This paper examines humanistic and existential psychological theories that emerged in the 1950s–1960s as alternatives to psychodynamic and behaviorist approaches. Both theories emphasize client autonomy, authentic choice, and meaningful living rather than symptom elimination. The paper outlines core principles of humanistic psychology (Carl Rogers's person-centered therapy, unconditional positive regard, self-actualization) and existential therapy (freedom, responsibility, meaning-making in the face of anxiety). It analyzes key differences between the approaches—humanism's focus on happiness versus existentialism's emphasis on authentic meaning—and evaluates their effectiveness in individual and interpersonal contexts. The paper concludes by addressing major critiques: humanism's potential for excusing negative behaviors and existentialism's abstract, non-directive nature.
Over the course of the 1950s and 1960s, there was an increasing emphasis on new theories of 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. As one influential treatment protocol notes, "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 human character espoused by psychodynamic and behaviorist theories, the founder of humanistic theory Carl Rogers instead stressed the need for every human being to receive 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.
Humanistic theory "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 lies 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—such as finding a well-paying job or a 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.
"Individual and interpersonal therapeutic strategies compared"
"Narrative therapy, critiques, and practical trade-offs"
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