Humanistic Psychotherapy -Ch 13

Humanistic Psychotherapy: Introduction

Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow developed humanistic psychotherapy, diverging from traditional psychodynamic methods. This approach is based on a positive view of human nature and includes three key elements

1. Genuineness: This involves authenticity in relationships, where individuals express their true feelings without pretense or acting, promoting honesty and support.

2. Empathy: This refers to understanding and sharing the feelings of others, perceiving their life situations and emotions from their perspective, without judgment.

3. Unconditional Positive Regard: This is about accepting people for who they are, not for their actions or achievements. It implies a consistent sense of love and care regardless of a person's behavior or circumstances.

***This approach suggests that adopting these principles in daily interactions could reduce the prevalence of mental disorders related to relational issues, while recognizing other factors like genetics. Humanistic psychotherapy remains influential in modern psychotherapy practices due to its emphasis on understanding, acceptance, and genuine human connections

Humanistic Therapy

An approach to psychotherapy deriving primarily from the theories of Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow, emphasizing the tendency toward healthy growth within each individual

Basic Concepts and Primary Goal of Humanistic Psychotherapy

Innate Tendency to Grow: Humanistic psychology posits that people, like plants, have an inherent tendency to grow and develop, termed self-actualization.

Need for Positive Regard: Similar to plants needing sunlight, humans require positive regard, encompassing warmth, love, and acceptance from others.

Conditional vs. Unconditional Positive Regard: Conditional positive regard leads individuals to suppress certain aspects of themselves to gain approval, causing divergence from their natural growth path. Unconditional positive regard allows natural self-actualization.

Resulting Psychological Issues: Psychological problems can arise when self-actualization is blocked due to conditional positive regard, leading to incongruence between one's real self and ideal self.

Goal of Humanistic Psychotherapy:

To create an environment where clients can resume their natural growth toward psychological wellness, fostering self-actualization.

Psychological problems byproducts of blocked self-actualization.

• Role of humanistic therapists – create a climate in which clients can resume their natural growth

• Conditional positive regard.

Basic Concepts and Primary Goal of Humanistic Psychotherapy

Incongruence

Congruence

Real self –

Ideal self –

Incongruence – discrepancy between the real and ideal self • Congruence – match between real and ideal self when self-actualization is allowed with unconditional positive regard • Important people in our lives communicate what is lovable.

Self-Actualization vs. Positive Regard:

Conflicts between the need for positive regard and following one's natural inclinations can lead to psychological problems.

Internalization of Conditions of Worth:

Conditions set by others for positive regard can become internalized, affecting self-regard and self-evaluation.

three essential therapeutic ingredients:

empathy, unconditional positive regard, and genuineness

Empathy

In humanistic psychotherapy, one of the three essential therapeutic conditions; is the therapist's ability to sense the client's emotions just as the client would, to perceive and understand the events of the client's life in a compassionate way

client-centered therapy

often used synonymously with humanistic therapy, reflects this emphasis on empathy for the client's experience

Unconditional Positive Regard (UPR)

It is a fundamental concept in humanistic therapy, characterized by the therapist's complete acceptance of a client, regardless of the client's feelings or behaviors.

This concept, introduced by Carl Rogers, emphasizes that therapists should not make judgments but instead provide an environment of total acceptance. This acceptance is akin to sunlight nurturing a plant in all directions, allowing the client to grow and develop in a self-directed manner without concern for losing respect or acceptance.

UPR helps clients to be true to themselves and can lead to the development of unconditional positive self-regard, facilitating higher levels of self-actualization and congruence between their real and ideal selves.

In essence, UPR in therapy creates a supportive environment that counters the growth-limiting effects of relationships where acceptance is conditional, enabling clients to embrace their true potential.by the therapist's complete acceptance of a client

Genuineness

In humanistic psychotherapy, the quality of the therapist of truthfulness, realness, or congruence, in contrast to falsely playing the therapist's role.

Genuineness is essential in humanistic psychotherapy, emphasizing authentic empathy and unconditional positive regard (UPR) from therapists. Unlike psychodynamic therapists who maintain a "blank screen," humanistic therapists are open and transparent, sharing their real feelings to foster a trusting therapeutic relationship.

Combining empathy, UPR, and genuineness, this approach helps clients self-accept, integrate, and develop self-confidence, ultimately leading to more effective personal growth and problem-solving.

Necessary and Sufficient?

Carl Rogers claimed that empathy, unconditional positive regard (UPR), and genuineness are both necessary and sufficient for successful psychotherapy across all clients. However, recent research suggests these elements are necessary but not always sufficient, often serving as a foundation for effective therapy rather than a complete solution. These core elements are considered essential in building a therapeutic relationship, contributing significantly to the success of various types of psychotherapy, not just humanistic approaches.

Therapist Attitudes, Not Behaviors

терапевт это отношение а не поведение

Humanistic therapy emphasizes attitudes rather than behaviors, focusing on how therapists should be with clients, not what they should do.

Carl Rogers argued that the success of psychotherapy relies more on the therapist's attitudes, such as empathy, unconditional positive regard, and genuineness, rather than technical skills or specific therapeutic techniques.

This approach values authentic, non-formulaic interactions over structured methods.

Reflection

In humanistic psychotherapy, a therapist's response to a client involves a rephrasing or restatement of the client’s statements in a way that highlights the client’s feelings or emotions.

Importance of Reflection: In humanistic therapy, reflection is a key therapist behavior that effectively communicates empathy, unconditional positive regard (UPR), and genuineness.

Nature of Reflection: It involves rephrasing or restating a client's statements to highlight their emotional experience, going beyond mere repetition to show understanding of the client's feelings.

Application Example: A therapist may respond to a client's description of their day by acknowledging the underlying emotions like exhaustion or frustration, rather than just the factual content.

Rogers' View on Reflection: Carl Rogers later expressed concern that reflection was becoming a rigid technique rather than an attitude of understanding. He emphasized that reflection should involve checking and confirming a client's feelings, maintaining humility, and avoiding assumptions about the client's emotional state.

Historical Variations

existential psychotherapy:

An approach to psychotherapy related to the humanistic approach centers on the premise that each person is essentially alone in the world and that the realization of this fact can cause overwhelming anxiety.

Existential psychotherapy, developed by Rollo May, Victor Frankl, and Irvin Yalom, emphasizes the inherent isolation of individuals and the resulting anxiety as the root of psychopathology. It recognizes life's inevitabilities, like death, as sources of perceived meaninglessness.

This therapy encourages clients to create their own meaning through authentic decision-making, focusing on present and future choices rather than past constraints. Empathy and guided questioning help clients take control and find significance in their lives. While not easily subjected to empirical study, research indicates its effectiveness, particularly for those grappling with physical illness or life's meaning.

Gestalt therapy

An approach to psychotherapy, related to the humanistic approach, emphasizing a holistic approach to enhancing the client.’s current experience and often relying on the use of role-play techniques during therapy

Gestalt therapy, founded by Fritz Perls, is a holistic approach focusing on clients' mental and physical experiences in the present moment, or "the now." It emphasizes personal growth through self-awareness and integration of all self aspects. Techniques like role-play are often used to help clients reach their full potential, with less emphasis on past experiences. This approach is linked to improved psychological well-being

Motivational Interviewing (MI)

A contemporary variation of the humanistic approach to psychotherapy in which therapists empathically help clients see the discrepancy between their behavior and their own values when they experience ambivalence about making major changes

Современный вариант гуманистического подхода к психотерапии, при котором терапевты эмпатически помогают клиентам увидеть несоответствие между их поведением и собственными ценностями, когда они испытывают двойственное отношение к серьезным изменениям.

Origin: Developed by William Miller, Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a modern humanistic therapy, initially aimed at treating addictive behaviors.

Approach: MI addresses clients' ambivalence about life changes, focusing on eliciting internal motivation rather than imposing change.

Techniques: Empathetic listening, highlighting discrepancies between behavior and values, avoiding direct confrontation, acknowledging resistance, differentiating between sustain talk and change talk, and supporting self-efficacy.

Application: Useful as both a standalone treatment and as a complement to other therapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy, especially effective for substance abuse and various psychological issues.

Empirical Evidence: Supported by numerous studies showing its effectiveness, particularly in addiction and behavioral change.

Positive Psychology

A recent, growing movement within the mental health field that accentuates the strong and healthy rather than the pathological aspects of human behavior

Positive Psychology Movement: Emerged in the 1990s, led by Martin Seligman, focusing on strengths and well-being rather than pathology.

Overlap with Humanism: Shares humanistic principles like inherent strengths and capabilities in individuals.

Therapeutic Goals: Aims for happiness, well-being, and alleviating symptoms of disorders, emphasizing the potential for flourishing and growth.

Strength-Based Counseling: Focuses on enhancing positive attributes such as hope, wisdom, creativity, courage, autonomy, and optimism.

Therapeutic Techniques: Includes savoring joyous moments, practicing gratitude, performing acts of kindness, developing empathy, fostering optimism, engaging in strength-based activities, and seeking meaning aligned with personal values.

Applications: Used as standalone therapies or blended with other therapeutic approaches, with happiness as a protective factor against mental disorders.

Emotion-Focused Therapy

a strategy of coping with stress that emphasizes changing the emotional reaction to the stressor

Emotion-focused therapy (EFT) is a short-term, evidence-based humanistic therapy emphasizing emotional expression and healing. It focuses on emotion awareness, regulation, and transformation, using techniques like the "empty chair" for expressing feelings towards others.

Primarily used for depression, it's also effective with various diagnoses and in couples therapy, enhancing empathy and emotional authenticity.

Modern versions of humanistic therapy emphasize ______.

longevity

initiative

brevity

survival

brevity

According to existential psychotherapy, what brings clients anxiety?

the realization that they are alone

relationships

unresolved issues from childhood

thoughts of death

the realization that they are alone

Gestalt psychologists encourage clients to reach their full potential through the use of ______.

projection

career planning

goal setting

role-playing

role-playing

How Well Does It Work?

Carl Rogers, a pioneer in psychotherapy outcome research, was the first to audio-record sessions for research and training. Despite initial challenges in empirically testing humanistic therapies, substantial evidence now supports their effectiveness.

Meta-analyses reveal that humanistic approaches, including newer, manualized forms like motivational interviewing and emotion-focused therapy, are as effective as other major psychotherapy approaches for various issues, including depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and relationship problems.

Furthermore, core humanistic elements like empathy, unconditional positive regard, and genuineness are recognized as crucial for successful therapy across different approaches. These therapies are increasingly included in evidence-based treatment lists.

Emotion-Focused Therapy