Humanistic psychology
[3][4] Primarily, humanistic therapy encourages a self-awareness and reflexivity that helps the client change their state of mind and behavior from one set of reactions to a healthier one with more productive and thoughtful actions.
[citation needed] One of humanistic psychology's early sources was the work of Carl Rogers, who was strongly influenced by Otto Rank, who broke with Freud in the mid-1920s.
The term 'actualizing tendency' was also coined by Rogers, and was a concept that eventually led Abraham Maslow to study self-actualization as one of the needs of humans.
[11] The modern humanistic approach has its roots in phenomenological and existentialist thought[12] (see Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty and Sartre).
As behaviorism grew out of Ivan Pavlov's work with the conditioned reflex, and laid the foundations for academic psychology in the United States associated with the names of John B. Watson and B. F. Skinner; Abraham Maslow gave behaviorism the name "the first force", a force which systematically excluded the subjective data of consciousness and much information bearing on the complexity of the human personality and its development.
[16] The "second force" arose out of Freudian psychoanalysis, which were composed by psychologists like Alfred Adler, Erik Erikson, Carl Jung, Erich Fromm, Karen Horney, Melanie Klein, Harry Stack Sullivan, and Sigmund Freud himself.
WWII created practical pressures on military psychologists, they had more patients to see and care for than time or resources permitted.
Humanistic psychologists generally do not believe that we will understand human consciousness and behavior through mainstream scientific research.
[25] The objection that humanistic psychologists have to traditional research methods is that they are derived from and suited for the physical sciences[26] and not especially appropriate to studying the complexities and nuances of human meaning-making.
For example: A human science view is not opposed to quantitative methods, but, following Edmund Husserl: Research has remained part of the humanistic psychology agenda, though with more of a holistic than reductionistic focus.
[37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46] In November 1964 key figures in the movement gathered at Old Saybrook (CT) for the first invitational conference on Humanistic psychology.
In addition to the founding figures of Humanistic psychology; Abraham Maslow, Rollo May, James Bugental and Carl Rogers, the meeting attracted several academic profiles from the humanistic disciplines, including: Gordon Allport, George Kelly, Clark Moustakas, Gardner Murphy, Henry Murray, Robert W. White, Charlotte Bühler, Floyd Matson, Jacques Barzun, and René Dubos.
The conference has been described as a historic event that was important for the academic status of Humanistic psychology[48] and its future aspirations.
This is a pyramid which basically states that individuals first must have their physiological needs met, then safety, then love, then self-esteem and lastly self-actualization.
The aim of humanistic therapy is usually to help the client develop a stronger and healthier sense of self, also called self-actualization.
Among the earliest approaches we find the developmental theory of Abraham Maslow, emphasizing a hierarchy of needs and motivations; the existential psychology of Rollo May acknowledging human choice and the tragic aspects of human existence; and the person-centered or client-centered therapy of Carl Rogers, which is centered on the client's capacity for self-direction and understanding of his or her own development.
A therapist practicing humanistic therapy needs to show a willingness to listen and ensure the comfort of the patient where genuine feelings may be shared but are not forced upon someone.
[7] Marshall Rosenberg, one of Carl Rogers' students, emphasizes empathy in the relationship in his concept of Nonviolent Communication.
[55] Humanistic theory has had a strong influence on other forms of popular therapy, including Harvey Jackins' Re-evaluation Counselling and the work of Carl Rogers, including his student Eugene Gendlin; (see Focusing) as well as on the development of the Humanistic Psychodrama by Hans-Werner Gessmann since the 80s.
Through humanistic therapy, an understanding of the present allows clients to add positive experiences to their real self-concept.
It is much easier to trust someone who is willing to share feelings openly, even if it may not be what the client always wants; this allows the therapist to foster a strong relationship.
[7] While personal transformation may be the primary focus of most humanistic psychologists, many also investigate pressing social, cultural, and gender issues.
It proffered such ideas as moving to a slow-growth or no-growth economy, decentralizing and "deprofessionalizing" society, and teaching social and emotional competencies in order to provide a foundation for more humane public policies and a healthier culture.
For example, in 1979 psychologist Kenneth Lux and economist Mark A. Lutz called for a new economics based on humanistic psychology rather than utilitarianism.
[71][72] Also in 1979, California state legislator John Vasconcellos published a book calling for the integration of liberal politics and humanistic-psychological insight.
[86] Humanistic psychology has been utilised as a framework for theorizing the African philosophy of Ubuntu in social work practice.
In the 1980s, with increasing numbers of people working in the cognitive-cultural economy, creativity came to be seen as a useful commodity and competitive edge for international brands.
