AATH History
The American Association for Therapeutic Humor was founded in 1987 by Alison L. Crane, RN, one of the leading public speakers throughout the 1980s on the therapeutic uses of humor in healthcare. Alison started the association in a spare bedroom of her townhome after it became apparent that audiences wanted more access to research-based information on all aspects of humor.
Her one-year-old assistant, Sarah, was her constant companion. She helped Alison perfect her filing systems since she had to redo them each time Sarah discovered a new way to get into the file cabinets. Initially, Alison produced a 6-10 page quarterly newsletter called Laugh It Up, but starting in March 1990, a 2-page newsletter called Laugh It Update was also created for members and focused on one specific subject with each issue. The Association also offered an annual one-day workshop on therapeutic humor and twice collaborated with the Institute for the Advancement of Human Behavior to put on the highly successful Humor and Pastoral Counseling Conference (affectionately named "The God Conference" by Alison and Joan Piaget at IAHB.)
In 1996, the organization established a website (www.aath.org). In October 2001, AATH was renamed the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor to reflect its international membership and its focus on the theoretical and "applied" aspects of integrating humor into a variety of therapeutic modalities.
Alison L. Crane, RN
History of the
Humor Academy
The AATH Humor Academy launched in 2010 at the 25th Anniversary AATH Conference in Anaheim, CA, evolving from years of planning and discussion about creating a humor-focused accreditation program. Inspired by the National Staff Development Academy and Mary Kay Morrison’s work on humor’s cognitive and educational benefits, the Academy’s curriculum centered on the AATH mission: “To Study, Practice, and Promote Healthy Humor.”
The first cohort, led by Mary Kay Morrison and Barbara Miller, utilized Mary Kay’s book Using Humor to Maximize Living as a foundational text, with graduate credit offered through Portland State University. Kathy Laurenhue, Laurie Young, Deb Gauldin, Roberta Gold and Linda McNeal played vital roles in planning, program development, and establishing guidelines for all three levels of the Academy. Nila Nielsen finalized the structure for the Level II poster and presentation guidelines.
The Academy explores therapeutic humor, healthy humor practices, and advanced applications over three levels. Early leaders such as Mary Kay, Karyn Buxman, Joyce Saltman, and advisors and instructors like Steve Sultanoff and the late Jill Knox were instrumental in shaping the program.
Initially known as Humor Academy Graduates (HAGS), the program's graduates were renamed Certified Humor Professionals (CHPs) in 2016. Today, the Humor Academy continues to provide a vibrant community and impactful learning experience, offering cutting-edge sessions, monthly meetings, and an evolving curriculum to support humor’s role in personal and professional development.
