Humanistic psychology is a perspective that emerged in the mid-20th century as an alternative to both behaviorism and psychoanalysis. It emphasizes people's inherent capacity for self-determination, free will, personal growth, and responsibility. In contrast with other approaches that focus on understanding human behavior by looking at external influences or unconscious drives, humanistic psychologists emphasize internal factors such as values, beliefs, emotions, and thoughts when attempting to explain why individuals behave the way they do. This approach has become increasingly popular over time due to its focus on positive outcomes rather than pathology or dysfunction. As such, it has been extensively used in counseling sessions around the world since its emergence
The core of this theory lies in three fundamental principles: (1) people are innately good; (2) all people have unique qualities; and (3) all people possess inner potential for creativity and growth. The central aim of humanistic psychology is to help individuals reach their full potential through personal development by focusing on their strengths rather than weaknesses while emphasizing meaningful relationships with others throughout life's journey.
Phenomenology is the study of how each person experiences reality from their own subjective point of view. This school of thought looks at people as a whole, considering all of their biological needs and social environment, in order to give more complete explanations for how they behave in different situations and contexts. This branch pays a lot of attention to subjectivity and wants to create conditions that help us learn more about higher-order cognitive processes. This makes it a very useful resource that modern psychotherapists use all the time.
Moreover, increasing research conducted using qualitative methods like semi-structured interviews, case studies, and narrative analysis helps shed light on the complexities present in every person, irrespective of background culture, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, age group, race, religion, sexual orientation, etc. This helps practitioners gain the deeper insights needed to formulate appropriate interventions that meet patient-specific requirements. Lastly, much importance is placed on the collaborative nature of the therapeutic process, which encourages open dialogue between the therapist and the client.