2 :3
Fall 2005
TEACHING & LEARNIN G
An Interview wit h
Dr. Bernie Warren, Clow n
Doctor and Founder of Fool s
for Healt h
Bernie Warren and Raymond Chodzinski
ernie Warren Ph .D . healthcare facility . Clown-doc(A .K .A . Dr . Haven't-A- tors interact with patients, famiClue) is a full professor at lies and health care staff in hosthe University of Windsor . His ex- pital rooms and hallways an d
pertise and research spans a vast visit patients and their families a t
array of interests that relate t o their bedside . They engage in
wellness, well-being, and the rol e play with children and adult s
of the arts in healthcare and edu - and try to introduce humour to
cation and are reflected in many otherwise sad situations .
articles, books, speaking engage Our clown-doctors are all pai d
ments and participation in inter professionals and are obliged to
national symposiums and confer- act under a strict ethical model
ences . In 2001, he was awarde d of conduct and must agree t o
the Alumni Award for Distin- confine actions to those behavguished contributions to Univer- iours identified and described a s
sity Teaching . His research and under the rubric of what is kno w
practice brings together his train- as a Clown-doctor .
ing and interest in Eastern marUnlike clowns who make occa tial arts and healing with his Western training in psychology an d sional visits to hospital bedside s
performing arts . He has worke d merely to 'entertain', professiona l
with severely disabled children, clown-doctors are trained to pro seniors and people with life threat - vide specific support services t o
ening medical conditions . Hi s healthcare practitioners an d
work with therapeutic clowns , 'therapeutic humour' to patients ,
"Clown-doctors" as he prefers , their families and the staff wh o
has been acclaimed as pioneerin g interact with them. At best, they
work in the field of applied medi - are an accepted part of a health
cine and child life specialties . In team working together to provid e
this interview, I discuss specifi- health care services to patients i n
cally with Dr . Warren about the need .
role of humour and the work o f
They employ music, improvise d
clown-doctors .
play and the artistry of traditional
clowns, (mime, dance, juggling,
Chodzinski:
What is a clown-doctor and wha t magic, pratfalls, set gags and rou tines), and engage patients with
does your work entail .
short improvised stories and scenes
Warren :
to assist them with personal cop A clown-doctor is a speciall y ing mechanisms and to help them
trained professional artist wh o and their families develop positiv e
works in a therapeutic program attitudes and resilience in the fac e
within a hospital or other of illness, tragedy and life adversity .
B
Chodzinsk%
What prompted you to start Fools fo r
Health ?
Warren:
My work has always been about
personal development . It is and
continues to be about wellnes s
and good health and how to attain it and maintain it . I hav e
been involved in various aspects
of social work, medicine, danc e
and drama and of course East ern martial and healing arts particularly Qigong and Tai Chi .
I believe that if you do not hav e
your health you are hard presse d
to concentrate on anything else .
Accidents, illnesses, disabilities ,
various life challenges al l
threaten personal wellness an d
quality of life . I have sought ways
to assist people to cope with various life pressures and to mov e
forward no matter how desperate or debilitating their situatio n
may be . I believe that humour ,
and laughter, is an integral aspec t
in maintaining wellness and resil iency .
Fools for Health was founde d
in 2001 as an outcome of mor e
than ten years of research int o
the use of humour in healing cul minating in my work with
Caroline Simonds and Le Rir e
Medecin (a clown-doctor company in Paris) .
The founding principle tha t
drives Fools for Health is a pro found belief that "clowns" ca n
and do provide a form of healt h
care that is so often missing in th e
hospital environment . For, whil e
doctors, nurses and the rest of th e
healthcare team usually focus on
the parts of the patient that ar e
'sick', clown-doctors focus on th e
parts of the patient that ar e
'well'. Moreover, Clown-doctor s
make people laugh, but more im -
7
TEACHING & LEARNIN G
portantly, they make them smile .
Our motto is a laugh may last for
a moment but a smile lingers lon g
after the clown-doctor has left
the room .
Chodzinski;
Who are the clown-doctors? Ho w
are they trained ?
Warren:
Our organization, Fools fo r
Health, which is located in Wind sor, Ontario, was the first ful l
time professional clown–docto r
program in Canada . Initially, we
received direct support from the
University of Windsor ; in 2003 ,
we became a registered charity .
A laugh may last for a
moment but a smile linger s
long after the clown-docto r
has left the room .
Since 2001, we have employed
more than 20 different clown doctors . Our Clown-doctor s
have come from a wide range of
backgrounds . Most candidate s
come to us with a degree (som e
a graduate degree) in music o r
drama / theatre and some relevant healthcare or special education experience . All must exhibit high levels of empathy, un derstanding and a willingness to
share humour with others .
Once selected we train ou r
Clowns in the art of 'therapeuti c
humour', how to perform in a
healthcare setting and provid e
them with sufficient knowledg e
to assist them to be accepted and
integral partners in the medica l
treatment and wellness of patients, hospital visitors, an d
medical practitioners .
Chodzinski:
What might I expect to see if I wer e
to follow you throughout a visit to
8
a hospital ?
Warren.
First, our clown-doctors always
work in pairs; this is referred t o
as a "clown marriage" . We hav e
no set script and so all our wor k
is improvised . As our clown s
work across the lifespan, wha t
they do varies with each the skill s
of the clowns and with each situation, Their interactions with patients, their families and th e
healthcare staff may range from
loud boisterous singing and / or
dancing to soft songs accompanied by the use of finger puppet s
or simply quietly telling a joke or
a story at the bedside or nurse s
station .
On any given day, you might
see one or more of us visit a chil d
or senior during a dialysis treatment or visit with an Alzheimer's patient or a child alone in a
hospital setting during chemotherapy or who might have suffered major trauma or abuse .
We might bump into a medical staff member who is tired an d
overworked and requires an emotional boost, We might sit wit h
parents waiting for the results of
emergency surgery on a child o r
loved one or we might comfort a
grieving parent or child who ha s
just been advised of a death of a
loved one or try to comfort a patient who is at the end of thei r
life .
No patient, or visitor or medical caregiver is immune to laughter and goodwill and our clown s
distribute this 'medicine' freely .
We view our patients from a
wellness perspective . Each da y
before we get into clown we get
notes from the healthcare tea m
about each patient we are to visit .
2 :3
Fall 200 5
in fact, we must still be whom w e
are inside . Our real self-character is what provides us with in sight to a patients needs .
We view the power of a smile
as 'anti depressant medication' .
We try to alleviate the stress resulting from anxiety due to even
the simplest of procedures such
as being on the receiving end of
a needle or a having a cast set .
Just simply distracting the patient
for a while can be very beneficia l
to the process . We are not primarily entertainers although w e
do entertain and have a variet y
of performing skills but what w e
do is practice a form of medicine
that is designed to 'heal the soul' .
There are not many patient s
that actually enjoy being in a hos pital . We try to take the edge ou t
of the experience and make th e
environment a good place to be .
This is especially true for children . I might add it is important
to understand that children wh o
are not patients but who are vis iting siblings, parents, grandpar ents and other loved ones suffe r
immensely and are often con fused and stressed by the experience . Clown-doctors have a wonderful way of enhancing the experience by changing the mood
if you will and bringing a sparkle and joy to those with whom
we encounter .
Chodzinski:
I am aware that you conduct information sessions for children . Wil l
you please elaborate ?
Warren:
Yes . While we do not actually g o
into schools very often, although
that might be an excellen t
proactive venture, we do hold th e
occasional Health day clinic fo r
We take on a character that pro -
kids and we have conducted a Jun -
vides us with a persona to act but
ior Clown-doctor program for Kid s
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TEACHING & LEARNIN G
Fall 200 5
in collaboration with The Hospic e
of Windsor- Essex County . We also
support and we participate in various Healthcare Week activities .
For example, this May Fool s
for Health Clown-doctors in participation with University o f
Windsor Faculty of Nursing science Fair hosted groups of grad e
five and six students in a work shop atmosphere learning abou t
the body and how it works an d
what makes it sick . 'Laugh doctors' taught children about th e
No patient, or visitor o r
medical caregiver i s
immune to laughter an d
goodwill and our clowns
distribute this 'medicine'
freely.
positive use of humour and explained the healthy benefits tha t
are possible including increase d
blood flow, improved immun e
response and a better attitude .
Moreover, most important, emphasized the effects of a permanent smile . Clowns such as Dr .
Fuzy Wuzzy, Dr . Cha Cha, Dr .
Floretta Cauliflower and other s
have introduced children to the
skills of administering humour a s
a medicine . After all we prescrib e
"Smylenol" rather than Tylenol
and have "extra strengt h
Smylenol" for those in trouble d
smiles .
Chodzinski;
What might a teacher learn from the
clown-doctor program and ho w
could they enhance the classroom
experience from this learning ?
Warren :
I believe that teachers are firs t
and foremost caregivers and a s
such must view the world (their
classroom) from a perspectiv e
that nurtures and protects each
individual in their care and that
provides for flexibility and creativity in thinking and doing . This
applies to the teacher as well a s
the student . I find that man y
teachers focus on the 'illness' ,
what is wrong with a student,
what they can't do . They put to o
much emphasis on curriculum
and deliverable outcomes and no t
enough on the person as a com pletely unique human being, tha t
is on a student's learning styl e
and individual strengths .
One of the principles tha t
guides all my work is, "Don' t
think of the problem, think of th e
solution" . I appreciate the pressures of the modern multilingual
and multicultural classroom an d
the 'curriculum imperative '
which is placed upon teachers ;
however I believe it is ever y
teachers' responsibility to try to
find ways to reframe each tas k
and reorient or refocus the way s
they attempt to accomplish th e
academic well being of students .
Chodzinski:
If you were to define your advice in
terms of several important points ,
what would they be?
Warren ;
First, accept what you know an d
more importantly, what you d o
not know . Remember all huma n
beings, no matter how youn g
and inexperienced, "know mor e
than they can say" . Ultimately,
learning needs to be a shared experience! Motivating students t o
be active partners in their ow n
learning, is both less stressfu l
and more rewarding for every one .
Practically, first I would say don't
forget to breathe . . . especially when
faced with a stress filled situation .
Take a step back . Breathe slowly
and smoothly, allow each breath to
help you relax so that a fresh ap proach may be nurtured in both
thoughts and action.
Then I would say smile . If yo u
smile the muscles in your body
will start to relax, and breathin g
and smiling goes a long way t o
reducing tension headaches !
I feel teachers need to be a creative detective. They need to learn
to read the room, listening with
all senses and attention—wha t
the French call "Listening with
all antennas up" . Do not jus t
look but also learn to see . What I
mean is look around and understand the makeup of your classroom . Know who your students
are and what they are about .
Learn how to be a flexible responsive teacher . If the lesson is
not going as planned, focus o n
the solution not the problem . Respond not to what you planne d
for, or expected to happen, but
to what you see and hear actually happening . Reflect on what
you see; refocus and then adjust
the lesson accordingly and try to
speak to the students present at
that moment in that particula r
classroom .
Use Humour whenever i t
helps to 'lighten' the situatio n
and make a 'curriculum moment'
come to life . If you feel comfortable doing so tell a joke or a
lighthearted anecdote that is i n
some way connected to the topi c
or as a means of taking "tim e
out" from the curriculum topic .
Chodzinski;
In our conversation, you mentione d
the importance of a teacher under standing the role of frustration i n
self-esteem development and tha t
they would do well to think back in
time to when they were pupils .
Please elaborate .
9
TEACHING & LEARNING
Warren :
If teachers were simply to recal l
the many times they themselves
became frustrated at learning a
presented task or encountering a
new situation or trying to ac t
healthy when in fact they are not ,
teachers would be far better pre pared to understand the class room environment on a daily ba sis and react accordingly . Frustra tion breeds despair and sadnes s
and contributes to lowered self-es teem which often 'sabotages' the
learning process . Teachers shoul d
be prepared to provide opportunities for small step learning and
small step success building .
Use Humour whenever i t
helps to 'lighten' th e
situation and make a
'curriculum moment' com e
to life.
It is important for teachers to
understand that much stres s
comes from an inability to expres s
yourself and to be accepted . Any thing that assists a child to bette r
express their thoughts or hav e
some say in their environment or
personal situation for exampl e
school life, hospital life, etc ., the
more likely they are to be happ y
and feel a sense of positive sel f
esteem .
Clown-Doctors help people d o
things that they, in our case patients, thought they might not b e
able to do or face . In likewis e
fashion, teachers can emulate th e
same philosophy and practice .
Teachers have the opportunity to
work with a known audience .
They should use this forum to it s
best advantage and provide a
multitude of opportunities fo r
children to lean how to smile, de velop positive self esteem in the
face of adversity, and to acquire
10
2 :3
a repertoire of skills that wil l
help make them resilient when
confronted with life challenges .
Chodzinski:
What reading, resources or We b
sites would you suggest that teachers might consult to obtain more in formation about clown-doctors an d
more specifically the use of humou r
in the classroom and in daily life ?
Warren:
There are several excellent web sites dealing with clown-doctor s
and therapeutic humour . Her e
are a few :
Fools For Health
www .foolsforhealth .ca
• Le Rire Medeci n
www .leriremedecin .asso .fr /
pages/ch intro .php
• The Humour Foundation:
ww .humourfoundation . com . au
• Hearts &Mind s
www .heartsminds .org .uk
• Association for Applied an d
Therapeutic Humour
www .aath .org
In terms of reading I woul d
suggest beginning with the boo k
that Caroline Simonds and I
wrote on the work of Le Rir e
Medecin :
Simonds, S & Warren, B (2004 )
The Clown Doctor Chronicles ,
Rodopi : Amsterdam & New York.
People wanting to look a little
more deeply may want to rea d
the following :
Warren, B . (2003) . Treatin g
Wellness : How clown-doctor s
help to humanise healthcare an d
promote good health . I n
Twohig, P & Kalitzkus, V (Eds )
Making Sense Of Health, Illnes s
And Disease . Rodopi : Amsterdam
& New York pp 201-21 6
Klein, A (2003) Humor In Children's Lives : A Guidebook For Practitioners, Praeger, Westport, CT .
Fall 200 5
If people are interested in more
information they can also e-mail
me at : merv123@uwindsor .ca .
Dr . Bernie Warren is a note d
researcher and prolific author an d
poet. He is currently a full professo r
at Windso r
University .
Prior
to
coming t o
Canada, Dr .
Warre n
taugh t
drama an d
dance i n
Englan d
and Ireland and theatre at th e
University of Calgary, Antioch, Sa n
Francisco and Concordia University .
His area of interest is in the role o f
the arts, drama therapy an d
healthcare issues . His view tha t
teacher professionals are firs t
caregivers provides a basis on whic h
to apply techniques and stategies fo r
helping students learn . Hi s
outstanding work with clow n
doctors is recognized around the
world . He emphasizes humour as a
therapeutic intervention . Dr .
Warren has received many
accolades and awards including th e
alumni award for distinguishe d
contribution to University Teaching .
He can be reached a t
merv123@uwindsor .caor contac t
him through the Fools for Health
web site at www .foolsforhealth .ca .
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