Humanistic approach

• The humanistic approach was developed in the 1950s as a "third force" after the behaviourist and psychodynamic approach
• The humanistic approach is non-deterministic as it follows free will
• The humanistic approach is holistic considering as many factors as possible including both nature and nurture
• The humanistic approach believes in self-determination meaning it acknowledges internal and external factors in behaviour but recognises the human ability to overcome them
• the humanistic approach says humans are active agents meaning they are in control of their own developement
• Maslow's hierarchy of needs claims humans are motivated beyond their biological need for survival and are innately programmed to strive for personal growth separating them from other animals
• Maslow's hierarchy of needs shows self-actualisation as fundamental to human nature
• Maslow's hierarchy of needs from bottom to top; physiological (EG food), safety (EG shelter), love and belonging (EG relationships), esteem (EG freedom), and self-actualisation (EG full potential)
• Maslow's Hierarchy of needs shows physiological, safety, love and belonging, and esteem as deficit needs meaning they are needed for basic well being
• Maslow's hierarchy of needs shows self-actualisation as a growth need meaning is needed for fulfilment
• Carl Rodgers (1961) says individual have two images of themselves; self-concept and the ideal self
• Carl Rodger's (1961) self-concept is how individuals see themselves
• Carl Rodgers (1961) ideal self is how individuals want to be perceived
• Carl Rodgers (1961) says self-concept is defined physically in early childhood, by roles in later childhood, and by personality in adulthood
• Carl Rodgers (1961) says self-esteem is the gap between the self-concept and the ideal-self
• Carl Rodgers (1961) says a large gap between self-concept and ideal-self causes low self-esteem and mental health issues
• Carl Rodgers (1961) identified two types of gap between self-concept and ideal self; congruent and incongruent
• Carl Rodgers (1961) says a congruent gap is where the ideal-self is realistic and possible to achieve > high self-esteem > good mental health
• Carl Rodgers (1961) says an incongruent gap is when is when the ideal self is unachievable > low self-esteem > bad mental health
• Carl Rodgers (1961) says good mental health requires self-trust, openness to new experiences, living in present, taking responsibility and having an unconditional positive regard for ones self and others
• Carl Rodgers (1961) says conditional love in childhood leads to a conditional positive regard
• Person Centred Counselling (Rodgers 1961) is the dominant approach used by the British Association for Counselling
• Person Centred Counselling works on the assumption that the client knows what is best for them and their treatment
• During person centred counselling the counsellor must offer a supportive, non-judgemental environment where clients are encouraged to talk freely
• 3 key elements to person centred counselling; unconditional positive regard, empathy, and congruence
• Humanistic approach strength; holistic as it considers biological needs and the impact the environment has on behaviour
• Humanistic approach strength; considers free will and how we have freedom and choice over our behaviour
• Humanistic approach strength; real world applications such as person centred counselling which has been used to improve the mental health of many people in the real world
• Humanistic approach weakness; lacks scientific validity as its concepts such as congruence are not objective and scientifically measurable
• Humanistic approach weakness; ethnocentric as it priorities the norms and values of western individualist cultures which would be rejected by a collectivist culture making it culturally biased
• Humanistic approach weakness; other methods of treating mental health may be more effective such as CBT or REBT