March Program Agenda

Dr. Susan Mathieu - the Happy Professor
Dr. Susan Mathieu is the Senior Adult Program Coordinator at the Alpert Jewish Community Center in Long Beach and the Program Director for Active Adult Community Connection a grant funded by the Archstone Foundation.  She consults with public & private agencies on the “Art of Getting Along with Difficult People.”  She is known in many circles as the “happy professor” and taught for the California State University system for 17 years.
“Dr. Susan” has facilitated stress management workshops for young children, youth on probation and counselors working with traumatized adolescents.  Susan’s loss of her first son to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) made her keenly aware of similarities between traumatized children and her own grief.  She explored the use of humor as a therapeutic intervention.  It worked!  Dr. Susan’s doctoral dissertation research was titled, “The Effect of Therapeutic Recreation Program on Abused Adolescent Males in a Residential Treatment Facility” and master’s thesis was "The Examination of Residential Treatment Facilities Serving Abused Adolescents."
Dr. Susan has professional experience with older adults through community recreation and in 2006, created a happiness and humor group for older adults that has been replicated throughout the United States and Europe.  She’s been listed as a Who's Who Among America's Women and Teachers, received the "Outstanding Therapeutic Educator Award” from the California Park and Recreation Society, and "Professional Award” from the National Recreation and Parks Association.  She was given “The Outstanding Professor Award,” three times from the students in her department at CSU Long Beach.  Dr. Susan is married and a proud mother (naturally) of two sons.

Overview
Indeed, humor is a powerful force with psychological and physiological effects on the body similar to the health benefits of aerobic exercise (Adamle, Chiang-Hanisko, Ludwick, Zeller, & Brown, 2007; Du Pre, 1998). Humor and laughter improve the immune system, heart functioning, and mental health, among other benefits (Du Pre, 1998). Cortisol, a hormone secreted by the body during times of stress, suppresses the proper functioning of the immune system thus making humans more inclined to become sick (Du Pre, 1998). Research has found that laughter can remove some of the negative effects of stress (Celso, Ebener, & Burkhead, 2003; Du Pre, 1998).
Research in the area of humor supports a relationship between humor and hopefulness
(Vilaythong, Arnau, Rosen, & Mascaro, 2003; Westburg, 2003).  Although laughter can be achieved through entertainment such as viewing videos and film, the social interaction portion of laughter is also very helpful.  Susan Mathieu, 2008
The presentation will include:
1. Getting Started - How to Play with Your Own Pain- Yes I Mean YOU!
2. The Patch Adams Primer (Clown Noses and Funny Faces)
3. Facts & Fiction of Laughter
4. Humor Do’s & Don’ts
5. Ten Easy Intervention Methods