Smiles Are Everywhere

Smiles are Everywhere: Integrating clown-play into healthcare practice is an important book for anyone who has aging parents, or who is an aging parent, or who has loved ones that have been or will be hospitalized, and for all those who work with, or are associated with any of these groups! It presents positive, hope-filled approaches to humanizing health care--to spreading light and smiles everywhere, and to everyone.

Thiswonderfully accessible, user-friendly new work by Bernie Warren and Peter Spitzer presents not only a history of clowning in health care, but also a clear, articulate, and brilliantly abbreviated "how to." Reading about the expanding role of clowning in health care is one thing, but actually having the chance to use some of those practices...? This is what the authors have successfully delivered through their book, which includes discussions on strategies and approaches, as well as a large number of short, precise 'clown-play' outlines that appear in easy-to-follow chart formats, as well as a valuable, all-in-one-page overall categorization. The authors are also careful to include cautions, pitfalls, important advice--and large doses of encouragement.

As well, those interested in the constantly emerging qualitative and quantitative research results for the use of clowning approaches in health care will find references and links to this information.

There are never enough smiles in health care. With this book, however, the authors give us a useful guide to increase smiles to everyone, everywhere. Glenys McQueen-Fuentes, Associate Professor, Brock University, Canada

"Smiles are Everywhere presents positive, hope-filled approaches to humanizing health care--to spreading light and smiles everywhere, and to everyone. There are never enough smiles in healthcare. With this book, however, the authors give us a useful guide to increasing those smiles, for everyone, everywhere, throughout all forms of healthcare."

Glenys McQueen-Fuentes, Brock University, Canada

"Medical education tends to immunise us against realising that humour can be a part of medical care. Now, in a practical, user-friendly format this book gives the key to allowing all health professionals to use some of the Clown Doctor techniques for the benefit of patients of all ages. I can’t wait to start."

Professor Kim Oates, The University of Sydney, Australia