What Made Freud Laugh

In her characteristically engaging style, Nelson argues that laughter is based in the attachment system, which explains much about its confusing and apparently contradictory qualities. This lively book sheds light on the ways in which we connect, grow, and transform and how, through shared humor, play, and delight, we have fun doing so.

Judith Kay Nelson, MSW, PhD, is the former Dean and currently on the faculty of The Sanville Institute for Clinical Social Work and Psychotherapy, California. She also teaches attachment and neurobiology in the clinical social work doctoral program at Smith College, Massachusetts. She has taught and presented throughout the United States and Europe on topics related to crying, grief, laughter and attachment.

Part I: A Theory of Laughter. Laughter as Attachment Behavior: Foundations of a Theory. Types of Laughter. Theories about Laughter from an Attachment Perspective. Laughter Research and Attachment. Part II: Laughter in Infancy. The Development of Laughter in Infancy. Affect Attunement and Mis-attunement and the Formation of Internal Working Models of Attachment. Part III: Laughter in Childhood and Adolescence. The Development of Laughter in Childhood. Childhood Laughter in a Clinical Context. Part IV: Laughter in Adulthood. Adult Laughter in Everyday Life. Laughter in the Clinical Hour. Part V: Transcendent Laughter. Divine Comedy: Transformation and Transcendence in Laughter, Humor, Comedy, and Wit.