What are the similarities and differences between humanistic and existential psychology?
Psychology is a branch of medical study, which involves study of behavior and mind. It put emphasis on all the aspects of conscious and unconscious experiences and thought. A professional practitioner, who treats patients through psychology, is termed as psychologist.
Humanistic psychology is a branch of psychology, which emphasizes on the study of the whole behavior of a person. The humanistic psychologists study human behavior by observing their activities and also by analyzing why the person is enacting that ways.
Existential psychotherapy is a branch of psychology that follows the belief that inner conflict within a person is because of his incapability of accepting the real happenings of existence. There is a constant confrontation of the person within himself and that with of the givens of existence.
Both humanistic and existential psychologies have several similarities. They both focus on the meaning of life, studies subjective reality and focus on the human potential. However, there is a major difference between the two studies.
Humanistic psychology focuses on the limitless possibilities and reasons of goodness for the well being of a person, whereas existential psychology emphasizes on the negative sides of existence in the world. These theories have both similarities and differences, and can be practiced together to attain a more stable, balanced and holistic perspective on the human existence and experience.