Humanistic Constructivist Psychotherapies

Question 1

Characteristics of humanistic therapies

Answer 1

1. Must understand subjective experience (exp is social constructed)
2. Focus on current behav
3. Therapy rlnsp is authentic, collaborative, and egalitarian
4. Rejects traditional assess and diagnostics
5. Potential for self-determination and self-actualization.

Question 2

Types of humanistic therapies

Answer 2

person-centered, gestalt, existential, and reality

Question 3

Persona-Centered Therapy

Answer 3

• Rogers.
• Self-actualizing tendency - motivates and guides toward positive, healthy growth
• The “self” is the central part of personality

Question 4

Person-centered therapy: Maladaptive behavior

Answer 4

Self becomes disorganized due to incongruence btwn self and experience. For example, conditions of worth and positive regard is conditional rather than unconditional

Question 5

Person-centered therapy: Therapy goals

Answer 5

Congruence btwn self and experience

Question 6

Person-centered therapy: Therapy techniques

Answer 6

The “right environment” provided by therapist will allow client to achieve congruence btwn self and experience and self-actualization

• Unconditional positiv regard (Respect)
• Genuineness (Congruence)

Question 7

Gestalt Therapy: Overview

Answer 7

Fritz Perls

• People seek closure
• A person’s gestalts reflect current needs
• Behavior represents a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts
• Behavior can only be understood in its context
• A person experiences the world in accord with the principle of figure/ground.

Question 8

Gestalt Therapy: Personality theory

Answer 8

The self and the self-image

• Self = creative part of personality that promotes self-actualization
• Self-image = the darker side that hinders growth and self-actualization by imposing external standards

Question 9

Gestalt Therapy: Maladaptive behavior

Answer 9

Growth disorder involving abandonment of the self for the self-image resulting in lack of integration. A “boundary disturbance”

1. Introjection = psychologically swallowing whole concepts without fully understanding them.
2. Projection = disowning aspects of self and assigning them to other people
3. Retroflection = doing to oneself what one wants to do others
4. Confluence = absence of boundary btwn self and the environment.

Question 10

Gestalt Therapy: Therapy goals

Answer 10

Become a unified whole by integrating various aspects of the self.

Question 11

Gestalt Therapy: Therapy techniques

Answer 11

Awareness is curative element = full understanding of thoughts, feelings, and actions in the here-and-now.
-Empty chair, role play with opposing aspects of personality, e.g., top dog/underdog

Question 12

Existential therapies: Overview

Answer 12

Focus on personal choice and responsibility for developing a meaningful life.
People are in a constant state of evolving and becoming.

Question 13

Gestalt Therapy: Maladaptive Behav

Answer 13

Inability to cope authentically with concerns of existence, death, freedom, existential isolation, meaninglessness.

Question 14

Gestalt Therapy: Therapy goals and techniques

Answer 14

Goal = live in committed, self-aware, authentic, and meaningful ways
Techniques = therapeutic relationship

Question 15

Reality Therapy: Overview

Answer 15

Choice theory. People are responsible for the choices they make. Focuses on how the choices we make affect our life course.

Question 16

Reality Therapy: Personality theory

Answer 16

5 basic needs:survival, love and belonging (most impt) power, freedom, and fun.
Successful identity = needs fulfilled in a responsible way
Failure Identity = needs fulfilled in irresponsible ways (underlies mental illness)

Question 17

Reality Therapy: maladaptive behavior

Answer 17

Mental illness result of personal choices.

Question 18

Reality Therapy: therapy goals and techniques

Answer 18

• Focuses on current behaviors and beliefs, stresses conscious processes, emphasizes judgments (ability to judge right and wrong).
• Goal to ID effective and responsible ways to satisfy needs and develop success identity

Question 19

Personal Construct Therapy: Overview

Answer 19

How the person experiences the world and how they choose to deal with the world.

Question 20

Personal Construct Therapy: Personality theory

Answer 20

• Psychological constructs determined by how one construes (perceives, interprets, and predicts) events.
• People use personal constructs, eg, bipolar dimensions of meaning (happy/sad, competent/incompetent). Devel in infancy
• People like scientists, continually testing and revising personal constructs

Question 21

Personal Construct Therapy: Maladaptive behavior

Answer 21

Anxiety, hostility and other forms of maladaptive behav result from inadequate personal constructs do deal with life situations.

Question 22

Personal Construct Therapy: Therapy goals and techniques

Answer 22

Co-experimenters to help patient identify, revise or replace maladaptive personal constructs to better make sense of experiences.

• Repertory grid, self-characterization.
• Fixed-role therapy