Leveraging humanistic psychology to achieve self-actualization

It’s quite likely you want to reach your potential and feel fulfilled. If wanting was enough, however, we’d all be able to count these objectives as achieved. Unfortunately, bridging the gap between wanting and having takes some effort. But there’s one simple approach that can help.

Humanistic psychology is a complicated-sounding name for this approach. It’s a comprehensive way to consider your journey, and it starts with acknowledging that you are a unique, whole person. 

The field of humanistic psychology is based on a philosophy called humanism. By understanding what these labels mean, you can tap into the power of free will, self-esteem, and self-efficacy for a more fulfilled life.

Humanistic psychology and humanism

Humanistic psychology is a psychological approach rooted in a concept called humanism. To understand how to apply the goals of humanistic psychology to your life, it helps to start by getting a grasp on humanism. 

What is humanism?

Broadly speaking, humanism is the idea that you are responsible for creating a fulfilling life while contributing to the greater good. It says personal motivations and concrete concepts like science and reason hold more sway over your life than religious, divine, or spiritual influences. Humanism reasons that for you to be healthy, you must act in a way that helps create a society of social support.

Humanism serves as a foundation for humanistic psychology in that it is about your personal power. However, the humanistic movement is more about building community and engaging in activism. In that way, it looks at more than your development as an individual. 

To make a broad impact, you’ll likely need to start by empowering and improving yourself. That’s where humanistic psychology comes in.  

Before humanistic psychology, there were two dominant perspectives on human nature. These were psychoanalysis and behaviorism. Both fall under the broader category of psychological determinism. 

Psychological determinism suggests that you don’t control your own human behavior. Rather, it says human behavior and actions are predetermined. They are based on your unconscious thoughts and conditioning. Determinist figures like Freud argued that free will was an illusion.  

Psychologist Abraham Maslow developed humanistic psychology. He called it the “third force,” with determinism’s psychoanalysis and behaviorism being the first and second forces. Maslow felt these initial forces were limited and pessimistic. As a rebellion against their views, he introduced humanistic psychology. Humanistic psychologists believe you have personal choice and individual human potential. 

What humanistic psychology considers

Humanistic psychology is similar to positive psychology, and it considers several factors. These include your emotions, needs, desires, weaknesses, strengths, and environment. The field is built on the premise that your human nature is innately good. It posits that when you experience problems, you’ve stepped away from this inherent quality. 

The good news is that humanistic and positive psychology believes you can regain your innate goodness. It says you have the power within to experience personal growth and enjoy an improved quality of life. 

The building blocks of humanistic or human psychology are based on the empowerment you have within. This includes free will, self-efficacy, self-esteem, and a simple understanding that you are a unique and Whole Person™. 

A few of the other big ideas that came to be as a result of humanistic psychology include:

• Self-actualization

• The hierarchy of needs 

• Unconditional positive regard
• Increased well-being

Thanks to humanistic psychology, you are more than your past experiences and automatic reactions. Instead, you are an evolving being capable of continuous improvement. 

The goal of humanistic psychology

Humanistic psychology aims to advance practices that view you as a whole person. In fact, various types of therapy came about from a humanistic foundation. These include client-centered therapy (also called person-centered therapy), existential therapy, and Gestalt therapy. 

Besides helping spur new types of therapy, the field also helped remove some of the stigma attached to therapy. Therapy and coaching are now much more acceptable tools for people who think of themselves as “healthy” or “normal.” Unlike in Freud’s time, they are helpful for more than treating mental health concerns. 

Beyond improving how you view yourself, the ultimate goal of this approach is self-actualization. You must emphasize empowering qualities like free will, self-efficacy, and intrinsic goodness to achieve it. 

You’ll also need to use your personal agency to explore your willingness to grow. Expanding on these qualities and abilities allows you to reach your potential and feel fulfilled.

Humanistic theory of personality

Understanding the humanistic theory of personality can help you enhance your view of yourself. This theory is a part of humanistic psychology that says you are basically good and want to become your best self. Remembering your goodness and using your inherent human motivation to improve will help you reach your full potential. 

The theory focuses on your self-concept, which is the standard set of perceptions and beliefs you have about yourself. These beliefs include your self-worth, self-image, and ideal self. Only when all three of these parts overlap can you achieve self-actualization. 

The theory is also built on the belief that successful people share certain personality traits. These include empathy and an expansive human consciousness. If you don’t reach your goals, the theory says that’s due to your environment, not internal factors. In fact, you cannot learn how to maintain healthy relationships without a good environment. 

Humanistic psychology and well-being

The humanistic approach improves specific measures of well-being and enhances productive human behavior. According to a 2023 review, humanistic-experiential therapies can reduce symptoms of depression. 

Person-centered therapy has successfully treated bipolar disorder, anxiety, and PTSD as well. A study of 1,072 students demonstrated that person-centered therapy improves coping strategies.

Other aspects of well-being the humanistic psychology movement can help you with include:

• Understanding your personal beliefs and core values
• Finding your unique strengths
• Setting achievable goals
• Developing new skills
• Practicing self-acceptance
• Finding happiness
• Improving your quality of life
• Developing a growth-mindset
• Discovering new hobbies

Everyday applications of humanistic psychology for personal growth

You can use humanistic psychology in everyday ways as strategies for personal growth. Two of its central concepts, self-efficacy and the hierarchy of needs, are practical paths for application. 

Self-efficacy

Self-efficacy is your belief in your ability to complete a task or achieve a goal. If you want to change how you operate in the workplace, for example, self-control and human motivation will be key factors.

You can also apply it to managing chronic diseases, changing eating behaviors, and improving exercise habits. A survey of 517 people found self-efficacy correlates with job stability and quality. It also impacts satisfaction with life.

Imagine you’re a young professional. Your mind is still developing, and you haven’t determined your life goals. As you grow and try to find your way, you explore career paths and meditate on life choices. You want to feel fulfilled at work and have a family. You hope to live in a place that feels like home. 

With time and persistence, you find motivation at work, get married, have kids, and relocate to a new city. Looking back, some of your goals were more difficult to achieve than others, but you believed you could, so you did. 

When using self-efficacy, be mindful of your strengths and weaknesses and the goals you set and pursue. You may have natural tendencies that could inhibit your personal development. Or you may need to accept that what you thought you wanted has changed. These are normal parts of life, but accepting and working with them shows great self-awareness.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

You’ve probably heard of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Still, this humanistic approach is worth a quick review. 

The hierarchy of needs is typically depicted as a pyramid. It has five levels, and self-actualization is at the top. 

Starting from the bottom and going up, the layers of the pyramid are as follows:

1. Physiological needs: breathing, food, water, shelter, clothing, sleep
2. Safety and security: health, employment, property, social ability
3. Love and belonging: family, friendship, intimacy, sense of connection
4. Self-esteem: confidence, achievement, the need to be a unique individual
5. Self-actualization: morality, creativity, spontaneity, acceptance, purpose, meaning and inner potential

You can think of achieving self-actualization almost like climbing a mountain. The goal is to reach the top, but there’s more than one way to get there. This means not everyone advances through the levels in the same order. 

You may have high self-esteem (level four) but struggle to feel safe and secure (level two). Knowing this, you can make a plan that addresses what you feel you’re missing. Remember, it’s normal to move up and down between levels. 

Self-actualization is usually a lifelong journey, and it has its challenges. Humanistic psychology and humanism are tools to help you with the climb. With their help and guidance, you can reach the summit.

What to expect from yourself as you apply humanistic psychology

To be a human being is to struggle. Even the most privileged human beings don’t instantly receive everything they want. Part of life is learning from failure.

Whether on a commute or while you’re showering, you have chances each day to think about your goals in the context of humanistic psychology. Where are your strengths bringing you joy, and which core beliefs are holding you back? Can you point to the parts of your self-actualization pyramid that are strongest and weakest?

Expect that you might need help as you apply what you learn. Seeking wisdom with the help of a humanistic psychologist isn’t easy, and using it in life is another challenge. Accept that your expectations will change, but your humanity won’t.

Do you need a coach?

Climbing the self-actualization pyramid alone can feel daunting. Try working with a humanistic therapist or a coach who understands humanistic theories and uses them in their program. 

You may believe you have the self-awareness to get there on your own. However, a coach with a humanistic approach could accelerate your journey and help you avoid setbacks.

Achieve personal growth using humanistic psychology

Humanistic psychology has influenced education, therapy, political movements, and psychology. Let it influence you. Remember that knowing yourself isn’t only a way to feel good; it’s also a way to reclaim your power. The more you know, the more efficiently you can set and execute goals.

If a humanistic perspective resonates with you, try BetterUp coaching. BetterUp integrates the field’s basic principles into its coaching and transformational programs. By working with a coach to understand yourself as a whole person, you can not only grow but also thrive.