Psychology Humanistic Psychotherapy / Person-Centred Therapy

Abstract

Paula , an educated economist on her way to getting an MBA , suffers from panic attacks and agoraphobia . She works under high stress situations and has had some personal problems at work that have catapulted her into an unbearable state . She has had persons in her immediate family who have suffered heart failure , and this has led to her fear of succumbing to a similar illness . Her humanistic intervention will entail familiarizing her with her problem and with the possible causes in to give her an understanding of how it might be

solved in a holistic manner . Therefore , self-efficacy measures will be used to determine the extent to which she sees herself capable of returning to a normal daily routine . Intervention will also include regular therapeutic sessions that include the charting of important milestones in her achievements Baseline and post-intervention measures will be compared to assess the effectiveness of the intervention

Humanistic Therapy Theories Applied to Case Assessment

The general aims of the humanistic approach to therapy include a dedication to improving the personal growth of the client (Arons , 1995 Edwards , 1990 Serlin , 1999 . It also is interested in increasing the level of self esteem the client possesses , and desires to help clients expand their potential as human beings . Humanistic therapy is a holistic approach to psychological intervention that is concerned with improving the condition of the human being on more than just the physical level It is focused on the individual 's self concept , and emphasizes that people are at liberty to select the behaviours that they perform . They are not at the mercy of pre-set behavioural tendencies or impulses rather , they are free to take in the stimulating data from the circumstances surrounding them , process that data , and then make decisions based on the analysis of the situation . Therefore , the research and intervention of the humanistic therapist entails more qualitative than quantitative data , and this information is brought to bear upon the problem through the unique insight it provides into the situations being faced by the subject (1999

According to the humanistic view of therapy , Paula possesses innate strength and ability to directly control several aspects of the situation she now faces (Edwards , 1990 Serlin , 1999 . A main problem is that she has experienced several family tragedies that may put her at genetic risk for the problems she imagines she faces . However , since heart and breathing problems are also related to stress and other lifestyle factors , Paula does have a good chance of exerting her own power over the situation (1990 1999 . She admits that she works very hard at her job - too hard . This is something that she has the ability to change simply by requesting fewer hours at work . In fact , the prospect of taking on the extra work necessary to complete an MBA is probably a factor that led to the current state of her problem . However she later admits that her panic attacks often occur just before a stressful event - and the taking...