Humanistic Therapy Techniques and Exercises
Various therapy techniques are used within Humanistic Therapy:
Client-Centered Therapy
Humanistic therapy focuses on a patient-led dynamic. This involves the therapist taking a non-directive approach during client sessions. Humanistic treatment also differs from other psychotherapies in the dynamic of the therapeutic relationship.
During therapy sessions, the therapist will act as the client's equal. They will provide unconditional positive regard.
Existential Therapy
Existential therapy is a philosophical approach that helps individuals find their place within the universe. It focuses on assisting clients to understand how their actions impact their meaning and understanding of life.
During the sessions of existential therapy, individuals will take some time to explore that ‘meaning’ and discover why they believe this.
Gestalt Therapy
This humanistic therapy technique focuses on looking at the client's current life situation. Unlike other psychotherapies, which focus on past experiences and how they have impacted the individual's perspective, Gestalt therapy focuses on the present.
Individuals are encouraged to look at present experiences and delve into their perceptions of those experiences. Gestalt therapy techniques might include the empty chair—where clients use an empty chair to symbolize someone or something.
Narrative Therapy
Narrative Therapy focuses on helping people identify their values. Individuals undertaking narrative therapy are encouraged to focus on their experiences as a story. This allows clients to separate themselves from the issue at hand. This can also help individuals find it easier to combat their psychological problems as the issues are held away from the individual as a separate being or object.
Congruence
Congruence is an essential technique used not only within general psychological discipline but also in humanistic therapy techniques. Congruence has many benefits and is widely accepted as a great way to build therapeutic relationships and connect with individuals in therapy sessions.
Therapists practicing congruence are usually developed in their ability to be genuine, authentic, and transparent in their sessions with clients. These skills work towards the therapeutic relationship in many ways.
Congruence helps foster a relationship between the therapist and the client involving trust. Therapists who display authentic traits often have an easier time talking with their clients and creating an open space for the client to share their thoughts and feelings.
Another reason why unity is so crucial within humanistic therapy is that it supports the decrease of the power imbalance associated with mental health professionals and clients.
Within humanistic therapy, we want to support the client in whatever suits them the best. Breaking down the power imbalance breaks down the notion of an authoritative figure (the therapist) being in the room. This can help clients feel more relaxed and in control during their sessions.
Empathetic Understanding
Empathetic understanding is more than just understanding what the client is expressing. It works by therapists understanding what the client is talking about and defining and communicating their knowledge.
Therapists might use many skills that overlap with reflective listening. Active listening is a skill utilized by both empathetic understanding and reflective listening. This may involve summarizing what the client has said with emphasis on possible thoughts and emotions they may be feeling, as well as posing questions to further their thought process.
Unconditional Positive Regard
Unconditional positive regard is where the therapist always accepts the individual with positive respect. Therapists usually accept the care of their clients no matter what is going on for them. Still, other therapies focus on more authoritative regard and ‘judgemental’ types of therapeutic relationships for a ‘push’ to reconsider thinking patterns.
Humanistic therapy has an overall holistic view and aims to help the client however they see fit. Humanistic therapy can have a significant impact by giving the client space to be open and feel empowered.
