Humanism Is Alive and Well: A Review of Humanistic Perspectives on Contemporary Counseling Issues

Abstract

As a counselor educator, I have the pleasure of teaching counseling theories each year. Last year, after we explored the development of counseling from Freud through current theories, someone asked about the viability of the approaches that embody the various waves of counseling. The question went something like this: If psychoanalysis (the first wave) is no longer viable for counselors, and pure behaviorism (the second wave) is no longer viable for counselors, and we are in the fourth wave (multicultural and systemic) and fifth wave (social justice; Ratts, 2009) of counseling, what has happened to humanism, the third wave? Is humanism viable or not? As the editor of this journal and a past president of the Association for Humanistic Counseling, I launched into an impassioned response, citing the humanistic tenets of our counseling practice and all of our training protocols, the humanistic foundation of our ethics, and the humanistic underpinnings of our standards of counselor education (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs). I wondered, How could this student not know this? Isn't it obvious that humanism is the heart and soul of everything a counselor does? I realized that the question was important and deserved a serious response. First, how did the student miss the humanistic elements of his training? I realized that there is a marked similarity between humanism for the humanistic counselor and cultural embeddedness for European Americans in the United States. For both, the perspectives, language, assumptions, norms, and rules are ubiquitous and unquestioned, and, for a humanistic counselor educator, they are assumed. I have lived so long in the high altitude of humanistic thinking that I take it for granted. As a result of this realization, I have resolved to speak more clearly and mindfully about the contribution of humanists and the value of humanism, just as I have previously resolved to expand my cultural awareness and sensitivity. Second, is humanism an antiquated concept, subsumed within multiculturalism, systemic interventions, and social justice counseling? Has humanism passed its prime, usurped by the need for diagnosis-driven mechanistic practices and standardized protocols ensuring replicability? Thankfully, I can point to a special issue in this journal and a new book to answer with a resounding No! Humanism is not dead! In October 2012, this journal will present a dialogue among humanistic thinkers, prompted by Hansen's (2010) article, Extending the Humanistic Vision. In addition, there is a new book titled Humanistic Perspectives on Contemporary Counseling Issues, edited by Scholl, McGowan, and Hansen (2012), which presents both practical and philosophical perspectives that are timely and innovative. The book begins with an overview, presented by the editors, of humanistic principles and a review of contemporary research that documents the efficacy of the basic elements of humanistic counseling, such as relationship factors. Following that review of the foundation of humanism, the book addresses various counseling issues, where humanistic tenets are applied and humanistic applications are highlighted. The authors of each chapter, selected for their expertise in their topic, provide an overview of the issue in humanistic terms, and then apply a model or models that offer humanistic insights to the conceptualization and interventions germane to that issue. Finally, the authors of each chapter explore and critique humanistic counseling interventions, usually in the form of a case study. The various issues examined in the book reflect contemporary counseling topics and settings. Chapters that address counseling issues include wellness, multiculturalism, creative arts, substance abuse, couples counseling, and trauma. Wellness is explored by Myers, Clarke, Brown, and Champion using the Wheel of Wellness and the Indivisible Self constructs, which are then applied to college student counseling and substance abuse counseling. …