Theoretical Perspectives Chapter 4 Humanistic Existential Humanistic Existential Approaches Person Centered Humanistic Existential Gestalt Humanistic- Existential Approaches Person Centered Humanistic Existential Gestalt 1
PERSON-CENTERED THERAPY Person - Centered Carl Rogers Based on 3 Personality Characteristics 1. Congruence 2. Unconditional Positive Regard 3. Empathy Empathic Understanding Demonstrated in many ways: Reflective responding: ability to be empathetic Accurately reflecting clients meaning & affect Metaphors Analogy Visual image Nodding Touch on shoulder Being with the client Hearing the client Understands the client fully Able to demonstrate that understanding to the client 2
Congruence People are real, genuine, transparent with others feelings, thoughts, & behaviors Important for the therapist to express negative feelings to avoid falseness Falseness =Incongruence Unconditional Positive Regard Ability to provide the client w/ acceptance regardless of what they are presenting Individuals are born w/ the need to be loved Allows people to feel safe & to be able to delve into deeper issues Children who do not experience UPR from parents will try to live as they believe others want them to be. False self HUMANISTIC APPROACHES 3
Humanistic Psychology Focus on the entirety of life rather than it s individual components Human dignity Individual choice Self worth Self actualization Self - Actualization One of the highest levels of psychological development. Trying to achieve everything one is capable of. 3 Theoretical Assumptions People strive for self- actualization People possess inner resources for self - healing Healing and self actualization are facilitated by respect, warmth, acceptance genuineness, and empathy 4
Concept of Self The self is not a permanent structure The self is fluid, changes Every person must be understood in the here and now (present) Therapeutic Relationship Carl Rogers Non - authoritarian relationship Client seen as competent Clients sets therapeutic agenda Client experiences the therapist as: Authentic, respectful, accepting, caring Empathetic, warm, engaged EXISTENTIAL THERAPIES 5
Existentialism Jean Paul Sarte Martin Buber Therapist believe that therapy is a shared journey that examines meaningfulness in life No specific techniques because it is based on a philosophy Philosophy is a technique in itself Underlying Assumptions The ability of self reflect and be self aware People often operate in denial Feelings as a message of our being in the world Anxiety, guilt, depression not always an indication of pathology Underlying Assumptions Choice We are capable of making positive choices Not choosing is making a choice existential death or existential vacuum Responsibility: we have the responsibility to make positive choices if not leads to chaos. 6
Underlying Assumptions Meaning through our own relationships w/ others. We are constantly re-defining ourselves through our relationships Therapy is a journey I which the therapist & client are equal partners in their search for meaning Underlying Assumptions The Importance of Authenticity: It is important that we are real w/ each other. Otherwise leads to lies, deceit, denial of thoughts and feelings Never ending search for completeness and wholeness As we become more authentic and aware healthy choices become more obvious and easy to make GESTALT THERAPY 7
Gestalt Therapy Originated by Fritz Perls Gestalt- wholeness or complete Reality is clouded over Unfinished Business It is necessary for the client s experience to be in the now Awareness = Reality Experience = Emotion Gestalt Therapist Active, directive, use nonverbal behavior Point out clients intellectualizing and non verbal behaviors Push their clients to deepen their experiences as a mechanism to free their defenses Techniques Awareness Exercises: client is ask to close his or her eyes & experience all prevalent feelings, thoughts, & senses to quickly get in touch w/ their defenses. Playing the Projection: Used to discover projection onto other things I hate her because she doesn t love me. becomes I hate myself. I ve never learned how to love myself. 8
Techniques Exaggeration: used when the therapist wants the client to get in touch w/ the underlying meaning of the word, phrase, or behavior Tapping foot, tap foot harder, state the feeling Empty Chair Technique: Used to help the client dialogue w/ a part of self or to another person to uncover underlying issues and feelings Techniques Turning Questions into statements about self: all questions are about underlying feelings, issues, and values. Why don t people care about others? Becomes.. I don t believe others care about me. Notice the use of I statement Gestalt Laws of Organization Gestalt psychologists suggest that conscious experience is more than the sum of its parts The mind organizes the elements of experience to create something unique The Law of Prägnanz Stimuli that can be grouped together as a whole will be seen that way We see the simplest shape possible 9
Gestalt Laws of Organization Principles of organization helps us perceive figures and contours They define the Figure Ground Relationship Figures (the object of attention) are perceived as distinct from the grounds (background) Illusions Why are our brains and eyes fooled? Recent theories account for illusions in terms of the backgrounds against which they are seen Assume previous experience with the particular stimulus Also assume well-developed perceptual constancies Figure Ground/ Ambiguous Figures 10
What do you see? What do you see? 11
Double vision et l art d Arcimboldo 12
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