Humanistic therapy – A case study
Carolyn R. Fallahi, Ph. D.
Introduction to Clinical Psychology
History of Person-centered therapy
 Carl Rogers
 History: Nondirective therapy
 Then client-centered
 Then person-centered (to include encounter groups and
psychoeducation).
 Assumptions:
 All human beings possess a self-directed growth process
 Mechanism by which that process is activated…..
Vocabulary
 Self-actualization
 The Self or self-structure/self-concept
 Conceptual map
 I or me
 Perceptions of I or me in relation to others
 Real or actual self
 Ideal self
 Congruence
 incongruence
Therapy
 Unconditional positive regard
 Conditions of worth
 Locus of evaluation
 Genuineness and empathy
 Empathy and empathic listening
 Abnormality
 Assessment and Diagnosis
 Q-sort
 What about external evaluations?
Therapy
 Negotiation of the therapeutic relationship
 Necessary and sufficient conditions
 Therapist focus
 What does the client have to do?
 Therapeutic techniques
 The process of therapy
 Research in Client-centered therapy
 Criticisms
Childhood Traumatic Grief
 New childhood condition – Childhood Traumatic Grief
(CTG).
 Conceptualization
 Symptoms
 Coping Mechanism
Other Common Symptoms
 depression or anxiety.
 Issues with internalizing or externalizing behaviors.
 Similar to loss of a parent through divorce.
 Higher incidence of “interpersonal sensitivity”.
Examples
 1998 hurricane that killed 4,000 people in Nicaragua.
 9/11 examples.
 Virginia Tech examples.
Client-Centered Treatment – Carl
Rogers
The role of the therapist
 Provides assistance based on certain beliefs – the person is
valuable, worthwhile, and fully equipped to understand her
life.
 Techniques used.
 The challenge for the therapist.
Traumagenic Model
 The use of CCT is especially compatible with Finkelhor &
Browne’s traumagenic model.
 What is the traumagenic model?
 What symptoms are common in children & adolescents?
Case Study
 The case of Shelly – a 15-year-old high school sophomore at
a large public high school.
 Development history was unremarkable.
 No previous history of mental health problems.
Case Study
 Honor student.
 Small, close group of friends from elementary school.
 No hobbies & was not on any sports teams.
 Shelly told her mother that 6 months after the death of her
father, she needed help.
 In the pretreatment evaluation, Shelly seemed to vacillate
between attempting to control her feelings & being
overwhelmed by them.
 She appeared to function well when provided structure, as in
school.
Case Study
 Both Shelly & mom felt that they were arguing more.
 Adjustment disorder – diagnosis.
 Shelly also reported a number of symptoms of PTSD,
including 4/5 arousal symptoms, 4/5 reexperiencing
symptoms, & depression & anxiety.
 Based on Shelly’s symptoms & reported difficulties in various
areas of her life, she was seen as having CTG.
 Positive long-term outcome was seen because she did not
have any pre-event mental health problems & her mother was
asymptomatic for PTSD. Both mother & child had strong
support networks.