Abstract
Is change caused by outside influences or something that comes from within the person? Humanistic therapies take the phenomenological perspective that people choose to change rather than the scientific modernist perspective that change always reflects an external cause. The ability to choose is the basis of the human potential for growth or self-actualization. People consciously evaluate ideas and opportunities available in the environment, and after reflection, choose to act in ways they believe will meet their needs. This creative process involves risk-taking, new skills, and growth in the face of the uncertain outcome for any action.
People are only influenced in the direction in which they want to go, and influence consists largely in making them conscious of their wishes to proceed in that direction.
T. S. Eliot (American Poet, 1888–1965)
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Further Reading
Elliott, R. (2001). The effectiveness of humanistic therapies: A meta-analysis. In D. J. Cain & J. Seeman (Eds.), Humanistic therapies: Handbook of research and practice (Chap. 2, pp. 8157–81). Washington: American Psychological Association.
Elliott, R., Greenberg, L. S., & Lietaer, G. (2004). Research on experiential psychotherapies. In M. J. Lambert (Ed.), Bergin and Garfield’s Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change (5th ed., pp. 493–539). New York: Wiley.
Elliott, R., Watson, J. C., Goldman, R. N., & Greenberg, L. S. (2004). Learning emotion-focused therapy. New York: Guilford Press.
Gold, E. K., & Zahm, S. G. (2008). Gestalt therapy. In M. Hersen & A. M. Gross (Eds.), Handbook of clinical psychology (Vol. 1, pp. 585–616). Hoboken: Wiley.
Polster, E. (1995). A population of selves. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Polster, E., & Polster, M. (1973). Gestalt therapy integrated. New York: Brunner/Mazel.
Videos
Emotion-Focused Therapy Over Time, with Leslie S. Greenberg. Part of the American Psychological Association Psychotherapy in Six Sessions Video Series. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/pubs/videos/4310761.aspx.
Psychotherapy with the Unmotivated Patient with Erving Polster. Psychotherapy.net. Retrieved from http://www.psychotherapy.net/video/Psychotherapy_Unmotivated_Patient.
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Fromme, D.K. (2011). Humanism: Experiential Approaches. In: Systems of Psychotherapy. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7308-5_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7308-5_8
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