Comedy Therapy

Are you struggling with feelings of social anxiety or disconnection? Are you too self-critical and want to work on your self-esteem and sense of self? Do you want to learn how to let go, have fun, and live in the moment? Does the idea of doing improv comedy make you feel nervous, but you’re intrigued?

Within a small, supportive group of 6-8 people that meets weekly for ten weeks, you will learn how to be more accepting of yourself and manage feelings of social anxiety and self-criticism. You will practice your new skills in real-time through tailored improv comedy exercises.

At its core, improv comedy helps you to take risks, make mistakes, and not take yourself so seriously. We will laugh a lot : )

Details

Location:
Monroe Office Suites
3570 E. 12th Ave. #106
Denver, CO 80206

+ Virtual option now available if you are located in Colorado!

Weekly Groups Currently Held On:
Mondays, 6:00-8:00pm
Tuesdays, 6:00-8:00pm

Sessions Planned for 2026:
March 30 - June 2
August 3 - October 6
October 12 - December 15
*No holidays, 10 weeks in a row

Group Duration: Each group experience is 10 weeks long.

Recommended Age Range: Comedy therapy is the best fit for individuals 13-years-old and up. We run groups by age (e.g., one group only for adolescents and a separate group only for adults).

Group Make-Up: 6-8 people with similar goals. This group is the best fit for people struggling with a mild to moderate amount of anxiety. We really strive to create cohesive groups.

Cost: To be sustainable, the cost is $80 per 2-hour session ($800 total). We don’t currently accept insurance, but we can provide a Superbill for you to submit to your insurance company directly for reimbursement. We offer a discount for anyone with Medicaid. We are in the process of becoming credentialed with most major insurance companies, but it can take some time.

Required Workbook (Bring to the First Session):

The Mindfulness & Acceptance Workbook for Social Anxiety & Shyness: Using Acceptance & Commitment Therapy to Free Yourself from Fear & Reclaim Your Life by Jan E. Fleming and Nancy L. Kocovski.

To sign up, please fill out this interest form below. We will be back in touch to schedule our 30-minute virtual intake session as soon as possible.

“I always felt nervous to go but felt like something had been released after each session.

I love the space to talk about what we are dealing with. I have never been actually excited to go to therapy until finding this group.

The play and improv was beneficial for my perfectionism because I got to experience just diving into things.

I loved connecting with people who I felt really understood me.”

— Quotes from past clients

More details can also be found here:

This lovely Counseling Today magazine article where Dr. Alison is interviewed : )

NPR Life Kit on how improv can make you more confident: https://www.npr.org/2022/10/19/1129907651/improv-can-build-confidence-heres-how-to-apply-it-to-your-everyday-life

And if you are lucky enough to speak Japanese, you can read this article about our program too: https://madamefigaro.jp/series/yukai/Sekaiyukai-LA-health.html

The academic journal article written by Dr. Alison and the clinicians who were running Second City’s Improv for Anxiety Program in Chicago: Phillips Sheesley, A., Pfeffer, M., & Barish, B. (2016). Comedic improv therapy for the treatment of social anxiety disorder. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 11(2), 157-169. doi:10.1080/15401383.2016.1182880. Retrieved from ResearchGate.

If Loneliness Is an Epidemic, How Do We Treat It?: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/14/opinion/treating-loneliness.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

Loved this study! https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2713374523000201