Humanistic approaches to bringing about personal change

Citation

(1999), "Humanistic approaches to bringing about personal change", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 99 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.1999.01799baf.002

Humanistic approaches to bringing about personal change

Humanistic approaches to bringing about personal change

Humanistic psychology emphasises the whole person and their scope for change. It focuses on the thinking, feeling and conscious experience of human beings and their role in directing their own lives as existing persons. A major concern of humanistic psychology has been to develop ideas and methods to help people to take more responsibility for who they are and what they do. In other words, to take more responsibility for personal growth. In general we have the power to select one course of action rather than another, to initiate and, to some extent, to control events in our lives.

Abraham Maslow stated that when confronted with choice it is important to take the alternatives which offer greater possibilities for personal development not that which is safe and defensive. In this way we open up possibilities for self actualisation and peak experiences which enrich our lives, bringing about personal change and stimulating a sense of purpose. But because of fear, apathy or because the consequences of alternative actions are too negative we may not exercise our power of agency. Cultural, social and religious influences may also restrict personal agency.

Kelly's personal construct theory is based on the premise that people are trying to make sense of the world based on experience, ideas, thoughts and theories: in essence on the phenomenological approach. Kelly believed that we each develop a set of bipolar personal constructs by which we assess people around us. With the help of what he called the repertory grid Kelly was able to give an insight into the way an individual understands the world. It also provides an insight into any psychological disturbance which requires therapy to bring about more positive personal change.

Carl Roger's client centred therapy gives the human being the opportunity to re-organise his/her subjective world to integrate and actualise the self. The therapist's role is to provide unconditional positive regard, a deep and genuine caring for the client as he/she is now, in a non-judgemental way. The aim of Roger's non-directive, personal centred counselling is to provide warmth and respect for each client regardless of his/her thoughts or actions. This unconditional positive regard is usually missing in psychologically disturbed clients who previously suffered from a distorted evaluation of self from judgements made by significant others, usually parents. Parental affection and positive regard are too often conditional on a child disowning his/her true feelings. This inhibits the individual's capacity for personal growth and expression of potential.

Clients are encouraged to talk about themselves and their feelings more honestly and to open up the negative emotions previously incongruent experiences have aroused. Hopefully, this will bring about a re-establishment of congruence which will result in personal change. Rogerian therapy provides a situation in which clients learn to be free and capable of self enhancement and growth. It has been suggested that such therapy induces selfishness and egocentricity. But Maslow and Rogers believed that a well adjusted sense of self brings about spontaneous concern for others.

Encounter groups are another way in which humanistic approaches can bring about personal change. Very often they are run on Roger's person centred approach where acceptance and non-evaluation are emphasised. The aim of such groups is to enable members to feel non-defensive and free to express what they really feel "here and now". Members are encouraged to act out their immediate feelings, both positive and negative, in a relaxed setting with physical and emotional freedom. They begin to feel accepted for what they are, defenses are lowered and change becomes possible.

Co-counselling in which trained subjects work together in pairs is also effective in giving support and facilitating emotional release.

Rogers himself pointed out that such groups may have both positive and negative outcomes. In a survey of 500 participants, some reported that the group had made no, or little, lasting change in their behaviour but the majority felt that the group had been constructive in its results and had made a continuing positive difference in their behaviour. It had been beneficial in achieving personal change. In a study by Lieberman et al., 1973, 200 students took part in 17 different encounter groups.

A total of 60 per cent felt they had benefitted. In evaluating such groups it is found that the success rate appears to depend on the nature and contributions made by the leader and the other participants. Clearly they will not always be successful.

Fritz Perls, the originator of gestalt therapy, aimed to stimulate his clients into greater awareness of their own feelings and to acknowledge these so they can function as an integral whole. He believed that psychological dysfunction can arise when emotions and desires have been painfully blocked in the past. Personal change can be brought about by encouraging clients to feel what they experience in the present without considering past experiences. Change is brought about by becoming deeply aware of present feelings and not by trying to work out and discuss why these feelings have arisen. Gestalt workshops enable clients to act out their feelings. Perls believed that when clients understand and accept themselves, blocked emotions are released and vitality and spontaneity are stimulated.

A criticism of the humanistic approach in achieving personal change is that clients require a certain degree of verbal fluency, intelligence and self confidence to express what they are feeling. Some may feel resentful or embarrassed by having their personal emotions revealed in front of a group of people even when the atmosphere is aimed to be non-judgemental. The techniques may also not be appropriate for those who are withdrawn, not able to put their feelings into words and may not even recognise the need for personal change. Some children and young people with limited experience of life and personal interaction would be unsuitable for this type of therapy.