Humanistic therapy is a psychotherapeutic trend that focuses on the natural potential of a person for development. It assumes that each person strives for self-realization and understands their own needs best. The therapist focuses mainly on the present and helps the patient understand their experiences. The duration of therapy ranges from several months to several years.
Types of humanistic therapy
Humanistic therapies include:
- Gestalt therapy, which was created by Fritz Perls and assumes that a person blocks their own potential in order to gain the acceptance of the environment. The most important goals are to increase self-awareness and reach the authentic self.
- Carl Rogers-centered therapy that puts the patient in the spotlight. The therapist helps him understand the reasons for his own behavior, but refrains from personal judgments and interpretations.
- Emotion-focused therapy that draws m.in. from Gestalt therapy and person-centered therapy. As the name suggests, emotions play an important role here. They are a source of information and a guide on the way to development, which is why the sessions focus on the patient’s current experiences.
One of the common features of humanistic therapies is that they are based on a partnership relationship between therapist and patient. Authenticity, acceptance and empathy are important.
When does humanistic therapy bring good results?
Humanistic therapy has been used as a method of working with people who:
- experience mental disorders, especially anxiety and emotional disorders,
- strive for personal development,
- want to improve their self-esteem,
- they are experiencing an existential crisis,
- have difficulty establishing and maintaining relationships
