme conditions of persons around the world, Dunkelblau sees humor as a respite from stress that can be helpful both psychologically and physically. He shares his message as a consultant with Fortune 500 companies, health care organizations and educational institutions.
He said he has always used and appreciated humor in both his professional and personal life, and discovered AATH while attending an American Psychological Association conference. He laughs as he recalls also discovering that, at the time, the national office was located only blocks from where he lived in Northbrook, IL.
Dunkelblau will be honored for his achievements and will receive his award during the association's annual conference in Safety Harbor, FL, Feb. 16 - 20. In addition to the award, the association board of directors established a scholarship in his name to honor his long-standing conference leadership. Dunkelblau will recognize the scholarship's first two recipients at the conference.
Background of AATH
The Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor was founded in 1987 by a group of healthcare professionals, mainly nurses. AATH is a non-profit professional organization that advances the understanding and application of humor, laughter, and play. AATH provides and disseminates information about applied and therapeutic humor through conferences, publications, a website, and networking to a community from a wide variety of clinical, corporate, and classroom settings. They include scholars, psychologists, counselors, allied healthcare practitioners, nurses, social workers, physicians, business executives, human resource managers, educators, clergy, hospital clowns, speakers, trainers, and others who incorporate humor in their life and work and are not necessarily served through other organizations. Further information can be found at www.aath.org .
AATH Contacts:
RE: Conference - Karla Pollack, Executive Secretary, 5 Independence Way, Suite 300, Princeton, NJ 08540-6627. Phone 609-392-3800 , Fax 609-392-0244, staff@aath.org Web www.aath.org .
RE: Award - Ed Dunkelblau, Phone (847) 480-0999.
RE: Either -Roz Trieber, AATH Board Member, Phone: 410-998-9585, or Shirley Trout, AATH President, Phone (402) 786-3773
Press Contact: Gary Carr, Rising Moon Marketing & Public Relations, (925) 672-8717, carrpool@pacbell.net
