about catherine and tom
Welcome to Laughing Aloud Allowed™
We are Laughing Aloud Allowed™ and are so pleased that you are visiting our site.
Catherine started all this! She trained as a Laughter Yoga leader in 2018 and Tom joined her a year later. We have been laughing ever since, but not the usual laughter.
Catherine has a background in psychology and is currently studying for her Masters in Positive Applied Psychology focusing on coaching and positive psychological interventions. Her dissertation is on Laughter. Tom reinforced his coaching career in 2016 when he undertook a Level 5 ILM coaching course based on neurochemistry. He has also has experience in businesses and public sector.
We have both done a lot of other things, including raising four children. When we came across Laughter Yoga it didn't take long to make the link between laughing, positive psychological interventions and neurochemistry. The very nature of laughing in different ways, and we are talking about simulated or spontaneous laughter, can trigger the nervous system in such a way to improve mood, defuse stress and anxiety, and enable calmness.
Pre Covid-19 we used to attend organisations, charities and schools to deliver face-to-face laughter sessions. That was great, but come the Coronavirus all that stopped, but we didn't.! We found out much more about delivering laughter sessions online, and that is what we now do.
So keen were we to make a difference for people, especially during Lockdown, that we delivered free laughter sessions. Have a look at our testimonial page and you will see how well these were received.
Post Lockdown we are still teaching people how to use laughter in a positive way. Online technology enables us to engage with and support people across the world. We are still able to help private and public sector organisations and charities.
It has been quite a challenge at times. Composing different themes, relating to various cultures, the diversity of young and old laughers, and getting the IT right are not straightforward.
Our plans are to continue providing laughter sessions integrating calming measures too because we know that it makes such a positive difference.