Improv for Mental Health and Wellness
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Improv for Therapists
Improv fosters mindfulness, connection, spontaneity, vulnerability, and levity — all of which are essential ingredients in successful therapy.
As Improv Connect clinicians, we know just how much improv has helped us in our everyday therapeutic practice. And we’re excited to share what we have learned with you!
Contact us to set up an Improv for Therapists workshop and we will guide you and your team through fun exercises, games and discussions that will help you apply improv to your clinical practice!
All of our programming is individualized to your team’s goals and needs.
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Clinical Conference Workshops
At Improv Connect, we believe that the principles and practices of improv can revolutionize the way clinicians and helping professionals approach their work.
Our conference workshops are designed to weave improvisational tenets into the fabric of your daily practice, enhancing your skills and fostering a deeper connection with your clients. Using theories and research from your specific field, we combine educational micro-lessons with improv exercises and group discussion to foster self-reflection and expand your clinical practice.
Our workshops are customized to your particular audience, range from 1 to 4 hours, and are tailored to the specific area of therapy practiced by conference attendees.
Book us and discover the transformative power of improv in your everyday clinical practice.
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Improv for Neurodiversity - Teens
Boost confidence, explore emotions of self and others, and HAVE TONS OF FUN doing improv comedy with peers!
Improv for Neurodiversity is an improv-based therapy group focused on skill-building for neurodiverse teens (ages 15-18) with a focus on Autism.
Led by a social worker and an improv coach, this program fosters self-exploration, promotes interpersonal connection, and helps build social, emotional and life skills in an accepting and fun environment.
Participants: Neurodiverse teens (15-18 years)
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Mindful Improv
An improv class that combines mindfulness and grounding exercises with improvisational theater techniques, exercises and games.
A gentle approach to improv for a wide variety of people, including those who…
experience anxiety or introversion
feel easily put on the spot
are interested in improv, but don't want to perform
experience stage fright
are nervous about enrolling in a traditional improv class
want a group of friendly, accepting, like-feeling peers to learn with
learn best in an open, accepting, gentle environment
want to learn improv-based approaches to mindfulness that can be applied to everyday life
Note: If you are looking for a multi-session Anxiety-Friendly Improv Course, this is it!
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Social Anxiety Improv Therapy Groups
A ten-week therapy group facilitated in conjunction with a mental health specialist. Sessions include:
Therapeutic group discussions as
Improv exercises which draw directly from acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and play therapy approaches.
Group activities that experientially increase
self-acceptance
self-compassion
interpersonal and relational skills
deepening feelings of connection
Participants: Adults experiencing social anxiety who want to deepen feelings of self-acceptance and connection to other people
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Clinician Collaborations
Collaborate with Improv Connect to create a custom training or treatment program that integrates improv into your practice, area of interest, or field of research.
Participants: Licensed therapists, clinicians, educators, researchers, medical professionals or graduate students who want to collaborate with Improv Connect to integrate improv into patient treatment, service provider training or research.
There is a growing evidence base for using improv comedy as therapy:
Phillips Sheesley, A., Pfeffer, M., & Barish, B. (2016). Comedic improv therapy for the treatment of social anxiety disorder. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 11(2), 157-169. doi:10.1080/15401383.2016.1182880. Retrieved from ResearchGate.
Ocobock, C., Lynn, C.D., Sarma, M. et al. (2020). Organized adult play and stress reduction: Testing the absorption hypothesis in a comedy improv theater. Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology, 6, 436-446. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40750-020-00147-z
Chaplin Kindler, R., & Gray, A. (2010) Theater and therapy: How improvisation informs the analytic hour. Psychoanalytic Inquiry, 30(3), 254-266,
Felsman, P., Seifert, C. M., & Himle, J. A. (2019). The use of improvisational theater training to reduce social anxiety in adolescents. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 63, 111-117.
Kmita, M., Bronowicka, A., Moszczyńska, A., Zych, R., & Małyszczak, K. (2017). Humor and laughter therapy. Psychoterapia, 2, 65-74.
Krueger, K. R., Murphy, J. W., & Bink, A. B. (2017). Thera-prov: A pilot study of improv used to treat anxiety and depression. Journal of Mental Health, 1-6.
Johnson, A. (2018). Integrating comedic improv training exercises with psychodrama to promote trauma resolution in adolescent substance abusers (Doctoral dissertation, Mississippi College).
Lawrence, C. & Coaston, S. (2017) Whose line is it, anyway? Using improvisational exercises to spark counselor development. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 12(4), 513-528,
Morse, L. A., Xiong, L., Ramirez-Zohfeld, V., Anne, S., Barish, B., & Lindquist, L. A. (2018). Humor doesn’t retire: Improvisation as a health-promoting intervention for older adults. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 75, 1-5.
Steitzer, C. (2011). The brilliant genius: Using improv comedy in social work groups. Social Work with Groups, 34(3-4), 270-282.
Stevens, J. (2012). Stand up for dementia: Performance, improvisation and stand up comedy as therapy for people with dementia; a qualitative study. Dementia, 11(1), 61-73.
Romanelli, A., & Berger, R. (2018). The ninja therapist: Theater improvisation tools for the (daring) clinician. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 60, 26-31.