CLOWN THERAPY: THE EMPATHY AND ITS REFLEXES IN THE FORMATION IN HEALTH BY THE ANALYSIS OF PATIENTS' REACTIONS DURING ACTUATIONS

Abstract

Clowns emerge as specialization of clown work. They are neither therapists nor ordinary clowns and require a great perception of the environment and the other to, this way, improvise. Clowns generally work in pairs with the objective of always having the “stimulation of the "game" ”- a kind expression usually used for his/her performance with his/her partner and also with the patients, the patient’s companions and professionals working in hospitals-, besides providing the individual the freedom to be a part or not of the game. This way, it is important that the clown uses several mechanisms to “make the game flow”, besides being capable of reaching the patient, the patient’s companion or the health professional. To this end, it is essential that the clown learns how to use an extremely powerful tool in human relationships: empathy. This text aims to report experiences of Medicine students who act as clowns related to the empathic exercise practiced, facing multiple responses from people during clown acting in hospitals, featuring, then, the direct relation between clown therapy and its acting clowns and empathy’s intrinsic capabilities, which may be developed through a continuous exercise.