1. What are the defining characteristics of humanistic therapy? How well does this form of therapy work?

Key Points:

• Humanistic therapies focus on the phenomenology (conscious experience) of the client and view psychological problems as disturbances in awareness or undue restrictions on existence.
• Developed by Fritz Perls, Gestalt therapy reflects the view that people often control their own thoughts, behaviours and feelings too much, losing touch with their emotions and authentic selves.
• Role-playing is used extensively in Gestalt therapy to explore interpersonal games and conflicts between different parts of the self.
• Client-centred therapy was developed by Carl Rogers, who focused on three key therapeutic attitudes.
• Humanistic therapy has been criticized for emphasizing ‘awareness’.

• There is a need to recognize the need to evaluate psychotherapy using scientific research.