Humanism

Humanistic
• Third “school” of personality
• Reaction against the dogmatic thinking of both the
psychoanalysts & behaviorists
• Believed that they missed the “human element” such
as creativity, compassion, will power, etc.
• Contemporary known as “mindfulness”
• Includes Humanistic (Maslow), Phenomonological
(Rogers), Existentialism (Perls), and others (Reality
Therapy, Interactional Theory, etc.)
• Mostly integrated into other schools of clinical practice
 Humanistic Psychology
1. Abraham Maslow – Hierarchy of Needs & Self
Actualization

2. Carl Rogers – Phenomenological Psychology,

Client-Centered Approach, & Unconditional
Positive Regard

3. Fritz Perls – Gestalt Therapy

 Abraham Maslow

*”Spiritual” father of American

Humanism (anti-religious but spiritual
nonetheless)

*Humanistic – What is important is how

individuals achieve their own self-hood
& actualize their human potentialities

*Emphasis: positive human motives (self

actualization) & positive personal events
(peak experiences)

*we must satisfy lower-order needs

before one can reach the higher-order
needs
-established and set up a “Hierarchy of
Needs” with self-actualization & peak
experiences at the highest levels
(defined as happy, satisfied with own
life & existence)
 Maslow
(Hierarchy of Needs)
Composite characteristics of “self-
actualizers”
(1) awareness
(2) honesty
(3) freedom
(4) trust

* Less than 1% of the population are self-actualizers

* No one subject has all these characteristics

* Peak experiences – really “get into any experience – similar to emotional,

spiritual
experience (which is not drug induced)

* Some of these ideas do not pertain to 99% of the population

* Most useful idea – Hierarchy of Needs

-application: couples therapy – where is each person in terms of needs?
Carl Rogers & Phenomenological
Psychology

From “Patient” to “Client”

 Carl Rogers

• Internal frame of
reference
• Non-directive
approach to
therapy
• Avoid pejorative
labeling or
judgment
• From “patient” to
“client”
 Theoretical Frame
• Internal “Frame of Reference”
• Born with 3 innate systems (self-actualizing tendency,
valuing system, need for regard)
• Self develops through interaction of these 3 systems and
significant others
• Need “unconditional positive regard” but get “conditions of
worth”
• If person receives more of the second, get a lot of
incongruence
• Distortion & loss of sense of self (Basic Estrangement of
Man)
• Tragic Natural Path of Infancy
 Treatment
(A) Focus on Awareness & Self-actualization
-dissolving the conditions of worth
(B) Focus must be on the “here & now”
-technique: demonstrate empathy viz. “mirroring” & UPR
-help them get in touch with their true self & symbolize true experiences
without fear of conditions of worth
-emphasis on empathy as a mode of treatment
(C) Client-centered therapy & non-directive
(1) decrease in conditions of worth
(2) increase in UPR through empathic understanding
(3) reduce a person’s sense of threat
(4) defense mechanisms are resolved
(D) Important to get into client’s “internal frame of reference”
- individuals can come up with their own answers to their questions
 Advantages
(1) His theory is easily understood &
communicable
(2) Good set of techniques – useful in treatment,
especially persons with minor problems
(3) Easy to understand & techniques can be
easily taught (“mirroring”)
(4) Positive Psychology was influenced by these
approaches
 Criticisms
• No diagnosis (seen as too judgmental/ pejorative)
• Not useful with moderate/severe
psychopathology
• No treatment plans
• Places too much emphasis on clients coming up
with their own answers
• More to life than getting needs met, UPR
• Sometimes a diagnosis is necessary