Here, we differentiate between the imposition of undue ego orientation and the achievement of meaningful self-actualization. For the woman suffering from the loss of her husband, for instance, the ability to achieve this can be tantamount to finding ways of living independently and maintaining perspective in the absence of a key part of one's emotional support system. As the text by Cherry (2008) indicates, "humanistic psychology was instead focused on each individual's potential and stressed the importance of growth and self-actualization. The fundamental belief of humanistic psychology was that people are innately good, with mental and social problems resulting from deviations from this natural tendency." (p. 1)

Certainly, the traumatic experience of losing a loved one qualifies as just such a deviating problem. The Rogers model for psychoanalytical treatment maintains a certain level of subjectivity that offends the empirical...

Just as this makes the Rogers model a subject for skepticism to some, it also endows it with a fundamental flexibility of treatment that is particularly well-suited to the variant and unpredictable phases of the short- and long-term grieving processes.
From a psychosocial perspective, this is particularly important because it recognizes that trauma such as death may cause 'abnormal' emotional dissonance as a matter of normalcy. Where this occurs, Rogers offers a mode of treatment that is simultaneously compassionate enough and versatile enough to help one navigate the murky waters of the mourning period.

Works Cited:

Cherry, K. (2008). Humanistic Psychology. About Psychology.

Fuller, R.C. (1982). Carl Rogers, Religion, and the Role of Psychology in American Culture. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 22(4), 21-32.