Humanism Versus Existentialism: Modern Psychological Theories

Humanistic and Exestential Therapyies Humanistic Existential Theories Strengths and limitations of humanistic and existential theories Over the course of the 1950s and 1960s, there was an increasing emphasis on new theories of the human personality and on ways of treating psychological disorders that offered alternatives to conventional psychodynamic, Freudian theory and the deterministic behaviorism of Skinner. Both humanistic and existential theories offered an alternative perspective. "They are united by an emphasis on understanding human experience and a focus on the client rather than the symptom.

Psychological problems (including substance abuse disorders) are viewed as the result of inhibited ability to make authentic, meaningful, and self-directed choices about how to live" (Brief interventions, 1999). In humanistic and existentialist thought, there is a unity of philosophical speculation about how to enable the client to live a meaningful life. Humanistic theories of psychology stress the fundamentally 'good' nature of all human beings. All human beings strive for a state of conscious self-actualization although sometimes this quest may be thwarted. It is the therapist's job to support this innate impulse.

Developed in response to the very negative view of the human character espoused by psychodynamic and behaviorist theories, the founder of humanistic theory Carl Rogers instead stressed the need for every human being's unconditional positive regard and acceptance.

"Through a process Rogers called person-centered therapy, the therapist seeks to provide empathy, openness, and unconditional positive regard…Rogers called his technique non-directive therapy, based on the concept that the therapist is simply a 'mirror' who reflects the individual's thoughts and feelings" which the client can critically view from a distance ("The humanistic approach," 2014).

Humanism stresses that society can both help and hinder human growth: ultimately, it is the therapist's responsibility to act as a positive facilitator of that growth but not to superimpose his or her own ideas on the subject. It "holds a hopeful, constructive view of human beings and of their substantial capacity to be self-determining. It is guided by a conviction that intentionality and ethical values are strong psychological forces, among the basic determinants of human behavior" ("The humanistic view of human behavior," 2014).

The therapist creates a positive environment to support the journey of the client and where the client wishes to go. According to humanism, all human beings have choices, even though sometimes they are incapable of perceiving this fact. Humanism's conviction in the ability of human beings to choose their future "leads to an effort to enhance such distinctly human qualities as choice, creativity, the interaction of the body, mind and spirit, and the capacity to become more aware, free, responsible, life-affirming and trustworthy" ("The humanistic view of human behavior," 2014).

The therapist enables the patient to become more aware of the patient's innate possibilities but does not direct the client's change in a specific way, only in a positive way. The humanistic therapist is acutely aware of his or her own biases and does not view him or herself as an objective observer of others. This is a notable contrast with Freudianism in which the patient free-associates his or her ideas and the therapist explains the rationale for the individual's behavior.

"Humanists like Rogers argue that the meaning of behavior is essentially personal and subjective; they further argue that accepting this idea is not unscientific, because ultimately all individuals are subjective: what makes science reliable is not that scientists are purely objective, but that the nature of observed events can be agreed upon by different observers" ("The humanistic approach," 2014). Becoming one's most fully realized self is the goal, not achieving a specific benchmark of normalcy.

Existentialist therapy likewise stresses the innate freedom of the individual to pursue his or her dreams and desires. "Whereas the key words for humanistic therapy are acceptance and growth, the major themes of existential therapy are client responsibility and freedom" (Brief interventions, 1999). All human beings, according to existentialist thought, are innately free, even though most people are not willing to accept or to shoulder this responsibility.

As in the case of humanistic theories, existentialist theories suggest that humans merely perceive themselves to be hemmed in by constraints, even though they are not, in all actuality, so limited. The main difference between existentialism and humanism is in their goals: humanism emphasizes human happiness as the primary, fundamental focus of therapy. Existentialism, in contrast, "is more interested in helping the client find philosophical meaning in the face of anxiety by choosing to think and act authentically and responsibly" (Brief interventions, 1999).

Our innate impulses about what makes us happy like finding a well-paying job or spouse only scratch the surface. "According to existential therapy, the central problems people face are embedded in anxiety over loneliness, isolation, despair, and, ultimately, death. Creativity, love, authenticity, and free will are recognized as potential avenues toward transformation, enabling people to live meaningful lives in the face of uncertainty and suffering" (Brief interventions, 1999). Without a sense of meaning and a commitment to self-transformative actions that also have a socially transformational component, true happiness is impossible.

Humanism, in contrast, is far less directive about what that final state of self-actualization may resemble. On an individual level, both therapies involve probing the individual's life for a sense of personal meaning and fulfillment. They help the individual identify perceived obstacles that are not really external at all but are in fact psychological roadblocks that merely exist within. "The therapist must be willing and able to engage the client in a genuine and authentic fashion in order to help the client make meaningful change" (Brief interventions, 1999).

Humanistic therapy is more directly positive in the way that it bolsters the self-esteem of the patient while "existential therapy may be used most effectively when a client is able to access emotional experiences or when obstacles must be overcome" such as a client's need to accept personal responsibility (Brief interventions, 1999). Perhaps unsurprisingly, one of the.