Humanistic approach in psychology. Humanistic psychology: ideas, current techniques, main supporters
Humanistic psychology is a generally recognized direction that positions its main object not just as an individual, but as an autonomous and unique system as a whole. She (this personality, a person in the broad sense of understanding) does not represent a given, but only prerequisites for development and self-actualization. And how this development will proceed depends only on the will of the individual himself and his environment.
As a separate movement, the humanistic approach to psychology emerged in the mid-twentieth century as an alternative to behaviorism and psychoanalysis. The founders of humanistic psychology include Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers, and the founders of humanistic psychology include Gordon Alporn, Rollo May and many other famous figures. By the way, the famous manifesto book “Existential Psychology” (1959) was published under the editorship of the latter, which is the fundamental collection of the movement.
The subjects of analysis, at the same time, are recognized not only as the aforementioned self-actualization, creativity, responsibility, autonomy, but also the highest values, love, ethics, ethics. The psychology and psyche of a person and his experiences, according to supporters of the movement, cannot be assessed according to the principles that natural sciences use.
Therefore, five basic ideas of humanistic psychology were formulated:
- a person as a whole is much more significant than the sum of his parts; thus, Homo sapiens cannot be explained by explaining parts of his activities and functioning;
- the existence of a person is always connected with interactions with other individuals, that is, a person cannot be explained without taking into account interpersonal experience;
- a person always realizes, explains and analyzes himself, therefore cannot be interpreted by psychology without taking into account his multi-stage awareness;
- a person always has a choice, therefore it cannot be considered outside of his own process: active or deliberately passive, because he creates personal experience;
- personality is always oriented towards the future (it is intentional), that is, it has a goal or dream, value guidelines and the meaning of existence.
Also, one of the most popular and relevant developments in the field of humanistic psychology is still the model of the hierarchy of motivation, invented by Abraham Maslow. He argued that a person, like a triangle, acquires seven levels of needs with development:
- first (basic) – physiological: to quench thirst and hunger, to be able to sleep and reproduce;
- the second is the need for security, as an opportunity for survival not only in a physiological, but also in a psychological sense;
- third – the need for acceptance (love, friendship, clan membership, community);
- fourth – the need for respect (recognition of merits and skills, recognition of a person’s importance);
- fifth – cognitive needs (to explore, understand, know);
- sixth – aesthetic needs (harmony, order, beauty);
- seventh – the need for self-actualization: setting and achieving goals, setting priorities, personal development.
Maslow argued that without satisfying lower needs, higher needs are difficult to develop (or do not develop at all). For example, a lack of goods leads to the fact that a person spends all his energy on finding food. If the need for security is violated, then a person may not think about the need for harmony. There is also a “neurosis of existence”.
This is when basic needs are satisfied without much stress on the person, and the next level is not relevant, like a spoiled child. Or a person is in an active search for the meaning of life.
Depending on the most significant and urgent needs, the level of personal development can be distinguished. And this is important for understanding and accepting the individual as she is.
Humanistic psychology, that is, Rogers’ humanistic personality theory, states that any organism strives to take care of its existence in order to preserve and improve it. A person has ideas about himself that he forms based on the attitudes of other people. And this is the “real I”. There are also ideas about what he would like to be - the “ideal self”. But the more a person wants to get closer to the ideal, the more he strives to hide his sides, which are a counterweight to this.
This is a manifestation of the need for respect. But in this way, a discord between real desires and external manifestations accumulates. This leads to neuroses. The more the “real Self” is in agreement with feelings, thoughts and manifestations, the more harmonious it is, and the closer it is to the “ideal Self”.
Maximum personal growth occurs when a person does not have to pretend and lie; when he can freely express his thoughts and reason. And in return, receive acceptance, without fear of being harshly judged and suppressed. This is the basis of the session itself within the framework of the humanistic direction.
Client-centered therapy
Carl Rogers introduced the concept of client-centered therapy. It is based on the belief that the client himself is able to find a way to solve his problems. And the one that suits him. But any person can discover their potential only in an atmosphere of non-judgmental acceptance. It’s as if we are dealing with maternal (comprehensive) acceptance of a person, without assessing actions.
Empathy is the ability to perceive and understand the feelings of others, even if you yourself would act completely differently. And this underlies the therapy itself. Also, all conditions are created for the client to demonstrate congruence - that is, open and honest expression of his feelings, feelings and emotions about something.
How does the session work?
The difference between client-centered therapy is the desire for minimal intervention by the therapist in the process of managing the session. The client himself decides which topics and problems are relevant to him at the moment. However, this does not mean that the psychologist is completely eliminated. On the contrary, he listens carefully and is completely focused on the client’s experiences and feelings, his conclusions and aspirations. He is the most non-judgmental and respectful listener and interlocutor.
Having the opportunity to calmly express his feelings, emotions, tell not only his problems, but dreams and projects, a person internally liberates, his self-esteem rises, he begins to trust the world around him more and see more prospects. Carl Roger generally believed that in this case the client mostly helps himself, since he understands his situation much better.
As a result, the person who comes for help becomes less vulnerable and more realistic. If we rethink the approach, we can say that the psychotherapist allows him to feel a certain “non-judgmental and accepting rear,” which makes the client more confident.
Main Proponents of Humanistic Psychology
From the point of view of psychologists who worked in such a direction as humanistic psychology, the main supporters of this psychology, of course, are the aforementioned A. Maslow, K. Rogers, Rollo May, Erich From.
If we consider the issue from the client’s side, we can say that the main supporters of humanistic psychology are those people who experience a lack of empathy, human warmth and trusting relationships. In addition, it has proven itself to be excellent for developing potential and solving problems of personal growth. The conflict-free basis of the method is for some people a more acceptable method of resolving family conflicts.
Also, the humanistic approach, as understanding and not oppressive, is often chosen by adolescents and children when they need psychological consultations.
An interesting feature is the fact that, in the classic version, the client himself chooses the number of visits and their frequency. Therefore, such techniques are always convenient for him.
Criticism of such psychology
One of the most famous critics of humanistic psychology is K. Benson. He shows that the concept of self-actualization in many cultures other than Western ones can be regarded as inappropriate and unaffordable selfishness. In addition, the acceptance of any statements and ideas of the client can lead, in this case, to the development of immorality. In addition, he believes that the humanistic approach is fixated on the personal self as the highest value. Whereas it is interaction with other individuals that is often a meaning-forming factor.
Many other authors have drawn attention to the fact that a humanistic session is not suitable for authoritarian individuals, as well as for clients who already have problems with their selfishness and inactivity.
Currently, James Hillman, in his critique of modern humanistic psychology, warns of the danger of instilling in an insecure person the moment of his omnipresence. Because these attitudes fit too well with all sorts of modern religious concepts.
As a result, a person does not receive support to develop and act independently. And he receives the installation of actually equating himself with God, and he begins to choose a very comfortable position for himself: everyone owes me. Thus, selfish tendencies can significantly affect the future life of an individual, leading to not entirely adequate results from the point of view of the law and society.
In addition, the results of observations do not lend themselves to strict evaluation criteria; It is difficult to assess how much something actually develops or does not develop during work.
Humanistic Psychology Today
At the moment, various conclusions and concepts of humanistic psychology are actively used, not only when working directly with clients, but also in other industries and disciplines.
For example, the famous hierarchy of needs has been revised within the framework of very practical applications of workplace organization: without satisfying lower needs, it is impossible to require workers to fulfill higher ones. That is, without a well-organized opportunity to eat, go to the toilet, and without respect and recognition of merit, it will be difficult for an employee to carry out his cognitive processes and learn. Therefore, in many offices and supermarkets there are special and well-organized eating rooms, warm toilets, and management staff are trained to organize the correct approach to people.
Maureen O'Hara, a popular humanist author, argues that in fact, all people on the planet strive for freedom and self-determination, they just understand it in their own way. And the mentioned approach recognizes both these rights and the opportunity to have a personal interpretation of concepts. Well, the empathic approach to the client has become an absolute dogma among many practicing psychologists and psychotherapists.
Humanistic psychology
Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow, Charlotte Buhler, Gordon Allport and others belong to the movement that calls itself humanistic psychology. Humanistic psychologists themselves believe that many other psychologists, even of completely different orientations, can be called humanistic if they adhere to certain postulates to one degree or another.
Adler's ideas about the importance of social context led psychoanalysis away from the study of individual developmental factors (associated primarily with early childhood) towards a sociocultural explanation of personality. American psychiatrist K. Horney argued that it is culture that is responsible for the emergence of neuroses. Another American psychiatrist, H. Sullivan, believed that not only neuroses, but also psychoses have their origin in society. The founder of humanistic psychology, E. Fromm, argued that humans have special needs that are absent in animals and that must be satisfied for a person to be mentally healthy.
Humanistic psychology arose as a natural development of the views of Adler, Horney and Sullivan on the role of sociocultural factors in mental activity. By the 1960s, representatives of this school included such influential psychologists as K. Rogers, E. Maslow and G. Allport. Humanistic psychology insists, first of all, on the importance of self-actualization (i.e., satisfying the individual’s inherent need to identify and develop his own human personality traits) as a condition for the formation of personality. Another important principle is the need to analyze the personality as a whole (holism). Humanistic psychologists reject reductionism, i.e. a description of actual human properties in the language of natural sciences (the example they use is the reduction of love to “sexual chemistry” or to biological instincts).
Here are three hallmarks of humanistic psychology:
1. Humanistic psychology is an anti-experimental psychology; its representatives are united by the denial of experiments - any, behaviorist, cognitivist, etc.
2. This is psychology that grows and feeds on a certain direction of psychotherapy - not related to the ideas of behavior modification.
3. Humanistic psychology places emphasis on man, on his capabilities, and in this sense contrasts itself with religion. Religion sees the main factor regulating behavior in God, while the humanistic psychologist sees it in man himself. The individual must do everything himself, but it is important to help her.
A humanistic psychologist is one who considers himself humanistic, that is, it is based on the characteristics of his self-awareness. There are no clear boundaries, but there are basic ideas - focus on the whole person, on his development, on unlocking his potential, on helping and removing barriers to this development.
Individuality in humanistic psychology is viewed as an integrative whole;
The irrelevance (unsuitability) of animal research for understanding humans (in contrast to behaviorism) is emphasized;
Humanistic psychology asserts that man is inherently good or, at most, neutral; aggression, violence, etc. arise due to the influence of the environment.
The development of humanistic psychology was facilitated by the situation that developed in society after the Second World War. It showed that many people in extreme situations show resilience and maintain dignity in the most difficult conditions.
This desire of man to preserve and develop his spiritual uniqueness was impossible to explain in terms of old psychology and only naturally - scientific determination. Ignoring philosophical postulates.
That is why the leaders of humanistic psychology turned to the achievements of philosophy of the 20th century, primarily to existentialism, which studied the inner world, the existence of man.
This is how a new determination appeared - psychological, explaining human development by his desire for self-actualization, the creative realization of his potential.
The relationship between the individual and society is also partially revised, since the social environment can not only enrich a person, but also stereotype him. Based on this, representatives of humanistic psychology tried to study various mechanisms of communication and describe the complexity of the relationship between the individual and society in its entirety.
Humanistic psychology is an alternative to the two most important movements in psychology - psychoanalysis and behaviorism.
The main subject of humanistic psychology is personality and its uniqueness, a person’s experience of the world and awareness of his place in it. The theory is based on the assumption that a person has an innate ability to achieve the full disclosure of his spiritual potential, to solve all his personal problems, if he is in an optimal, friendly socio-psychological atmosphere.
In humanistic psychology, the main subjects of analysis are: highest values, self-actualization of the individual, creativity, love, freedom, responsibility, autonomy, mental health, interpersonal communication.
The development of humanistic psychology was greatly influenced by personalism in the mid-20th century. Humanistic science appeared as an alternative direction to all psychological schools existing in the middle of the century (behaviorism, personalism and psychoanalysis), while forming its own concept of personality and the stages of its development. The main representatives of humanistic psychology were: A. Maslow, K. Rogers, G. Allport and R. May. New directions in this science predetermined their own programs through opposition to previously established ones, since she observed the inferiority of psychological directions. Their own aspirations contributed to the release of internal tension in order to achieve balance when interacting with the environment. Humanistic psychology called for understanding directly human existence at a level between the philosophy and science of our time.
The originality of humanistic psychology (authors A. Maslow, K. Rogers, G. Allport) is that it turned towards a healthy, harmonious personality, not affected by neurotic illnesses.
Key ideas:
- - a person is not a hostage to his past experience, not a passive animal and not a victim of nature;
- - a person is more focused on the future, towards self-realization;
- - the main motive is the development of the creative principle of the human self;
- - a person must be studied in his integrity;
- - every person is unique.
K. Rogers. The foundation of personality is the self-concept.
The perception of oneself is formed in the process of interaction with other people and the environment. Structure of self-concept:
- - real self (perception of what “I am”);
- - ideal self (idea of what “I would like and should be”).
A person's behavior can be understood solely on the basis of knowledge of his self-concept. Any reactions and behavior of a person are determined by how he subjectively perceives what is happening around him, what his subjective experiences are. If the real Self does not coincide with the ideal Self, then the individual finds himself in a state of anxiety and confusion. This poses a danger to the self-concept and threatens the loss of self-esteem. Therefore, psychological self-defense mechanisms are put into action, which do not allow threatening experiences into consciousness. Usually this is:
Distortion of perception, or a deliberately false interpretation of one’s experience (for example, for the sake of preserving the self-conception, a person interprets the fact of not being appointed to a leadership position through the machinations of attackers, envious people - a reaction of denial, ignoring the experience (for example, the whole world is flying head over heels, but “everything is calm in Baghdad.. .").
A “fully functioning person” must be characterized by:
- - openness to experiences and prudence;
- - self-acceptance and self-respect;
- - internality (responsibility for everything that happens to him, to himself);
- - creative lifestyle, adaptability to real life conditions;
- - the richness of life at every moment of time.
Psychotherapy by K. Rogers is non-directive and does not involve active influence on the patient on the part of the psychotherapist: no requests, assessments, recommendations or advice. Only the role of a “straightening mirror”:
- - listen, explain his experiences, establish positive contact and a calm atmosphere of complete mutual trust;
- - look at the world through the patient's eyes.
The patient is given equal responsibility for therapeutic consequences.
G. Allport's theory of personality traits
The main principles of humanistic psychology were formulated by Gordon Allport. G. Allport (1897-1967) considered the concept of personality he created as an alternative to the mechanism of the behavioral approach and the biological, instinctive approach of psychoanalysts. Allport also objected to the transfer of facts associated with sick people, neurotics, to the psyche of a healthy person. Although he began his career as a psychotherapist, he very quickly moved away from medical practice, focusing on experimental studies of healthy people. Allport believed it was necessary not just to collect and describe observed facts, as was practiced in behaviorism, but to systematize and explain them.
One of the main postulates of Allport's theory was that the individual is open and self-developing. Man is, first of all, a social being and therefore cannot develop without contacts with the people around him, with society. Hence Allport’s rejection of the position of psychoanalysis about the antagonistic, hostile relationship between the individual and society. At the same time, Allport argued that communication between the individual and society is not a desire to balance with the environment, but mutual communication and interaction. Thus, he sharply objected to the postulate generally accepted at that time that development is adaptation, the adaptation of man to the world around him, proving that man is characterized by the need to explode the balance and reach more and more new peaks.
Allport was one of the first to talk about the uniqueness of each person. Each person is unique and individual, as he is the bearer of a unique combination of qualities and needs, which Allport called trite - trait. He divided these needs, or personality traits, into basic and instrumental. Basic traits stimulate behavior and are innate, genotypic, while instrumental traits shape behavior and are formed in the process of life, i.e., they are phenotypic formations. The set of these traits constitutes the core of personality.
Important for Allport is also the position about the autonomy of these traits, which develops over time. The child does not yet have this autonomy, since his features are still unstable and not fully formed. Only in an adult who is aware of himself, his qualities and his individuality, traits become truly autonomous and do not depend on either biological needs or social pressure. This autonomy of a person’s traits, being the most important characteristic of his personality, gives him the opportunity, while remaining open to society, to preserve his individuality. Thus, Allport solves the problem of identification-alienation, which is one of the most important for all humanistic psychology.
One of the most modern fields of psychology, humanistic psychology grew out of the need for a more positive view of the human personality. than was proposed in the theories of psychoanalysis or behaviorism. The main representatives of humanistic psychology, Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow, believed that people are born with the desire to grow, create and love, and that they have the ability to control their own lives. Living environment and social interaction can either promote or hinder this natural tendency. If a person lives in an oppressive environment, it hinders his development; on the other side. a favorable environment promotes development. humanistic rogers allport maslow
Representatives of humanistic psychology also believe that the most important aspect of humanity is subjective experience. This is perhaps the most serious problem from the point of view of scientific psychology, which requires that the object of study be accessible to direct observation and testing. Subjective experience, by definition, does not fit into these criteria.
The humanistic approach in psychology has not lost its relevance for more than fifty years. Probably the main reason for this is the special perception of each individual as a unique system that provides excellent opportunities for self-realization. But first things first.
The general characteristics of humanistic psychology, a brief history of its origin and main representatives, as well as the method of psychotherapy that was born thanks to this direction - these are the main aspects of our conversation today.
General information
Personality in humanistic psychology is not only a subject of research, but also a special value that must be treated with attention and respect. Self-realization, the desire for knowledge, mental health, duty, personal choice and responsibility for it are the most important elements of a full-fledged personality in humanistic psychology.
Humanistic psychology considers unacceptable the attitude towards the subject of research characteristic of the natural sciences, which was shared by some psychological schools. In such sciences, objects are studied that are devoid of reason and their own vision of the world, incapable of forming connections with other people and filling space and time with their own content.
A person has the power to evaluate each new situation, choose a model of behavior that suits it - in general, actively create and transform his own life. If a researcher does not take into account these fundamental differences between humans and other living organisms, then he significantly limits himself and cannot present a complete picture of the functioning of the human psyche.
Of course, humanistic psychology has been and is being criticized. First of all, the subjectivity of the direction raises questions, because, putting at the forefront the individual experience and individual judgment of the individual about himself, it is difficult to give an objective assessment of a person’s mental processes, and it is completely impossible to measure them quantitatively. Nevertheless, as the basis for a highly sought-after method of psychotherapy, humanistic psychology continues to remain relevant.
"Third Force"
In the West (and primarily in the USA, which was the main center of influence in the world of psychology at that time) after the Second World War, two psychological schools dominated: and (more precisely, later versions of these directions - neo-behaviorism and neo-Freudianism). Humanistic psychology developed as a response to these trends, whose approach to man it considered too simplistic. What kind of approach was this?
In most cases, behavior is determined by the expectation of positive reinforcement (gratitude, material rewards, positive reactions from others), but it can also be dictated by the desire to avoid negative things. Neobehaviorists have complicated this three-component structure and introduced intermediate factors that slow down, enhance or block reinforcement. Thus, not only the observed manifestations of behavior began to be analyzed, but also the mechanisms that regulate it.
Neo-Freudianism is a complex of movements that developed based on the ideas of Freud and his psychoanalytic theory. As is known, in classical literature unconscious drives were considered the driving force of human actions, with sexual energy playing the main role. Neo-Freudians did not deny the influence of the unconscious, but they considered the main source of personal conflicts not its confrontation with consciousness, but the influence of society.
The basic principles of humanistic psychology were formulated in 1963 by the first president of the Association for Humanistic Psychology, James Bugental:
- A person is not a passive observer, but an active transformer of his life, possessing freedom of choice. The personality initially has development potential.
- The individual's experience is unique and valuable and cannot be analyzed by simply describing behavior and making generalizations.
- The study of individual mental processes does not provide a complete picture. Man must be studied as a whole that is greater than the sum of his parts.
- Man is naturally endowed with positive qualities, but displays negative ones because he has not revealed his true essence.
Client-centered therapy
The humanistic direction in psychology was initially focused more on practice than on theoretical research. This closeness to everyday life, to the needs of people, as well as a special attitude towards people, have become the main reasons for the popularity of the destination among a large number of people.
This attitude follows from the basic principles proclaimed by Bugental, but its active implementation in real consulting practice began with another specialist. Carl Rogers is the name with which humanistic psychology and humanistic psychotherapy acquired those fundamental features that to this day form their basis.
Back in 1951, when humanistic psychology was just beginning to make itself known, American psychologist Carl Rogers’ book “Client-Focused Therapy” was published. In it, Rogers expressed ideas that were seditious for that time: a directive approach to psychotherapy is ineffective, it is not the psychologist who acts as an expert and mentor for the person, but the person for himself.
What does this therapy involve? As already noted, humanistic psychology proceeds from the fact that man is a being by nature good, and not evil. However, all his positive qualities become visible in a special atmosphere of support and attention, which helps him reveal his positive essence. The psychotherapist must provide such an atmosphere, but the client helps himself, finds the answers himself and makes his own decisions.
How does the session work?
What principles, according to Rogers' ideas, should form the basis of the work of a psychotherapist?
- The most important thing is non-judgmental acceptance, in which the therapist allows the person to be himself, responds emotionally to what the client says, but does not give him any judgment.
- , that is, the ability to recognize what the client feels and put yourself in his place.
- The psychotherapist and the client are equal participants in the dialogue, and a strong psychological contact is established between them.
- - openness and spontaneity, honesty and sincerity, self-expression without fear. This manner of behavior should be characteristic of both the consultant and (after some time) the person being consulted.
Psychotherapy, which arose on the basis of the humanistic direction in psychology, still remains one of the most popular and sought-after areas of psychological counseling. It is especially indicated for people suffering from loneliness and experiencing an acute lack of understanding and empathy.
The client-centered approach helps in solving both internal and interpersonal problems. Its important feature is that the person himself makes a conclusion about whether he has achieved the desired goal, and, accordingly, he himself determines the duration of treatment. Author: Evgenia Bessonova
Last update: 07/06/2015
Humanistic psychology emerged in the 1950s as a reaction to psychoanalysis and behaviorism, which were dominant at the time. Psychoanalysts focused on understanding the unconscious motivations that drive behavior, while behaviorists studied the conditioning process they believed determined behavior. Humanistic thinkers believed that both psychoanalysis and behaviorism were too pessimistic because they emphasized negative emotions and did not take into account the role of personal choice.
Humanistic psychology focuses on the potential of each person and emphasizes the importance of growth and self-actualization. Fundamental to humanistic psychology is the belief that people are good by nature and that it is mental and social problems that lead to deviations from this natural tendency.
Humanism also assumes that man is characterized by agency and that through his will he pursues goals that will help him realize his own potential. This need for self-actualization and personal growth is a key, from the point of view of humanistic psychologists, factor motivating behavior. People are constantly looking for new ways to grow and become better people, learn new things, and realize their potential.
In the late 1950s, Abraham Maslow and other psychologists organized several meetings to discuss the possibility of forming a professional organization dedicated to a humanistic approach to psychology. They agreed that themes such as self-actualization, creativity and individuality, and related issues, should be key to the new approach. So, in 1961 they created the American Association of Humanistic Psychology.
In 1962, Abraham Maslow published Toward a Psychology of Being, in which he described humanistic psychology as the “third force” in psychology. The first and second were behaviorism and psychoanalysis, respectively.
However, you should not think of these areas as competing with each other. Each branch of psychology contributes to our understanding of the human mind and behavior. Humanistic psychology added another aspect that made the idea of personality holistic.
The humanistic movement had a huge impact on the development of psychology and contributed to the emergence of new approaches to working with human mental health. Psychologists began to gain a new understanding of human behavior and motives, which led to the development of new methods of psychotherapy.
The main ideas and concepts within the humanistic movement include such concepts as:
self-esteem;
- free will;
- etc.
Main Proponents of Humanistic Psychology
The greatest influence on the process of formation and development of the humanistic direction in psychology was exerted by the works of such psychologists as:
- Rollo May;
- Erich Fromm.
Important Events in the History of Humanistic Psychology
1943 - Abraham Maslow described his hierarchy of needs in his article "A Theory of Human Motivation" published in Psychological Review;
1961 - Prominent humanists of the time formed the American Association of Humanistic Psychology and began publishing the Journal of Humanistic Psychology;
1971 - The American Association for Humanistic Psychology becomes a division of the APA.
Criticism of humanistic psychology
- Humanistic psychology is often considered too subjective - the importance of individual experience makes it difficult to objectively study and measure mental manifestations. Can we objectively say that someone has self-actualized? Of course not. We can only rely on the individual's own assessment of his experience.
- In addition, the results of observations cannot be verified - there is no exact way to measure or quantify the properties being studied.
Strengths of Humanistic Psychology
- One of the main advantages of humanistic psychology is that it gives a person a greater role in managing and determining the state of their own mental health, compared to other schools.
- It also takes into account the impact of the surrounding world. Rather than focusing solely on our thoughts and desires, humanistic psychology also emphasizes the importance of the influence of our environment on our experiences.
- Humanistic psychology continues to influence therapy, education, health care, and other areas of our lives.
- It has helped to overcome some of the stereotypes about psychotherapy and made it a viable option for ordinary healthy people who wish to explore their abilities and potential.
Humanistic Psychology Today
Now the central concepts of humanistic psychology can be found in many disciplines, including other branches of psychology, education, therapy, politics, etc. For example, transpersonal and positive psychology rely heavily on humanistic principles.
