Human Needs Therapy

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Simon Doyle
Human Needs Therapy

Contents

  • Human needs and client-centered therapy
  • What are the human needs?
    • Physical needs
    • Emotional needs
  • How does Human Needs Therapy work?
  • The theory of the expectation of the fulfillment of dreams

Human needs and client-centered therapy

The Human Needs Centered approach is a type of psychotherapy that is based on the premise that human beings have a set of innate "basic needs" and if these needs are not met, psychological distress can ensue. Doctors believe that these needs have been honed over thousands of years and we have built the resources to help meet those needs..

When these resources do not work and one or more of our needs are not met, then we can suffer psychologically. By helping individuals establish which of these needs are not being met, Client Centered Therapy practitioners can move on to strategizing ways to meet these needs..

The ideas behind this approach have been slowly but progressively evolving within psychotherapy for centuries, however adaptation into one type of therapy was introduced in 2003 by Joe Griffin and Ivan Tyrell. On this page we are going to see what the Human Needs Therapy works and the associated theory of dreaming..

What are the human needs?

When we talk about human needs we are talking about what a human being innately needs for his physical and mental well-being. It is believed that this knowledge of what we need has been programmed into us through our genes, and that our needs have evolved and adapted according to modern life.

There are two main types of needs: physical and emotional.

Physical needs

Our physical needs are relatively simple; As living beings we need air to breathe, water to drink, food to eat, enough sleep, and protection from the elements. Without them, we could not survive for long. In addition to these essential needs, other physical requirements include the need to exercise our muscles and stimulate our senses. We also instinctively seek out a home where we can grow, reproduce, and raise our children. All of this may sound very primal, but these are the wants and needs that we have inherited from early men..

Emotional needs

Our emotional needs are somewhat more complicated and have adapted to how we have evolved. At the root of these needs is the desire to connect with the outside world and seek our fulfillment. When these wishes are not fulfilled, we can suffer emotional distress in various ways, leading to mental illness..

The emotional needs described within Human Needs Therapy are the following:

  • Safety - The need to find safe territory and an environment in which we can fully develop.
  • Attention - The need to give and receive care.
  • Sense of autonomy and control - Feeling that we can do things for ourselves and have a sense of responsibility.
  • Emotional intimacy - Knowing that at least one fully accepting person.
  • Feeling part of a community - Knowing that we are part of something bigger.
  • Privacy - Have the opportunity to reflect and consolidate our own experiences for ourselves.
  • Sense of belonging within social groups - Knowing that we are valued within a social environment.
  • Sense of competence and performance - Knowing that we are competent and successful at something.
  • Meaning and purpose - A feeling that comes consistent about what we do and what we think.

Both sets of needs can have an effect on each other, so all must be considered within Human Needs Therapy. In addition to these needs, the psychotherapists of this current affirm that we have the guidance systems within ourselves that help us to satisfy these needs, these are called our resources.

These resources include:

  • The ability to develop long-term memory, which will allow us to increase our knowledge and learn new things.
  • The ability to connect with others by building rapport and empathy.
  • The ability to imagine, which helps us take our attention from our emotions and solve problems creatively.
  • The ability to think rationally, analyze and plan.
  • The ability to be objective.
  • The ability to dream, metaphorically, to propose goals and achievements above our expectations.

When these resources don't work properly, it can cause us emotional distress. Human Needs Therapy seeks to establish whether or not there is a problem with resources as well as to solve it.

How does Human Needs Therapy work?

The Human Needs approach focuses on the present and looks at practical solutions to emotional problems. Through discussion and various techniques used by the therapist, Therapy aims to establish what need or needs are not being met, why they are not being met and how this can be changed.

The therapist must tailor solutions for each individual based on their personal experiences and concerns. It is believed to be helpful for a variety of different topics, including anxiety, depression, anger management, addiction, and relationship difficulties..

The theory of the expectation of the fulfillment of dreams

The goal of our dreams is a much debated topic in the world of psychology, and of course it is part of the Client Centered approach, Joe Griffin has outlined a theory in this regard. This theory, known as the dream expectation fulfillment theory, suggests that the purpose of our dreams is to enable us to carry out unfulfilled emotional expectations..

Dream theory suggests that our dreams are metaphorical representations of unfulfilled impulses. There are three key points within the theory:

  1. Dreams are metaphorical translations of the expectations we have when we are awake.
  2. Any expectation caused by emotional activation that is not acted upon turns into dreams.
  3. Dreaming works to deactivate emotional arousal, completing the metaphorical expectation pattern..

Within Human Needs Therapy, your therapist may ask you about your dreams, as metaphors often have therapeutic value. Through your dreams, your therapist may be able to help you understand what is emotionally troubling in more detail..


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