"Healthy Humor: Hitting the Wellness Jackpot!"

April 2-5, 2009, The Riviera Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Healthy humor is serious business, often medically necessary, and a time-honored teaching tool. This application of positive, benevolent and non-hostile humor has been shown to reduce stress, make learning easier, and contribute to the process of "healing the hurt." So say the humor and laughter professionals in AATH - the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor.

From the fields of health care and education to public speaking and the business world, humor enthusiasts from around the world will convene in Las Vegas, April 2-5, 2009 for the 22nd Annual AATH Conference, "Healthy Humor: Hitting the Wellness Jackpot!" The conference will offer education, networking opportunities and fun for professionals who use humor and laughter in their jobs to enhance work performance, support learning, and promote healing, whether physical, emotional, social, or spiritual.

Keynotes, workshops and panel discussions will explore theoretical perspectives as well as offer specific applications. Just how serious is AATH about this emerging field? Over 23 hours of Continuing Education credits will be available for Nurses, Physicians, Counselors, Therapists, Social Workers and Human Resource personnel.

Founded in 1987, AATH has been dedicated to the study, practice and promotion of healthy humor and laughter. Its international membership (14 countries and growing) spreads the message that humor and laughter do have a place in creating healthier, more effective environments in which to live and work and play!

AATH will honor Kaiser Permanente with the inaugural "Wilde About Humor" Award, recognizing their utilization of applied and/or therapeutic humor in the world of business. Allen Klein, pioneering author of "The Healing Power of Humor" receives AATH's 2009 "Doug Fletcher Lifetime Achievement" award for his significant contributions to the field.

Keynote Speakers include:

• Lee Berk, DrPH, MPH, FACSM, CHES - a pioneering researcher who studies positive emotions/behaviors and their biochemical/physiological effects on stress hormones and immune system.
• Dr. John Morreall - President of Humorworks Seminars, and Professor of Religious Studies at William and Mary. Morreall has given over 500 presentations on humor for business and medical groups globally.
• Darren LaCroix - 2001 World Champion Public Speaker and living proof that humor is a skill that can be learned.
• Larry Wilde - professional speaker, best-selling author and top-flight entertainer.
• David Granirer - counselor, stand-up comic, speaker, and author of The Happy Neurotic: How Fear and Angst Can Lead To Happiness and Success.
• Bala Kanayson - founder of Whole Mind Success(R), combining his technical background with his research into the neurological science of the cognitive brain and his studies in psychology.

Major sponsor of the 2009 conference is Cancer Treatment Centers of America.

The public may attend the conference.

For registration information, contact: www.aath.org

SOURCE Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor