Humanistic psychology focuses on the study of the person as a whole and starts from the idea that human beings are innately good. Humanistic psychologists do not observe human behavior only through the eyes of the observer but also through the person who acts or thinks. They understand that human behavior cannot be separated from their feelings, intentions, self-image, or personal history. It focuses on human freedom, potential and creativity.
One of the first references of this psychological current was Carl Rogers, one of the creators of the humanist approach. This stream that is holistic gathers ideas from some well-known studies Abraham Maslow. In this Psychology-Online article, we tell you the what is humanistic psychology and its main characteristics.
Humanism arises around the 50s as the third force in psychology in response to the significant limitations manifested by some psychologists of the behavioral and psychoanalytic approaches. Behaviorism has been criticized for not focusing on human consciousness and personality, as well as for being deterministic, mechanistic, and highly dependent on animal studies. Psychoanalysis was rejected for its excessive emphasis on the unconscious and instinctual forces and, furthermore, for its determinism.
In 1957 and 1958, Abraham Maslow and Clark Moustakas met with psychologists who shared their goal, to establish a professional association that followed a more positive and humanistic approach. In these meetings the concepts or themes that were considered fundamental to the humanist approach were discussed: self-actualization, creativity, health, individuality, intrinsic nature, the self, being, becoming and meaning.
The American Association for Humanistic Psychology was founded in 1961. The main contributors to the development of humanistic psychology were: Carl Rogers, Gordon allport, James Bugental, Charlotte Buhler, Rollo May, Gardner Murphy, Henry Murray, Fritz Perls, Kirk Schneider, Louis Hoffman, and Paul Wong.
Humanistic psychology: definition
Some fundamental assumptions of humanistic psychology are:
- Experimentation (thinking, perceiving, sensations, remembering, feeling ...) is fundamental
- The subjective experience of the person is the first indicator of behavior
- An accurate understanding of human behavior cannot be achieved through the study of animals
- The free will exists and people should accept their responsibility for self-growth and fulfillment. No behavior is determined
- Self-actualization (the person's need to seek their full potential) is natural
- People are innately good and will grow that way under the right conditions, especially in childhood.
- Each person and each experience is unique, so psychologists must treat each case individually, uniquely and not follow guidelines from group studies
There are a number of elements of humanistic psychology that when carried out within the context of therapy are called person-centered therapy. Some of the most important features of humanistic psychology are:
1. Not judge
The theories and techniques of humanism are based on an approach in which the professional does not judge what the person tells in therapy
2. Empathy
A fundamental aspect of person-centered therapy is empathy. Therapists who take a humanistic approach "reach out" to their clients when they explore the emotional aspects.
3. Do not pathologize
Many humanistic therapists they put aside the clinical jargonas well as diagnosis and focus on the essence of the person. Many humanists employ the person-centered approach to encourage the client to focus on her strengths.
4. Emphasis on self
The goal of this therapy is promote the expression of feelings, thoughts and emotions through dialogue. In some cases, the client is encouraged to write, paint, and act (psychodrama) as ways of expressing feelings.
5. Existential
The existential components are one of the most important characteristics of humanism. Existential therapists help clients work through restrictive patterns and approaches that encourage creativity as a way of expressing themselves. The 4 existentialist dimensions explored are: physical, psychological, social and spiritual.
Humanism maintains that people's subjective experiences make it difficult to measure, evaluate, and study human variables and their characteristics. Working primarily with qualitative data makes impossible to measure and verify any observation made in therapy. Not only is it difficult to compare qualitative data with others, but also the lack of quantitative data means that theories cannot be supported by empirical evidence.
Other experts who criticize humanism also speak of its lack of efficacy in treating mental disorders serious and generalizations made about human nature, such as the complete rejection of some behavioral and psychoanalytic concepts.
For example, although humanistic psychology holds that animal studies do not serve to study the human behavior, some data from animal studies have made it possible to establish concepts applicable to people. Furthermore, humanistic psychology focuses exclusively on free will and the conscious.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
