Therapists never tell clients what they really mean to say. Instead, thera-
pists offer restatements of what they believe they are hearing, but these are
only suggestions for the client to agree with or reject. If the process is effec-
tive, clients come to see themselves as others do and eventually accept or
modify what they see. Clients may come to understand that they have been
distorting or denying parts of their experiences. A man may realize he has
been trying to live up to his father ’s impossibly high expectations, or a
woman may come to understand she is afraid to commit herself to a serious
relationship. In the freedom provided by the therapist ’s unconditional sup-
port, clients peel away their defenses, accept who they are, and begin to ap-preciate all of life ’s experiences.
Today a large number of psychotherapists identify their approach as human-
istic (Mayne, Norcross, & Sayette, 1994), and many others include aspects ofperson-centered therapy in their work (Cain & Seeman, 2002). A recent reviewfound considerable evidence for the effectiveness of humanistic psychotherapy
(Elliott, 2002). Not only do many clients benefit from the person-centered
approach, but the effects of the treatment often can be seen many months afterthe therapy sessions end.
Job Satisfaction and the Hierarchy of Needs
Think for a moment of two or three careers you would like to have someday
(maybe you already work at one of these). Ask yourself what it is about each
of these jobs that makes it appealing. That is, what do you hope to gain fromit that you can ’t get from just any job? Now, take the answers to this last
question and apply them to Maslow ’s hierarchy of needs. Which of the five
levels of needs will your chosen occupation satisfy? If a job pays a lot ofmoney or provides good job security, it probably will satisfy your safety
needs. On the other hand, a job may appeal to you because it brings respect
and admiration while allowing you to express yourself artistically. This latterjob might go a long way toward satisfying your need for esteem or your need
for self-actualization.
The point of this exercise is that your occupation can provide more than
a paycheck. Besides sleeping, there is no single activity that will take up moreof your adult life than your job. Maslow argued that to spend 40 hours a
week at a job that pays well but doesn’ t allow for development of personal
potential is a tragic waste. “Finding one ’s lifework is a little like finding
one’s mate, ”he wrote. “If you are unhappy with your work, you have lost
one of the most important means of self-fulfillment ”(1971, p. 185). Maslow
was critical of job counselors who direct young people into careers simply be-
cause they pay well or fit the needs of the job market. A better approach
matches a person ’s unique talents and potential to an occupation that allows
the expression and development of that potential.
Maslow promoted what he called Eupsychian management —rearranging
an organization to help employees satisfy higher level needs. Employers can
structure jobs so that workers take pride in their performance and thereby de-
velop a sense of self-worth about what they do for a living. Employees might296 CHAPTER 11 The Humanistic Approach