Question

Compare and contrast the following forms of psychotherapy, cognitive humanistic, and behavioral. Identify the focus of each approach as well as areas of agreement and difference.

Answer 1

• Behavioral, cognitive, and humanistic forms of psychotherapy each aim to help patients overcome negative thoughts, emotions, and behaviors through different areas of focus.
• Behavioral psychology is based on the assumption that behaviors result from basic principles of learning, according to the text. Thus, behavioral psychotherapy emphasizes the role of learning in emphasizing or discouraging certain behaviors. A behavioral psychologist will utilize various behavioral assessment techniques to identify the environmental causes of a patient’s problems, and devise therapeutic procedures aimed at reshaping behavior.
• By contrast, cognitive psychology is an approach that focuses on thought as central to understanding behavior.Cognitive therapy emphasizes what people think rather than what they do.Cognitive therapists believe that it's dysfunctional thinking that leads to dysfunctional emotions or behaviors. By changing their thoughts, people can change how they feel and what they do.Mental disorders,for example depression is known to be caused by negative,faulty beliefs.This form of therapy is therefore useful to correct such inaccurate beliefs to improve an individual's perception of emotional states and life events.Cognitive therapists work with the clients challenging these faulty beliefs and thoughts by identifying alternative ways to view the situations and the events,which will improve individual's mood and view of life.
• Humanism rejected the assumptions of the behaviorist perspective which is characterized as deterministic, focused on reinforcement of stimulus-response behavior and heavily dependent on animal research.Central to the humanistic theories of Rogers (1959) and Maslow (1943) are the subjective, conscious experiences of the individual. Humanistic psychology, a movement in psychology supporting the belief that humans, as individuals, are unique beings and should be recognized and treated as such by psychologists and psychiatrists. The aim of humanistic therapy is to help the client develop a stronger, healthier sense of self, as well as access and understand their feelings to help gain a sense of meaning in life.
• In humanistic therapy, there are two widely practiced techniques: gestalt therapy and client-centered therapy.Gestalt therapy focuses on the skills and techniques that permit an individual to be more aware of their feelings. According to this approach, it is much more important to understand what and how clients are feeling, rather than to identify what is causing their feelings.
  
• Client-centered therapy provides a supportive environment in which clients can reestablish their true identity. This approach is based on the idea that fear of judgment prevents people from sharing their true selves with the world around them, causing them to instead establish a public identity to navigate a judgmental world. The ability to reestablish their true identity will help the individual understand themselves as they truly are. The task of reestablishing one’s true identity is not an easy one, and the therapist must rely on the techniques of unconditional positive regard and empathy.