Humanistic/Existential

• Self


  The individual's own personal internal experiences and subjective evaluations
• Humanistic theories


  • Reject the notion that underlying traits or unconscious motivations and conflicts are important forces in the development of personality
  • Argue instead that human beings are endowed with free will and free choice
  • Reject the idea that environmental forces are the major determinants of personality
  • Individuals are seen as aware human beings capable of unique experiences based on their own view of the world and self
• Self-actualization


  • The realizing of one's full potential; can include creative expression, quest for spiritual enlightenment, pursuit of knowledge, or the desire to give to society
  • A state of fulfillment in which a person is achieving at his or her highest level of capability
• Characteristics of Self-Actualizers


  • Great sense of awareness, maintaining a near-constant enjoyment and awe of life
  • Often described peak experiences during which they felt such an intense degree of satisfaction that they seemed to transcend themselves
  • Actively engaged in activities that would bring about this feeling of unity and meaningfulness
  • Deeply rooted in reality and were active problem-seekers and solvers
  • Developed a level of acceptance for what could not be changed and a level of spontaneity and resilience to tackle what could be changed
  • Healthy relationships with a small group with which they interacted frequently
• Motivation


  The process of satisfying certain needs that are required for long-term development
• Need


  A relatively lasting condition or feeling that requires relief or satisfaction, and it tends to influence action over the long term
• Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs


  • Physiological
  • Safety
  • Love/Belonging
  • Esteem
  • Self-Actualization
• Physiological Needs


  • The most basic of Maslow's needs, such as the need for air, food, and water
  • Vital to survival
• Safety Needs


  • Needs for safety and security, such as health insurance and a safe neighborhood
• Love and Belonging Needs

  • Needs for belonging, love and affection
• Esteem Needs


  • Needs for things that reflect on self-esteem, personal worth, social recognition, and accomplishment
• Self-Actualization


  • The highest level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs
  • Self-actualizing people are self-aware, concerned with personal growth, less concerned with the opinions of others and interested in fulfilling their potential
• Actualizing tendency


  A person's basic instinct to succeed at his or her highest possible capacity
• Rogers' Humanistic Theory of Personality


  • A person's unique subjective experience of reality and self is central
  • We develop a self-concept through our experience with the world, our interactions with other people, and what other people tell us
  • We build our own lives, and we are all free to choose for ourselves rather than being at the mercy of learned stimuli or unconscious forces
  • This theory stresses that each person is purposeful in his/her behavior and is positively striving to reach self-fulfillment
• Ideal Self


  The person that you would like to be
• Real Self


  The person you actually are
• Congruence


  When a person's self-concept is reasonably accurate
• Incongruity


  • The gap between the real self and the ideal self, the "I am" and the "I should"
  • The greater the gap, the more incongruity, the more suffering
• Characteristics of the Fully-Functioning Person


  • Openness to experience
  • Existential living
  • Organismic trusting
  • Experiential freedom
  • Creativity
• Qualities a therapist must possess


  • Congruence - genuineness, honesty with the client
  • Empathy - the ability to feel what the client feels
  • Respect - acceptance, unconditional positive regards towards the client