Humanistic Therapy Model

It is easy to see how and why we have a variety of ideas regarding the cause, diagnosis and cure of psychological maladies. The complexity of the human brain is beyond our current level of understanding, so it makes sense that we have difficulties in determining what causes it to malfunction. In the case of my chosen subject (who I will refer to as Ryan), there are a variety of conditions which he struggled to comprehend. Ryan didn’t become aware of his psychological condition until he attempted to commit suicide. Ryan failed, but after his failed suicide he began experiencing a variety of ailments. He became abusive of drugs and alcohol to combat the depression and anxiety he felt. As these ailments progressed to minor phobias and compulsive behaviors, Ryan sought therapy. It was discovered through Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy that Ryan had repressed memories from a traumatic event in his past where his mother was committed to a long …show more content…
A humanistic therapist would use a client-centered therapy model to reverse unhealthy emotional patterns in Ryan. They would affirm that all people pursue what is best for them in the pursuit of self-actualization, the final goal of Abraham Maslows hierarchy of needs.
Self-actualization was Maslows definition for peoples desire to become full and complete, have self-autonomy and regulation. According to doctoral candidate Praveen K. Chopra, the usage of meditation in humanistic psychology assists the patient in learning to heal and grow through their own internal mechanisms, and can assist the psychologist in understanding the root of the patients problem by understanding their perception of reality. A humanistic therapist using an existential approach could realize that Ryans perception of reality was faulty and to blame for a large amount of the negativity Ryan