Final answer:
Sharing humour in a therapeutic relationship can serve to ease tension, build rapport, and disarm social taboos, making it easier for clients to openly discuss and work through their issues.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sharing humour in a therapeutic relationship can play a significant role by functioning as a release for thoughts and actions that might threaten the social order. According to Douglas's analysis, humour acts as a regulatory mechanism that can neutralize potential threats by making light of them, therefore reducing their perceived danger. In a therapeutic setting, this can help in building rapport, easing tension, and facilitating communication between the therapist and the client.
Humour can disarm the potentially dangerous power of certain taboos and anxieties in the therapeutic context, making it easier for individuals to discuss and process them. It isn't about undermining the seriousness of the client's issues but using humour as a tool for creating a comfortable atmosphere that encourages open dialogue and healing. This light-hearted approach can make it easier for clients to confront and work through difficult emotions and situations with their therapist.