fei75766_ch10_309-344.indd 342  02/06/20 12:29 PM
Part III    Humanistic/Existential Theories342
Key Terms and Concepts
•Theformative tendency states thatallmatter, bothorganic andinorganic, 
tends toevolve from simple tomore complex forms.
•Humans andother animals possess anactualization tendency: thatis,the
predisposition tomove toward completion orfulfillment.
•Self-actualization develops afterpeople evolve aself-system andrefers tothe
tendency tomove toward becoming afullyfunctional person.
•Anindividual becomes aperson bymaking contact withacaregiver whose 
positive regard forthatindividual fosters positive self-regard.
•Barriers to psychological growth existwhen aperson experiences conditions 
ofworth, incongruence, defensiveness, anddisorganization.
•Conditions of worth andexternal evaluation leadtovulnerability, anxiety, and
threat andprevent people from experiencing unconditional positive regard.
•Incongruence develops when theorganismic selfandtheperceived selfdo
notmatch.
•When theorganismic selfandperceived selfareincongruent, people 
willbecome defensive andusedistortion anddenial asattempts toreduce 
incongruence.
•People become disorganized whenever distortion anddenial areinsufficient 
toblock outincongruence.
•Vulnerable people areunaware oftheirincongruence andarelikely to
become anxious, threatened, anddefensive.
•When vulnerable people come incontact withatherapist whoiscongruent 
andwhohasunconditional positive regard andempathy, theprocess of
personality change begins.
•Thisprocess oftherapeutic personality change ranges from extreme 
defensiveness, oranunwillingness totalkabout self,toafinalstage inwhich 
clients become theirowntherapists andareabletocontinue psychological 
growth outside thetherapeutic setting.
•Thebasic outcomes ofclient-centered counseling arecongruent clients who
areopen toexperiences andwhohavenoneed tobedefensive.
•Theoretically, successful clients willbecome persons of tomorrow, orfully 
functioning persons.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). 
Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental 
disorders (Fifth ed.).Arlington, VA:American 
Psychiatric Publishing.
Bessiere, K.,Fleming, S.,&Kiesler, S.(2007). 
Theideal elf:Identity exploration inWorld 
ofWarcraft. Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 10, 
530–535.
Cramer, D.(1994). Self-esteem andRogers’ 
coreconditions inclose friends: Alatent variable pathanalysis ofpanel 
data. Counseling Psychology Quarterly, 7, 
327–337.
Cramer, D.(2002). Linking conflict management 
behaviours andrelational satisfaction: 
Theintervening roleofconflict outcome 
satisfaction. Journal of Social and Personal 
Relationships, 19, 425–432.
Cramer, D.(2003). Acceptance andneed for
approval asmoderators ofself-esteem andFinal PDF to printer