ASSOCIATION FOR APPLIED AND THERAPEUTIC HUMOR PRESENTS
About the Conference
For 2026, AATH invites you to explore humor where it matters most: in life’s most difficult conversations. Our theme, On the Edge: Humor in the Hard Places, encourages us to reflect on how humor can help us approach challenging, sensitive, and even taboo topics with care and creativity.
Therapeutic Benefits
Learn how humor can reduce stress, improve resilience, and enhance emotional well-being in changing environments.
Personal Growth
Expanding your understanding of humor can be a powerful tool for greater personal satisfaction and improved coping skills.
Professional Application
Discover practical techniques for incorporating humor into your professional practice to improve outcomes and relationships.
Continuing Education
One-of-a-kind professional development experience where humor meets science and strategy!
A College-Level Program That’s No Joke
You’ll discover so many powerful applications and benefits of humor—it’s no joke. Explore the science and practice of humor in a supportive, collaborative environment with experts and professionals from diverse fields such as health, business, education, mental health, and the arts.
This one-of-a-kind, three-year, college-level program focuses on the science, benefits, and real-world applications of humor. Each level takes one year to complete, and graduates of all three levels earn the respected designation of Certified Humor Professional (CHP).
Conference Location
Join us in sunny San Diego, California!
DoubleTree by Hilton San Diego Bayside
4875 N Harbor Dr, San Diego, CA 92106
+1 619-224-3621
Overlooking Americas Cup Harbor, our resort-style hotel puts you close to marina activities and watersports. We’re five minutes from Liberty Station shops and restaurants, and 15 minutes from Cabrillo National Monument.
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Complimentary airport shuttle
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Complimentary self park
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Special rate 3 days pre/post event
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$10 breakfast vouchers included
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2 Queen Beds Standard - $169.00
Book by: May 20, 2026
DoubleTree by Hilton San Diego Bayside
4875 N Harbor Dr, San Diego, CA 92106
+1 619-224-3621
Conference Schedule
Thursday, May 14 – Humor Academy Day
Friday, May 15 – Conference Day 1
Saturday, May 16 – Conference Day 2
Sunday, May 17 – Conference Day 3 (ends at noon)
Don't miss this incredible opportunity to laugh, learn, and connect at this one-of-a-kind event. Early bird pricing available through September 30th.
Conference Registration
Full conference access
Conference meals
Workshop materials
Networking events
Early Bird (through Sept 30th)
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AATH Member: $549
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Nonmember: $719
Attendee Add-On:
Humor Academy Registration
Humor Academy Sessions Only
includes Thursday Luncheon
HA Levels 1, 2, & 3: $390
2026 HA Grads: $60
CHPs: $60
Attendee Add-On:
CE Certificate
Continuing Education Credits
for both Conference & Humor Academy sessions
$75
Guest Add-On:
HA Luncheon Ticket
(Thursday)
$60
Guest Add-On:
2026 AATH Reception
& Banquet Dinner
(Saturday)
$90
Guest Add-On:
AATH Conference
Meal Pass
Includes conference meals only, not session admission.
$350
Call For Speakers!
Proposal Deadline: October 31, 2025
Speaker Selection Notification: November 30, 2025
Whether it’s politics, religion, grief, forensics, or the role of dark humor, laughter has long been a way to process the unspoken, ease tension, and bridge divides. This year’s conference is about how humor can illuminate the serious, balance insight with sensitivity, and open dialogue where words alone often fall short.
Proposal Topics May Include:
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Humor in sensitive contexts—navigating politics, religion, grief, or mortality
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Dark & light—responsible use of dark humor to comfort, connect, or heal
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Crossing boundaries—using humor to engage difficult subjects without going too far
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Research & practice—studies or stories of humor fostering resilience and dialogue
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Practical applications—strategies for using humor with sensitivity in personal and professional settings
Why Submit?
By presenting, you’ll have the opportunity to:
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Share how humor supports meaningful conversations around difficult topics
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Contribute to a community that values humor’s power to heal, unite, and inspire
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Shape a dialogue that is as compassionate as it is courageous
Call for Research Abstracts
Submission Deadline: November 15, 2025
Have you conducted an evidence-based research study (qualitative or quantitative) within the past five years?
Are you the primary researcher—or a key member of the research team?
If so, AATH invites you to submit your work for the 2026 Conference.
Why Submit?
Selected abstracts will be showcased during the conference in either a Research Showcase presentation or a poster session. This is your chance to:
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Share your research with an engaged, international community of humor scholars and practitioners
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Contribute to advancing the field of applied and therapeutic humor
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Foster meaningful dialogue and professional connections
Additional Details
Selected abstracts will be showcased during the conference in either a Research Showcase presentation or a poster session. This is your chance to:
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Conference dates: May 14–17, 2026, San Diego, CA
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Attendance is encouraged (though not required) for all who submit abstracts
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Conference registration (full or single-day) is the researcher’s responsibility
What is Therapeutic Humor?
Therapeutic humor is any intervention that promotes health and wellness by stimulating a playful discovery, expression, or appreciation of the absurdity or incongruity of life’s situations. This intervention may enhance health or be used as a complementary treatment of illness to facilitate healing or coping, whether physical, emotional, cognitive, social, or spiritual.