Page 510 - Understanding Psychology

“Of course you have strengths, dear. It’s just
that you don’t communicate them.”
Figure 17.6
Humanistic Approaches to Therapy
Humanistic therapies attempt to help clients make better use of their own abilities. How does this cartoon reflect a humanistic approach?
humanistic therapy:
focuses on the value, dignity, and worth of each person; holds that healthy living is the result of realizing one’s full potential
client-centered therapy:
reflects the belief that the client and therapist are partners in therapy
Reading Check
Why did Rogers choose to refer to a patient as a
“client”?
changed with patients, disorders, and the prevailing cultures. There are many versions available today of this classical psychoanalysis. For example, short-term dynamic psychotherapy is a shortened version of psychoanalysis. This type of therapy focuses on a client’s prob- lems. The therapist uses a direct and more active approach in identifying and resolving the problems. This approach to therapy, along with psychoanalysis, works well for clients who are able to gain insight into their behavior. People who lose touch with reality—for instance, a person suffering from schizophrenia—will probably not benefit from
psychoanalysis, though.
HUMANISTIC THERAPY
The goal of humanistic therapy is to help people fulfill their human potential. Humanistic psy- chology has given rise to several approaches to psy- chotherapy, known collectively as client-centered therapy. Humanistic psychologists stress the actu- alization of one’s unique potentials through per- sonal responsibility, freedom of choice, and authentic relationships.
Client-Centered Therapy
Client-centered therapy, or person-centered therapy, is based on the theories of Carl Rogers (1951, 1977). This therapy depends on the person’s own motivation toward growth and self-actualization. The use of the term person or client instead of patient gives one an insight into the reasoning behind Rogers’s method. Patient may suggest inferiority or passivity, whereas person or client implies an equal relationship between the therapist and the individual seeking help. According to Rogers, this equal relationship reflects three therapeutic components—positive regard, empathy, and gen- uineness. Positive regard refers to the therapist’s ability to demonstrate car- ing and respect for the client. Empathy is the ability to understand what the client is feeling. Genuineness refers to the therapist’s ability to act toward the client in a real and nondefensive manner.
Client-centered therapists assume that people are basically good and that they are capable of handling their own lives. Psychological problems arise when the true self becomes lost and the individual comes to view the self according to the standards of others. One of the goals of therapy is to help the person recognize his or her own strength and confidence, thereby learning to be true to his or her own standards and ideas about how to live effectively.
Techniques of Client-Centered Therapy In the course of an interview, the client is encouraged to speak freely about any troubling matters. The topics discussed are entirely up to the client. This method is called nondirective therapy because the therapist does not direct it. The therapist listens and encourages conversation but tries to avoid giving opinions.
nondirective therapy: the free flow of images and ideas, with no particular direction
496 Chapter 17 / Therapy and Change