Humour has long been recognized across cultures as one of humanity’s most powerful healing forces. It fosters empathy, steadies relationships during moments of crisis, strengthens self-esteem, and helps people move forward — even in the face of adversity.
On April 10, the Center for Adlerian Practice and Scholarship will host a day-long summit dedicated to exploring humour as both a psychological resource and a courageous act.
The Adlerian Summit 2026, titled “Courage to Laugh: Adlerian Psychology and the Art of Humour,” will bring together clinicians, students, educators, and community members for an immersive exploration of humour through the lens of Adlerian psychology.
Register for the 2026 Adlerian Summit by March 31. Registration is free for Adler University students, staff, and faculty.
“A good laugh does not minimize struggle,” said CAPS Director Marina Bluvshtein, Ph.D. “Humour is a useful tool in facing difficulties in life. When we dare to laugh, we create space for movement and insight.”
Through a series of speakers, breakout sessions, student poster presentations, and experiential activities, the summit will examine how humour operates in clinical practice, human connection, and cultural life.
The keynote address will be delivered by Andrés Buschiazzo, Ph.D., a psychologist, psychotherapist, and academic director of the Centro de Estudios Adlerianos in Montevideo, Uruguay. Title “The Courage to Laugh: An Adlerian Perspective on Humour and Human Connection,” Dr. Buschiazzo will explore how humour can be used as a relational tool, one that requires insight, presence, and the willingness to connect with others.
Following his address, participants can choose between a series of breakout sessions offered in four languages: Farsi, Mandarin, Spanish, and English — a first for the Adlerian Summit. These sessions will explore humour in practice across diverse cultural and clinical contexts, including Adlerian psychodrama, playfulness as a psychological resource, and the role of humour in therapy, education, and human development.
Breakout sessions include:
- Farsi: “Laughter as Medicine: Action, Insight, and Connection through Adlerian Psychodrama,” by Sara Saeedi, Psy.D.
- Mandarin: “Playfulness Beyond Solutions: Humour as a Psychological Resource,” by Jing Zhang.
- Spanish: “The Courage to Laugh in Practice: Experiential Tools for Adlerian Groups and Therapy,” by Dr. Buschiazzo.
- English: “Turning Ha-Ha into Aha!: Adlerian Traditions in Raising Better Humans — in Therapy and Beyond,” by Marina Bluvshtein, Ph.D.
In addition to academic and clinical dialogue, the summit will feature interactive and community-centered elements, including a photo booth and a friendly open-mic competition, where attendees are encouraged to share a joke. Lunch will be provided.
“By combining scholarship, practice, and play, this year’s Adlerian Summit invites participants to consider humour not as a distraction from serious work,” said Dr. Bluvshtein. “Instead, humour can be a meaningful force that challenges rigidity, counters despair and elevates hope.”