“Using Context-Centered and Person-Centered Therapies to Unite a Divided Nation” appears in the first issue of The Humanistic Psychologist for 2023.
Contents
Using context-centered and person-centered therapies to unite a divided nation
Raskin, J. D. (2023). Using context-centered and person-centered therapies to unite a divided nation. The Humanistic Psychologist, 51(1), 2–14. https://doi.org/10.1037/hum0000276
Abstract
President Biden has made uniting a divided nation a major theme of his presidency. Humanistic psychology is well-positioned to provide tools necessary to heal the divisions that plague us. Herein, two humanistic theories are combined in just such an effort: (a) using context-centered therapy to foster shifts from defensive and self-protective “mind”-based engagement to more accepting and appreciative “self”-based responding, and (b) employing person-centered therapy’s core conditions for understanding the mind-based anger and upset of our fellow citizens. Combining these perspectives provides a basis for overcoming polarization and fostering the kinds of interpersonal relationships required to carry on together. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
Impact Statement
Using President Joe Biden’s calls for unity as a starting point, this paper employs two humanistic theories—Jay Efran’s context-centered therapy and Carl Rogers’ person-centered therapy—to understand and address longstanding political divisions in the United States. The theoretical analysis offered generalizes to other interpersonal, social, and sectarian conflicts, and offers concrete ways for psychologists to conceptualize social tensions and work toward alleviating them. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fhum0000276
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