Key Approaches, The Humanistic Approach

Key Approaches, The Humanistic Approach

1. Assumptions

   • View humans as a whole
   • Humans are unique and should be viewed as such
   • Humans have free will
     • Unlike behaviourist approach, deterministic
   • Humans strive to achieve self actualisation

2. Person centred therapy

   • The client speaks the most and the therapist listens and reflects on the clients thoughts and feelings. The client has free will to decide changes

3. the three "selves"

   • Self concept
     • The way a person sees themselves
   • Ideal self
     • The person we'd like to be
   • Real Self
     • The person we actually are
   • Rogers thought of this

4. Rogers

   • unconditional positive regard allows you to reach self actualization

5. Maslow's hierarchy of needs

   • Physiological (sex,food,sleep)
     • Safety (our home environment)
       • Love/Belonging (affection)
         • Esteem (respect)
           • Self actualization

6. Strengths and limitations

   • Strengths
     • Views people as active agents
     • Promotes the idea of personal responsibility
     • The subjective experience of a person is of value and importance
     • Person centred therapy is still used today
   • Limitations
     • Hard to falsify, unscientific
     • In rejecting the scientific method the theories lack emperical evidence
     • Over emphisis on personal ability to change
     • Individual emotions and conciousness are hard to study objectivly