Treatment of Psychological Disorders – Humanistic, Existential, and Systemic Approaches

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, methods, and terms from the lecture on humanistic, existential, and systemic treatments of psychological disorders.

Humanistic Therapy

A psychotherapy approach that emphasizes personal growth, self-actualization, and the client’s innate capacity to resolve difficulties within a supportive environment.

Person-Centered Therapy

Carl Rogers’ non-directive approach that relies on empathy, warmth, genuineness, and unconditional positive regard to foster client growth.

Conditions of Worth

Internalized beliefs that one must meet certain standards (e.g., get good grades) to be lovable or worthy.

Unconditional Positive Regard

Acceptance and support of a person regardless of what they say or do, central to person-centered therapy.

Congruence

Alignment between the real self and ideal self, associated with psychological well-being.

Incongruence

A gap between the real self and ideal self, leading to distress.

Gestalt Therapy

Humanistic approach focused on increasing awareness of feelings, bodily sensations, and present-moment experience.

Empty Chair Technique

Gestalt exercise where clients address imagined others in an empty chair to express unresolved emotions.

Two-Chair Technique

Gestalt method in which clients alternate between conflicting parts of themselves (e.g., critic and criticized) to promote integration.

Narrative Therapy

Approach that helps clients re-author problem-saturated stories into empowering narratives, viewing the person as separate from the problem.

Unique Outcome

An exception to the problem story highlighted in narrative therapy to reveal client strengths.

Externalization

Narrative technique that treats the problem as outside the person (e.g., “depression is visiting” rather than “I am depressed”).

Self-Actualization

The highest level of Maslow’s hierarchy: realizing one’s fullest potential.

Existential Therapy

Philosophical approach helping clients find meaning, embrace freedom of choice, and assume responsibility for their lives.

Logotherapy

Viktor Frankl’s “meaning-making” therapy asserting that life has meaning under all circumstances.

Group Therapy

Treatment in which multiple clients work on shared goals together under one or more therapists.

Therapeutic Group

Group that adapts a formal treatment model (e.g., CBT skills) for several clients simultaneously.

Psychoeducational Group

Large group format focused on teaching information and coping resources (e.g., for carers).

Skills Development Group

Group setting that trains specific abilities (e.g., assertiveness) through practice and role-play.

Support Group

Gathering that provides mutual aid and community around a shared issue or experience.

Self-Help Group

Peer-run group without a professional facilitator (e.g., Alcoholics Anonymous).

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

Evidence-based 12-step self-help program for individuals with alcohol use problems.

Family Therapy

Systems-oriented treatment involving multiple family members to change interaction patterns and resolve shared problems.

Systems Approach

View that individual behavior is inseparable from family functioning; the family, not one person, is the client.

Circular Reasoning

Concept that A influences B, B influences C, and C influences A, creating ongoing interaction cycles within families.

Genogram

Diagram of family relationships over at least three generations used to map patterns and dynamics in family therapy.

Couples Therapy

Variant of family therapy focusing on the intimate partner dyad to improve relationship satisfaction.

Cognitive-Behavioral Couples Therapy

Couples intervention emphasizing communication skills, problem-solving, and restructuring dysfunctional thoughts.

Psychodynamic Couples Therapy

Couples work that explores attachment histories and unconscious patterns affecting current relationship dynamics.

Empirically Supported Treatment (EST)

Intervention with strong scientific evidence demonstrating its efficacy (e.g., CBT).

Eclectic Psychotherapy

Selecting techniques from multiple approaches for a single client; may lack theoretical coherence.

Integrative Psychotherapy

Combining theories at a foundational level to create a new, testable therapeutic model (e.g., Cognitive Analytic Therapy).

Cultural Responsiveness

Clinician’s ability to work safely and respectfully with diverse clients, aware of both client and therapist cultural influences.

Multidisciplinary Team

Collaborative group of professionals (e.g., psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses) providing coordinated client care.