Humanistic Integrative counselling combines both humanistic and integrative approaches.
Humanistic counselling (e.g. perons-centred, gestalt) is a holistic approach which believes in the ability of people to reach their own potential. It facilitates growth of personal awareness through the client’s experience within the counselling relationship. Importance is given to a client’s thoughts, feelings and behaviours. It focuses on the responsibility of the client, client choices and what is happening for the client in the “Here and Now”. “The underlying vision of humanistic philosophy is captured by the metaphor of how an acorn, if provided with the appropriate conditions, will ”automatically” grow in positive ways, pushed naturally toward its actualisation as an oak.” (Corey, 2001)
It differs from other therapies in that it focuses on the person as a whole, their personal or internal world, their relationships with others, their environment, and their history etc. It focuses on the client’s choices and that with the right environment a person is capable of finding within themselves their own answers.
The integrative approach sees every individual as unique therefore drawing from other approaches such as psychodynamic or cognitive behavioural therapy enables the counsellor to adjust to the needs of the client.
