Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Photograph by George Sakkestad

Kathryn Ferrari, who founded the International Laughter Society, hams it up with Sam, the organization's mascot.

Laughter

Science proves health benefits of a good giggle

By Mary Ann Cook

We all need to laugh more, to bring more lightness, more positive thinking into our lives. Laughter is one of the best medicines in the world, so why not use it as often as possible to help combat or cure any variety of ills? Indeed, why not invent a group that promotes laughter? So reasoned Katherine Ferrari when she was germinating the idea of an International Laughter Society. "I had probably been thinking about it a long time," she says.

At the time--1983, to be exact--she was an architect/engineer directing a project for NASA, and the level of stress that was associated with the project alarmed her. But she noticed that the people who were part of her team seemed to get more done and have a better time doing it than their counterparts.

"We all got along well, had the best time. When you're having fun, you get more done," she attests. "We got better results faster. Now there have been scientifically documented studies that show that laughter is a decided plus for productivity, but at that time, the idea wasn't popularly acknowledged. Laughter does belong in the workplace."

Today the benefits of laughter have been proven scientifically, by checking blood pressure levels and by noting the presence of endorphins (disease fighters) released when the patient laughs, Ferrari points out. But, as recently as 14 years ago, the concept of laughter as a remedy for illness or as an aid to increased productivity at work was still suspect.

An organization dedicated exclusively to laughter was long overdue, Ferrari believed, and so she proclaimed the arrival of the International Society of Laughter with herself as president. After much research, she began holding seminars and giving speeches on the subject. There was no advertising for this new society: It grew strictly by word of mouth.

Eventually she got calls from all over the world, asking her to speak or send tapes or humor first-aid kits--the only first-aid kits in the world to include a clown's red nose, her then-secretary noted. Ferrari gave workshops on humor and healing at Good Samaritan Hospital, and the society met there monthly for meetings, drawing between 50 and 100 people for each session.

Noted humorists signed up as members, including Bill Cosby, Art Buchwald and Lily Tomlin. Cosby ordered International Society T- shirts for his staff. On one side the T-shirt said, "International Laughter Society." On the other, "Laugh for the Health of it."

Ferrari appeared with Norman Cousins, speaking before medical groups about the benefits of laughter. Cousins popularized a teamwork approach with his doctor and was active in recommending procedures to facilitate the healing process. And his favored mode of attack was laughter, through humorous movies, books, tapes. He wrote Anatomy of an Illness to record his method.

Ferrari hasn't written a book yet, but she's been interviewed and quoted in health-care books and articles published by Rodale Press. Magazines from the chiropractic society have quoted her, as have textbooks from the Oxford University Press Canadian Society--all on the subject of humor.

"I want to be able to tell my grandchildren I was a centerfold," Ferrari quips, referring to a centerfold picture in a chiropractic magazine where she is posed with the mascot of the International Laughter Society, a life-sized stuffed gorilla.

These days, though, her devotion to the laughter society has taken a back seat to her career as a hypnotherapist. She was certified eight years ago and has been practicing ever since, helping people overcome eating disorders or quit smoking, for example.

A lifelong student and avid researcher, Ferrari studied at the Hypnosis Training Institute in Glendale, at Stillman College of Hypnosis in San Jose and at the National Guild of Hypnosis. She regularly attends the Institute of Hypnosis in St. Louis and an international conference in New Hampshire. She has been a speaker at conferences for the American Council of Hypnotist's Examiners.

All of this is quite an about-face from her earlier career choices. And perhaps the laughter society presaged that change. As an undergraduate she earned a bachelor's degree from Northwestern University in political science. She then married, had two children and moved to the Bay Area in 1960. By the time her children were in school (at Bellarmine and Castellejo) she decided to pursue master's degrees in engineering and architecture at Stanford University.

"I have a logical mind, seek solutions [as an engineer], but as an artist [architect] I want to do it in the most elegant way." The house she designed, very nearly where Los Gatos and Saratoga meet, speaks to those attributes, combining practicality and elegance.

And starting the laughter society showed her how strongly she was motivated to help people. That's why hypnosis appealed to her. "I'm an adjunct to health care. Many physicians refer patients to me. I'm not a psychotherapist. I can't help people unless they are determined to change. By the same token, people can't be hypnotized unless they're willing to be hypnotized."

From an engineer to a hypnotist is quite a vault. "Katherine Ferrari is a vivid illustration of how people can make life changes," says Dr. David Harris of Image Enhancing Dermatology in Campbell. "When I first knew her she was an engineer. Now she's doing work she finds meaningful for herself and society. People find that having a job, earning money doesn't give enough meaning to their lives. She's an example of someone who has found that meaning. She's proactive in working with those with chronic illnesses, in bringing humor into their lives. I've sent a lot of patients to her, and they've benefited through her presence in their lives. She connects well with both men and women."

Marilyn Katz, a licensed marriage and family counselor whose emphasis is on those with severe mental illnesses, mentions Ferrari's connectedness, too. "She has a way of really understanding people; she's in tune with you. She's able to meet people on different levels. I've used her services for both myself and others. She's made a significant difference in my life," Katz says.

Hypnosis done by a professional can help people cope with stress and overcome fears such as flying or public speaking. Self-hypnosis can even improve sports abilities or slow down the aging process, Ferrari says, by calming your fears and surrounding yourself with positive influences.

"Hypnosis is really self-hypnosis. You're the one who puts yourself in a trance, with the hypnotist's help. Learning self-hypnosis or visualization techniques can help you manage pain and improve relationships," Ferrari maintains.

One accomplishment Ferrari is particularly proud of is helping others stop smoking, something she says she can do in one session with a compatible client. Her own father died of lung cancer in 1981.

Ferrari's husband is Gordon Holt, and they've been married 10 years. He's a contract consultant, and in his present contract he's assistant to the director of the Institute for Business Performers, an educational group that trains individuals for specific jobs in Silicon Valley. "We're both bookaholics, workaholics, so we don't go away much," she says about their leisure pursuits. "It's hard to pry me out of my office. My work is my fun. It's so thrilling, so precious to see their enthusiasm," when her clients have reached a milestone.

Her offspring are Mike Wasserman of Los Gatos and Alex (Alexandra) Maeso of Hermosa Beach. Wasserman owns Collector's Corner, a sports memorabilia store across from the Safeway on N. Santa Cruz Avenue. Mike and his wife, Kim, have two children, Nicole, 10, and Sean, 8.

Though the international society is in a holding pattern at the moment, Ferrari sees herself becoming more active in the future. "It has a life of its own with or without me. Eventually, I'll cut down on my therapy practice and devote more time to it," she says.

A laughter chapter has formed in DeLand, Fla., and one was started in Chicago but never quite took hold. Ferrari wasn't involved, other than to send information and offer advice. For more information about the society of "laughter, play and positive thinking," send an SASE to 16000 Glen Una Drive in Los Gatos.

As for her work as a hypnotherapist, "I've seen her turn people's lives around--both personally and professionally--enhancing their self-esteem and their belief in themselves," Marilyn Katz says. Ferrari would say these people, her clients, did it themselves. But, as the saying reminds us, it takes two to tango.

[ Back to Contents Page | Los Gatos Weekly-Times Home Page | Archives ]