Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Humanistic Therapy?TypesBenefitsLimitationsHow It WorksEffectivenessHow to Get Started
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is Humanistic Therapy?
Types
Benefits
Limitations
How It Works
Effectiveness
How to Get Started
Humanistictherapygrew from humanistic psychology, a perspective ofpsychologythat focuses on the individual and their inherent capacity to actualize themselves in their own unique ways.
Humanistic therapy is an approach that centers the potential for growth, rather than emphasizing a set of symptoms or a diagnosis.This style of therapy focuses on the individual looking inward to find the right choices for themselves.
This article will discuss humanistic therapy’s core principles, types, what to expect, techniques, benefits, and more.
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Leading figures connected with this approach include Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers. According to Roger’s theory, people are inherently good and motivated to fulfill their potential.
Therapists who work in humanistic models rely more on the relationships with their clients to assist their growth, and less on structured approaches.
Types of Mental Health Therapy
Core Principles
The humanistic approach to therapy emphasizes a collaborative, accepting, and authentic relationship. The essential characteristics, or core principles, include:
These core principles place you in the center of your own experiences, encourage you to accept and take responsibility for your actions, and support you in finding wisdom and insight through awareness of your thoughts and feelings in the present moment. A therapist remains in a helping role, offering empathy and unconditional positive regard.
Types of Humanistic Therapy
There are several types of humanistic therapy which share common themes in their approach. A therapist is responsible for providing a safe, empathetic space for you to explore your inner world and worldview in the present. While they may provide structure for the dialogue, you remain the expert and guide for exploration.
Gestalt Therapy
Gestalt therapyis a style of psychotherapy where the focus is on the present rather than trying to interpret the past or using the past to interpret the present moment. In Gestalt therapy, a therapist will work with you to help you become more aware of your present actions, thoughts, and feelings and accept responsibility for them.
This is done through techniques such as role-play or re-enacting a scenario to bring out spontaneous thoughts and feelings and become aware of how they can potentially change. This type of therapy also encourages individuals to learn to accept and value themselves.
Client-Centered Therapy
The therapist establishes an encouraging atmosphere but avoids giving advice or interpretations. Instead, they reflect and clarify your ideas so that you can better understand yourself, resolve your own conflicts, and reframe your own thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. Ultimately, this process helps you to make changes in your behavior, helping you become your truest self.
Existential Therapy
Existential therapy is a style of psychotherapy that emphasizes exploring the individual’s search for meaning in life. It focuses on exploring your present situation as a whole, your feelings, and taking responsibility for your own existence. Individuals must constantly question existence in the face of uncertainty, conflict, or death, which are all part of living.
In existential therapy, you must continually recreate yourself and create meaning through your presence in the physical world, through relationships with others, and your relationship with yourself.
Benefits of Humanistic Therapy
Humanistic therapy is an approach to psychotherapy that focuses on an individual’s development of their own unique potential. It doesn’t focus on a specific diagnosis, symptoms, or illness.Yet it might be applied as part of a comprehensive treatment for mental health conditions including:
However, it isn’t only used in the context of specific mental health diagnoses. Humanistic therapy may also be beneficial for anyone who wants to:
Limitations of Humanistic Therapy
Humanistic therapy isn’t for everyone. For example, a 2023 study suggests humanistic therapy may not work as well as other methods for adults diagnosed with depression.
A disadvantage to the humanistic approach to therapy is that it is a form oftalk therapythat relies on the client to take responsibility to verbally convey their thoughts, so it may not be most beneficial for those with communication issues or people who are uncomfortable with this approach.
Additionally, it requires the client to be the one to create their own direction in the session, so the therapist will not be offering expert advice.
Humanistic therapy does not generally solve specific problems, symptoms, or disorders. Instead, a therapist works towards helping a client gain more awareness of their inner world and worldview.
How Humanistic Therapy Works
Humanistic therapy is a type of talk therapy that guides you to develop a better understanding of yourself and your worldview.
With this type of therapy, you can expect to take the lead in the conversation, rather than the therapist acting as an authoritative or expert figure. You can also expect that the therapist will be a curious, respectful listener and empathetically acknowledge your experiences.
Techniques
In a humanistic approach, you can expect a therapist to use methods including, but not limited to:
These techniques aim to create a supportive environment where you can feel encouraged to explore your inner world without judgment. It also aims to help you take responsibility for your behaviors and feel empowered and active in the decisions you make for yourself in your life.
Effectiveness of Humanistic Therapy
Research indicates that humanistic therapy is an effective approach that:
How Long Does It Take to See the Results of Humanistic Therapy?There’s no set amount of time to see the results of humanistic therapy. However, the establishment of a positive therapeutic alliance with your therapist is critical to the success of humanistic therapy. For the sessions to be effective, there must be trust, rapport, and open dialogue between the client and therapist.
How Long Does It Take to See the Results of Humanistic Therapy?
There’s no set amount of time to see the results of humanistic therapy. However, the establishment of a positive therapeutic alliance with your therapist is critical to the success of humanistic therapy. For the sessions to be effective, there must be trust, rapport, and open dialogue between the client and therapist.
It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with different types of humanistic therapy so that you have an idea of what may be a good fit. You’ll be prepared to ask the right questions about a potential therapist.
Gestalt therapy, for example, has been shown to offer benefits for people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who experiencePTSD-related nightmares.Someone with a PTSD diagnosis may want to find a gestalt-focused therapist who does dream exploration work, for instance.
Your primary care provider can help you to find a therapist and make a referral. Since humanistic therapies are typically self-led, be sure to have an idea of what you want to achieve when you first meet with a new therapist and listen closely to how they think they can help you.
You also may want to consider different methods of meeting with them. Ask iftelehealthis an option to avoid long travel times or scheduling conflicts. Be clear, too, on what yourinsurance will coverand the costs for which you may be responsible.
The Different Types of Psychotherapists
Summary
Humanistic therapy is a positive and effective approach to psychotherapy. It is based on humanistic psychology and focuses on the whole person. This theory states that people are inherently good and motivated to reach their full potential.
While there are several styles of humanistic therapy, all approaches include encouragement and unconditional acceptance from a therapist who acts as a guide. The therapist helps to reflect and clarify your own thoughts and beliefs in the present moment to help you find solutions right for you.
If you are interested in exploring humanistic therapy, the first step is to speak with your primary care provider for a referral to a licensed mental health professional who has a humanistic approach to therapy.
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.UK Association for Humanistic Psychology Practitioners.Core beliefs.Joseph S.How Humanistic Is Positive Psychology? Lessons in Positive Psychology From Carl Rogers' Person-Centered Approach-It’s the Social Environment That Must Change.Front Psychol. 2021 Sep 28;12:709789. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.709789.Tay D, Qiu H.Modeling Linguistic (A)Synchrony: A Case Study of Therapist-Client Interaction.Front Psychol. 2022 May 23;13:903227. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.903227.The Gestalt Therapy Network.Gestalt therapy: an introduction.American Psychological Association.Gestalt therapy.American Psychological Association.Client-centered therapy.American Psychological Association.Existential psychotherapy.Uphoff E, Ekers D, Robertson L, Dawson S, Sanger E, South E,et al.Behavioural activation therapy for depression in adults.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020 Jul 6;7(7):CD013305. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013305.pub2.Lago C, Charura D, eds.The Person-Centred Counselling and Psychotherapy Handbook: Origins, Developments and Current Applications. Open University Press; 2016.Holzinger B, Nierwetberg F, Cosentino L, Mayer L.DreamSenseMemory- a Gestalt-based dream-work approach embracing all our senses.Res Psychother. 2021 Aug 24;24(2):529. doi:10.4081/ripppo.2021.529.
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.UK Association for Humanistic Psychology Practitioners.Core beliefs.Joseph S.How Humanistic Is Positive Psychology? Lessons in Positive Psychology From Carl Rogers' Person-Centered Approach-It’s the Social Environment That Must Change.Front Psychol. 2021 Sep 28;12:709789. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.709789.Tay D, Qiu H.Modeling Linguistic (A)Synchrony: A Case Study of Therapist-Client Interaction.Front Psychol. 2022 May 23;13:903227. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.903227.The Gestalt Therapy Network.Gestalt therapy: an introduction.American Psychological Association.Gestalt therapy.American Psychological Association.Client-centered therapy.American Psychological Association.Existential psychotherapy.Uphoff E, Ekers D, Robertson L, Dawson S, Sanger E, South E,et al.Behavioural activation therapy for depression in adults.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020 Jul 6;7(7):CD013305. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013305.pub2.Lago C, Charura D, eds.The Person-Centred Counselling and Psychotherapy Handbook: Origins, Developments and Current Applications. Open University Press; 2016.Holzinger B, Nierwetberg F, Cosentino L, Mayer L.DreamSenseMemory- a Gestalt-based dream-work approach embracing all our senses.Res Psychother. 2021 Aug 24;24(2):529. doi:10.4081/ripppo.2021.529.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
UK Association for Humanistic Psychology Practitioners.Core beliefs.Joseph S.How Humanistic Is Positive Psychology? Lessons in Positive Psychology From Carl Rogers' Person-Centered Approach-It’s the Social Environment That Must Change.Front Psychol. 2021 Sep 28;12:709789. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.709789.Tay D, Qiu H.Modeling Linguistic (A)Synchrony: A Case Study of Therapist-Client Interaction.Front Psychol. 2022 May 23;13:903227. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.903227.The Gestalt Therapy Network.Gestalt therapy: an introduction.American Psychological Association.Gestalt therapy.American Psychological Association.Client-centered therapy.American Psychological Association.Existential psychotherapy.Uphoff E, Ekers D, Robertson L, Dawson S, Sanger E, South E,et al.Behavioural activation therapy for depression in adults.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020 Jul 6;7(7):CD013305. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013305.pub2.Lago C, Charura D, eds.The Person-Centred Counselling and Psychotherapy Handbook: Origins, Developments and Current Applications. Open University Press; 2016.Holzinger B, Nierwetberg F, Cosentino L, Mayer L.DreamSenseMemory- a Gestalt-based dream-work approach embracing all our senses.Res Psychother. 2021 Aug 24;24(2):529. doi:10.4081/ripppo.2021.529.
UK Association for Humanistic Psychology Practitioners.Core beliefs.
Joseph S.How Humanistic Is Positive Psychology? Lessons in Positive Psychology From Carl Rogers' Person-Centered Approach-It’s the Social Environment That Must Change.Front Psychol. 2021 Sep 28;12:709789. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.709789.
Tay D, Qiu H.Modeling Linguistic (A)Synchrony: A Case Study of Therapist-Client Interaction.Front Psychol. 2022 May 23;13:903227. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.903227.
The Gestalt Therapy Network.Gestalt therapy: an introduction.
American Psychological Association.Gestalt therapy.
American Psychological Association.Client-centered therapy.
American Psychological Association.Existential psychotherapy.
Uphoff E, Ekers D, Robertson L, Dawson S, Sanger E, South E,et al.Behavioural activation therapy for depression in adults.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020 Jul 6;7(7):CD013305. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013305.pub2.
Lago C, Charura D, eds.The Person-Centred Counselling and Psychotherapy Handbook: Origins, Developments and Current Applications. Open University Press; 2016.
Holzinger B, Nierwetberg F, Cosentino L, Mayer L.DreamSenseMemory- a Gestalt-based dream-work approach embracing all our senses.Res Psychother. 2021 Aug 24;24(2):529. doi:10.4081/ripppo.2021.529.
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