Humanistic Therapy

11 Key excerpts on "Humanistic Therapy"

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  eBook - ePub

  Foundations of Counseling and Psychotherapy

  Evidence-Based Practices for a Diverse Society

  • David Sue, Diane M. Sue(Authors)
  • 2012(Publication Date)
  • Wiley

    (Publisher)

  View of the Person—People have an innate tendency toward self-actualization or developing to their fullest potential. All humans are born with this natural inclination toward self-growth. Humanistic therapies are optimistic in terms of the potential for individuals to make changes and to develop their own resources. People strive to make sense of their experiences and must be viewed holistically. People are social beings who are best under-stood in terms of their relationships with others. It is through a social relationship, the therapist-client relationship, that constructive change can occur.

  2. Freedom to Choose—Individuals can become more fully self-aware. This awareness allows for more freedom in making choices about how to live their lives. Because of the potential for self-growth, therapists do not direct or try to persuade the client, but instead provide an environment conducive to clients finding their own direction. Humanistic therapists believe individuals have the right and the capacity to decide what is best for them. Therefore, humanistic therapists adopt a collaborative relationship in which clients are offered great freedom to make their own choices about their lives.

  3. Focus on Subjective Reality—The emphasis is on the subjective experiences of the individual. Everyone interprets events in an individual manner and it is the subjective experience that is the important focus for therapy. It is the task of the therapist to understand the subjective world of the client.

  4. Therapist Qualities—Because clients have the potential for self-growth, therapists demonstrate qualities that will enhance this process. These characteristics include being nonjudgmental and demonstrating empathy, genuineness, and acceptance. These qualities furnish the environment in which client self-exploration can occur. In addition, therapists monitor their own reactions to the client to make sure that personal biases or beliefs are not interfering with the therapy.

  5. Emotions

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  Introduction to Clinical Psychology

  Bridging Science and Practice

  • Douglas A. Bernstein, Bethany A. Teachman, Bunmi O. Olatunji, Scott O. Lilienfeld(Authors)
  • 2020(Publication Date)
  • Cambridge University Press

    (Publisher)

  So humanistic treatment approaches still have considerable impact. Ironically, this impact is based not so much on their unique identity, but on the fact that many therapists who use other approaches have adopted a number of humanistic concepts and practices (DeRobertis, 2013). Humanistic Psychotherapy | 283 Chapter Summary Psychodynamic and humanistic psychotherapies share a strong emphasis on the importance of the therapeutic relationship, but they differ in their assumptions about personality organization, psy- chopathology, and therapeutic technique. In Freudian psychoanalysis, clients are helped to explore the unconscious wishes, fantasies, impulses, and conflicts that are presumed to lie at the root of their psychological problems. Psycho- analytic treatment is aimed at helping clients gain insight into the unconscious conflicts presumed to underlie their symptoms of disorder. To get at unconscious material, much of which is sexual and aggressive and based in infancy and In Review | Humanistic Psychotherapy Treatment Major Goals and Techniques Person-centered therapy (Carl Rogers) Create a therapy relationship featuring unconditional positive regard, empathy, and congruence. Use active listening and reflection to help clients become aware of their true thoughts and feelings, and thus restart blocked self- actualization. Gestalt therapy (Fritz and Laura Perls) Use active methods, such as a focus on the immediate present, role- playing, internal dialogues, attention to nonverbal messages, and the empty chair technique to help clients identify the interpersonal games they play, reject phony aspects of themselves, and get in touch with their true thoughts and feelings. Existential therapy Use a combination of psychodynamic and person-centered methods to help clients in their potentially frightening search for the meaning of their lives.

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  Psychology

  Six Perspectives

  • Dodge Fernald(Author)
  • 2007(Publication Date)
  • SAGE Publications, Inc

    (Publisher)

  The therapist supports these explorations through active listening, restatement of content, clarification of feelings, and silence, figuratively holding up a mirror for the person to view herself. Key Terms: person-centered therapy, empathy, genuineness, uncondi-tional positive regard, therapeutic alliance 214 —— Psychology: Six Perspectives Commentary and Critique More than the other perspectives, humanistic psychology tends toward holism, aimed at awareness, personal growth, fulfillment, and other broad dimensions of human life. This goal has the potential for examining emergent properties, but measurements thereby become less precise, producing uncertain reliability. Several important but nonoperationalized concepts also raise the issue of precision in research. Key Terms: holism, emergent properties, problem of reliability, nonoper-ationalized concepts Critical Thinking 1. Consider Carl Rogers’ conditions of worth, B. F. Skinner’s reinforcement history, and Sigmund Freud’s early experience. Describe how these concepts are similar. Then indicate some differences, according to the perspectives in which they appear. 2. Modify Maslow’s motivational hierarchy to include a concern for social issues. Be specific. Indicate where and how you would include another stage or modification of a pre-existing stage. 3. An adolescent experiences a school phobia. Explain a fundamental way in which a humanistic psychologist and behaviorist would view the problem differ-ently. Do more than describe each treatment; focus also on the origins of the problem. Humanistic Psychology —— 215

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  Counseling and Psychotherapy Theories in Context and Practice

  Skills, Strategies, and Techniques

  • John Sommers-Flanagan, Rita Sommers-Flanagan(Authors)
  • 2018(Publication Date)
  • Wiley

    (Publisher)

  Additionally, in all aspects of his life, he strove to be a genuine and open person; he strove to be himself. As he engaged with clients, he put himself so deeply into their worlds that he could sometimes feel their feelings right along with them. What Is Person-Centered Therapy? Person-centered therapy is a humanistic or existential-humanistic approach. Person-centered therapy includes the following characteristics: (a) The therapist trusts the client. (b) Therapists hold attitudes toward clients of congruence, unconditional regard, and empathic understanding. (c) The therapeutic relationship is the mechanism of change. (d) Therapists don’t educate clients, interpret their con-flicts, or identify faulty thoughts or behaviors; instead, they establish relational conditions that allow clients to engage in natural self-discovery and personal growth. Person-centered therapy isn’t a good fit with the medical model. This is partly because person-centered therapists view clients (and not therapists) as the ulti-mate experts. Other professional helpers, even existential theorists, sometimes viewed Rogers’s optimistic perspec-tive as frustratingly naïve. For example, Rollo May, who regarded Rogers quite highly, once wrote to Rogers: You paint a seductive and enticing picture, and anyone would like to believe it. But I recall the words of Warren Bemis in the film of you and him, when he characterized Counseling and Psychotherapy Theories in Context and Practice: Skills, Strategies, and Techniques, Third Edition. John Sommers-Flanagan and Rita Sommers-Flanagan. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Published 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Companion website: www.wiley.com/go/sommers-flanagan/theories3e 114 CHAPTER 5 PERSON-CENTERED THEORY AND THERAPY Teachers College to study clinical psychology. His train-ing was squarely within the domain of American aca-demic psychology. At the time, Columbia University was a bastion of John Watson’s behaviorism (see Chapter 7).

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  Person-Centred Counselling Psychology

  An Introduction

  • Ewan Gillon(Author)
  • 2007(Publication Date)
  • SAGE Publications Ltd

    (Publisher)

  In this chapter we shall consider the relationship between the person-centred approach and each of these four paradigms, focusing on how person-centred therapy relates to their core assumptions as well as the therapeutic theories and practices they encompass. The chapter represents nothing more than a snapshot of such relationships, and is thus a generalised account rather than a comprehensive overview. Furthermore, the limited extent to which we are able to explore the complexities of each paradigm means that the chapter cannot purport to provide a detailed analysis of these, but instead offer only a basic summary of each. Such an outcome is not ideal, but an inevitable product of our focus being person-centred therapy rather than counselling psychology per se. Any reader wishing a more comprehensive understanding of the therapeutic paradigms presented here, or indeed the therapeutic approaches they encompass, is advised to consult more complete accounts, such as those contained in Woolfe. et al. (2003). Our exploration will instead attempt to summarise the place of the person-centred approach within its counselling psychology context, which is an important undertaking in terms of our goal to explore person-centred therapy from a psychological perspective. Our starting point for this is the humanistic paradigm, and the relationship of the person-centred approach to it.

  The humanistic paradigm

  The humanistic paradigm emerged in the USA during the 1950s and 1960s, and rapidly become known as the ‘third force’ (Bugenthal, 1964) in psychology due to its philosophical differences with behaviourist and psychodynamic standpoints, the first and second forces respectively. In many ways, humanistic psychology was a reaction to these two forces, rejecting the Freudian emphasis on destructive, unconscious urges and the over-simplified, laboratory based analyses provided by behaviourism. For Bugenthal (1964), the humanistic paradigm evolved on the basis of five fundamental postulates (or principles). These are:

   

  1. Human beings, as human, supersede the sum of their parts. They cannot be reduced to components or isolated elements.
  2. Human beings have their existence in a uniquely human context, as well as in a cosmic and ecological setting.
  3. Human beings are aware, and also aware of being aware – i.e., they are conscious. Human consciousness always includes an awareness of oneself in the context of other people.
  4. Human beings have some choice, and thus responsibility.
  5. Human beings are intentional and goal-orientated. They are aware that they cause future events and seek meaning, value and creativity.

   

  While each of these postulates highlights a specific aspect of humanistic thinking, they also hint at an underlying philosophy encompassing a small number of core themes. For example, the proposition that human beings are something more than the sum of their parts (i.e. cannot be reduced to components) reflects the theme of holism, a standpoint stressing the importance of viewing people as unique

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  The Wiley Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences, Clinical, Applied, and Cross-Cultural Research

  • (Author)
  • 2020(Publication Date)
  • Wiley

    (Publisher)

  Therapy: A Rush To Fix Things? In these nine operational suggestions, it may be seen that Humanistic therapists have the intent to uplift their clients to their own highest level of functioning. Integrated people (like Thoreau, Gandhi, Cesar Chavez), as noted above, are able to evaluate the panorama of human events they encounter with clear eyes and incisive choices, even if they go against a hallowed rule or sanctified law; they take appropriate emotional risks. Humanistic thera-pists are aware that they have learned to be therapeutic (and hope their clients have as well) not only in the hours in therapy, but for all their life transactions. In Humanistic promo-tional language, it is said that one cannot become a therapist without the process being life-changing. It is an artifact of third-party insurance requirements that present-day therapies may often be limited to a few sessions. The charge is to cure the patient of his or her neurosis quickly and certainly. The possible fallacy in this fiat is that the word “cure” may narrowly mean a cessation of a certain behavior, but with no attention to underlying causes or a deeper sort of malaise. A critique of insurance-driven therapy includes the objection to what is called “labeling.” The need for diagnosis is recognized, since there are symptoms that can be attached to certain unproductive behavior. However, it can be damaging to attach a stigmatic name to a person’s unhappiness, a label that may follow that person throughout life. Clarity in one’s search for authenticity can take a heavy investment of time and energy. Rogers (1987) once noted: “I must constantly resist the temptation to rush in and fix things.” Given the present enormous variety of therapeutic approaches, the application of Humanistic Psychology stands out as one that functions to empower clients rather than fix them. Powerful people will make appropriate decisions to fix themselves.

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  Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy, Enhanced

  • Gerald Corey(Author)
  • 2020(Publication Date)
  • Cengage Learning EMEA

    (Publisher)

  We are faced at every moment with a choice about what to make of this condition. Maslow’s emphasis on the healthy side of being human and the emphasis on joy, creativity, and self-fulfillment are part of the person-centered philosophy. The humanistic philosophy on which the person-centered approach rests is expressed in attitudes and behaviors that create a growth-producing climate. According to Rogers (1986b), when this philosophy is lived, it helps people develop their capacities and stimulates constructive change in others. Individuals are empowered, and they are able to use this power for personal and social transformation. Key Concepts View of Human Nature A common theme originating in Rogers’s early writing and continuing to permeate all of his works is a basic sense of trust in the client’s ability to move forward in a constructive manner if conditions fostering growth are present. His professional experience taught him that if one is able to get to the core of an individual, one finds a trustworthy, positive center (C. Rogers, 1987a). In keeping with the philosophy of humanistic psychology, Rogers firmly maintained that people are trustworthy, resourceful, capable of self-understanding and self-direction, able to make construc- tive changes, and able to live effective and productive lives. When therapists are able to experience and communicate their realness, support, caring, and nonjudgmental understanding, significant changes in the client are most likely to occur. Rogers maintained that three therapist attributes create a growth-promoting climate in which individuals can move forward and become what they are capable of becoming: (1) congruence (genuineness, or realness), (2) unconditional positive regard (acceptance and caring), and (3) accurate empathic understanding (an ability to deeply grasp the subjective world of another person).

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  Personality

  • Jerry Burger, , , , Burger(Authors)
  • 2014(Publication Date)
  • Cengage Learning EMEA

    (Publisher)

  Sim-ilarly, Maslow selected people for his list of “ self-actualized ” individuals based on his own subjective impressions. Because of these weak data, much of what humanistic theorists say must be taken more as a matter of faith than as scientific fact. Most likely, psychologists and lay readers embrace the humanistic approach because it is consistent with their own observations and values, not because they are persuaded by the evidence. Other psychologists point to the limited applicability of humanistic psy-chotherapy techniques. These critics argue that humanistic psychotherapy may be limited to a narrow band of problems. Creating the proper atmo-sphere for personal growth might have been useful for many of Rogers ’ cli-ents, but that approach may be of little help to someone with an extreme psychological disorder. Similarly, reflecting on one ’ s values and direction in life might prove beneficial for well-educated, middle-class clients. But these questions might be irrelevant to someone from a different background. Person-centered therapy may be useful for working through certain kinds of adjustment problems, but not for dealing with the myriad serious psychologi-cal disturbances that cause people to seek therapy. Humanistic psychologists have also been criticized for making some overly naive assumptions about human nature. For example, most humanistic theorists assume that all people are basically good. Although this is more a Strengths and Criticisms of the Humanistic Approach 305 Copyright 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.

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  eBook - ePub

  Theoretical Approaches in Psychology

  • Matt Jarvis(Author)
  • 2005(Publication Date)
  • Routledge

    (Publisher)
• Humanistic psychology has given us a simple, accessible and effective model of counselling. This has meant that many more people have access to psychological help than would probably be the case otherwise.
• Perhaps most importantly, humanistic psychology is alone in the major psychological approaches in emphasising the positive aspects of human nature and adopting a thoroughly positive attitude to humanity.
Despite these contributions, it is almost certain that humanistic psychology will remain a subversive element in psychology rather than part of mainstream psychology. Some of the major limitations of a humanistic approach are as follows:
• To an even greater extent than the psychodynamic approach, humanistic psychology has generated theories and ideas that have proved very difficult to test by scientific investigation.
• Because the subject matter of humanistic psychology is the experience of the individual person, there is a logical problem of applying theories generated from one individual to another. We cannot for example assume that two people experience the same thing when they speak of a peak or spiritual experience.
• Many humanistic ideas (particularly those around the development of the self) are extremely culture bound, and cannot easily be applied to a range of societies or historical periods.
• The humanistic emphasis on the individual person means that the importance of external influences on people’s lives have probably been underestimated. As Lerman (1992) has pointed out, a battered wife can learn through humanistic psychology that she has a right not to be abused, but it does not in itself allow her to leave the situation safely.

Summary

Humanistic psychology emerged through the work of Rogers and Maslow, who sought to create a third force in psychology to escape the restrictions of behavioural and psychodynamic psychology. They proposed a simple and optimistic psychology with a minimum of theory that would address what people described as important experiences. The major application of humanistic psychology is in counselling, where the experience of the individual is of paramount importance. Although the humanistic perspective remains important, it has limited influence in psychological research because of its untestable ideas and emphasis on the experiences of the individual.