Provocative Advice Bureau
A totally new concept in Citizens Advice
Is there anything you want to change in your life?
Do you ever find well-meant advice patronising and condescending?
Are you curious about the transformative power of humour and reverse psychology?
If so, then a visit to the Chutzpah Clinic in a new series at the Spiro Ark might be just what you need.
The Chutzpah Clinic is a completely new type of Citizens Advice Bureau.
At your service in front of a live audience rooting for your success will be:
• Provocative Consultant - Dr Brian Kaplan
• Comedy Consultant - Arnold Brown
• Guest Comedian
The sessions will start in May until the summer and will resume in the autumn (see below).
If any of the following is a problem you wish to solve, this series of clinics is tailor-made for you:
* giving up bad habits
* losing weight
* finding a husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend (The Chutzpah Clinic loves
relationship issues)
* getting more out of an existing relationship
* earning more money
* getting a better job.
The Chutzpah Clinic's programme represents thinking "out of the box" which attracted us at the Spiro Ark, concerned as we are with teaching Jewish history and culture, as it fits so well into our philosophy i.e. attractive, new methods for spreading a positive understanding of any subject we present.
So what is Jewish about these consultancy sessions? - Humour and Laughter!
As Jews we have used humour for millennia as a defence mechanism to deal with difficult or challenging situations. Jewish humour is appreciated by people of all backgrounds which indicates its universal qualities.
From the original meaning of the word, humour, referring to the moisture in the body - regulating man's state of mind and temper, it has developed to mean an appreciation of the funny aspect of situations.
Clinic? The use of humour in medicine
The use of humour in medicine is no longer in question. It has been scientifically accepted and is used by physicians as a regular method of treatment. If stress is known to have a negative effect on one's health, laughter relieves anxiety and tension. It is a device used to reduce frustration, bring out confidence and help people to let off steam, thereby reducing anger and misunderstandings.
The benefits of laughter were put into a mnemonic list by Dr Kaplan to read SMILE:
• Stress hormones reduced
• Muscular relaxation (muscles take only 2 hours to return to the previous stage of tension after a belly laugh)
• Immunity increases and improves resistance to colds and infections
• Lungs are helped by laughter expelling residual volume air allowing more fresh air to enter the lungs
• Exercise - Dr. William Fry of Stanford Medical School has established that 100 laughs a day give you as much beneficial exercise as 10 minutes of rowing - and without the agonised expression that rowers, stationary cyclists and joggers customarily have on their faces.
How the Chutzpah Clinic Will Function:
Volunteers from the audience seeking 'provocative advice' will be invited to spend a few minutes chatting with Brian, Arnold and a guest comedian about anything they wish to happen in their lives.
After getting permission from the volunteer, the staff of the Chutzpah Clinic will use humour and reverse psychology to "provoke" him or her to locate, articulate and finally act out real life solutions to various issues. The presence of an audience will be helpful as observers of this process tend to 'root' for volunteers to assert themselves and achieve their goals.
The aim of the Chutzpah Clinic is primarily to get results and the volunteers will be given a brief follow-up session a month later, when the Chutzpah Clinic reconvenes.
No issue or goal will be considered too trivial.
The Chutzpah Clinic is fully interactive and will function as a Provocative Advice Bureau. After each session with a volunteer, the staff will take questions from the audience. Volunteers will need to sign a brief disclaimer saying that they are not suffering from any severe medical condition or taking psychiatric medication thus giving the team permission to use humour and reverse psychology in the process.
Dr Brian Kaplan - Provocative Consultant
Brian Kaplan is a medical doctor with a special interest in 'whole person' medicine. He has trained extensively with Frank Farrelly, the founder of Provocative Therapy, the cutting edge of the use of humour and reverse psychology in therapy. In the Chutzpah Clinic Brian will not be practising medicine or therapy but giving 'provocative style advice' about everyday issues. He will be aided in this by Comedy Consultant Arnold Brown and his Guest Comedians.
Arnold Brown: Comedy Consultant
While still a full-time chartered accountant, Arnold Brown performed at the opening night of the original Comedy Store in 1979 alongside Alexei Sayle, Rik Mayall et al.
In 1987 he won the prestigious Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Festival.
He quotes the highlight of his career as supporting Frank Sinatra on stage in Glasgow's Ibrox Park. Time Out has referred to him as "the best laconic comedian in the country".
Adam Bloom: Guest Comedian (25th May)
"He's been one of my favourite stand-ups for about ten years. Bloom not only has meticulous, brilliant lines, but also an intense and fragile honesty." (Ricky Gervais)
Steve Jameson (aka Sol Bernstein) Guest Comedian: (29th June)
"Bernstein is a great new comic creation in the making." (The Guardian)
Josh Howie: Guest Comedian: (27th July)
"Excellent, intelligent, stand-up...terrific." (Time Out)
For further information please contact the Spiro Ark or Lisa Agasee
Tel: 07970 727 801/ Email: lisa.agasee@talktalk.net
Opening Evening: Wednesday 25th May plus Adam Bloom
Time: 7:30 - 9:00pm
Venue: The Spiro Ark's Centre, 25-26 Enford Street, London W1H 1DW
Tel: 0207 723 9991
Price: £10 per session or £20 for 3
29th June: plus Steve Jameson (aka Sol Bernstein)
Future Dates: The Chutzpah Clinic will reconvene at 7:30pm on Wednesdays June 29 and July 27 at Spiro Ark
