Humanistic Approach

• The concept of free will is central - all our behaviours occur of our own free will.
• Every person has to want to achieve their full potential and become the best they possibly can be - reaching self-actualisation.
• Focuses on self - the ideas and values that characterise 'I' and 'me'.
• Aim of therapy is to establish cogruence between the actual self and ideal self.
• Parents who impose conditions of worth may prevent personal growth.

The hierarchy consists of 5 levels with self actualisation at the top. In order to reach self-actualisation, the 4 lower levels must be met.

(From lowest to highest):

• Physiological e.g. food, water.
• Safety e.g. employment, health.
• Love/belonging e.g. friendship, family.
• Esteem e.g. confdence, achievement.
• Self-actualisation.

• Issues such as worthlessness and low self-esteem are due to a lack of unconditional positive regard from our parents.
• A parent who sets boundaries on their love for their child (conditions of worth) ny claiming "I will only love you if..." is storing up psychological problems for that child in future.

An effective therapist should provide their client with 3 things:

• Genuineness
• Empathy
• Unconditional postive regard

Aim is to increase feelings of self-worth and reduce incongruence between actual self and ideal self.

• It is holistic.
  E.g. in client-centred therapy, clients are viewed as whole people, not as their individual issues.
  Behaviours aren't broken into smaller components - subjective experience can only be explained by cinsidering the whole person.
• Portrays a positive image of the human condition.
  E.g. sufferers are referred to as clients rather than patients in client-centred therapy as though they are in cintrol of their life and problem.
  Gives an optimistic alternative to mental health problem rather than being seen as out of control.

• Limited real-life application.
  E.g. client-centred therapy cannot be applied to experiences.
  There is no evidence to prove the theory exists so we cannot say we all move through the hierarchy of needs.
• Includes untestable concepts.
  E.g. the idea of self-actualisation cannot be tested.
  It lacks evidence that such concepts are real because they cannot be proved.