seemed superficial. Paradoxically, loneliness has become epidemic on college
campuses. Despite the presence of people seemingly everywhere, 75% of thefreshmen contacted at a large university 2 weeks into the school year said they
had experienced loneliness since school began, and more than 40% said their
loneliness had been either moderate or severe (Cutrona, 1982).
Humanistic psychologists are concerned with loneliness for a number of
reasons. Some have argued that humanistic psychology ’s rise in popularity in
the 1960s can be attributed to feelings of alienation and loneliness that had
begun to creep into many American lives (Buhler & Allen, 1972). People
faced with an increasingly dehumanized, mechanistic society welcomed the
humanists ’emphasis on the individual with his or her unique potential. Some
psychologists believe feelings of loneliness reflect existential anxiety and a
need to find meaning in one ’s life (Sadler & Johnson, 1980). And humanistic
therapists often help clients develop meaningful encounters to overcome lone-
liness (Moustakas, 1968). Perhaps the most notable development in this area
was the growth of encounter groups in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Within the safe confines of the group, humanistic therapists helped membersdiscover the richness of intimate interpersonal encounters with others and
thereby learn something about themselves (Rogers, 1970).
Loneliness is a common problem on college campuses, but some people are more
prone to bouts of loneliness than others.318 CHAPTER 12 The Humanistic Approach