What Humanistic Psychology Is

Humanistic psychology is a tradition that puts the whole person at the centre of understanding, rather than reducing people to symptoms, drives, or test scores. In this lesson, you will learn how the humanistic approach emerged, what it means to view people as active, meaning-making, and growth-oriented, and why concepts such as choice, experience, authenticity, and personal responsibility matter. You will also see how humanistic psychology differs from more reductionist models, while remaining practical and relevant in counselling, education, leadership, and everyday life.

This lesson focuses on the foundations and purpose of the approach. Later lessons will go deeper into specific thinkers, methods, and applications.