Group Therapy, With a Minor Dose of Laughter

TRIBECA, NEW YORK—-They say laughter is the best medicine. 

For those taking laughter—sure. Laughter is often an easy fix to difficult situations. Those prescribing laughter, they’re left in more of a tough spot. 

I’m talking about, of course, the stand-up comedians that many of us associate with some of our best moments of laughter. 

Group Therapy directed by Neil Berkeley is an examination of mental health as the title suggests, through group therapy. The twist? Six stand-up comedians, moderated by Neil Patrick Harris, gathered to talk about the personal experiences that formed and affected their current state of mental health. 

Featuring a few well-known old-timers like Tig Notaro, Mike Birbiglia, and Gary Gulman, fresher faces on the scene like Atsuko Okatsuka, Nicole Byer, and London Hughes also appeared.

There is some sort of comfort found in knowing that these seemingly invincible figures with glowing halos of humor have undergone the same trauma, anxieties, and insecurities as us unfunny people. Comics like John Mulaney are known to share their own struggles with mental health, but Group Therapy explores the issue at a depth previously unknown. 

At its core, Group Therapy is a conversation that beckons to be continued. What the audience is left with is not a definite ending, but a call to action and to pursue open dialogues about mental health. 

So for now, jokes, bits, and “tight tens” aren’t the miracle cure for anything and everything. But Group Therapy offers an introduction to the next necessary steps, with a minor dose of laughter. 

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