Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards. -- Soren Kierkegaard

1. What are the philosophical assumptions and goals of the humanistic therapies?

2. Why do you think we talk about both person-centered and existential therapies (as well as gestalt therapy) as humanistic therapies? How are they similar?

3. Client-centered therapy focuses primarily on listening, while logotherapy focuses more on changing our beliefs about ourselves and the events in our lives. Why are there these differences in approach? Why must we change our beliefs sometimes?

4. Existential psychotherapy is very interested in our attempts to alienate ourselves from our emotions, body, others, and our world. In what ways do we do this? Why? Do existential psychotherapists see this as a problem? Why? What do they suggest and how might we begin to approach their ideal?

5. What do each of the humanistic therapies do to meet their goals? What skills are most associated with client-centered and existential therapies?

6. What are the differences between insight-orented and action therapies? Directive and nondirective therapies? If you had to put these therapies on a continuum between these two poles, where would you put them? Why?