ABSTRACT
Humanistic psychology emerged in the 1960s and 1970s as a third force alternative to Freud's psychoanalytic theory and Skinner's behavioral approach. Humanistic psychology over time has come to be most closely associated with Carl Roger's (1951) Client-Centered Therapy. Under the umbrella of humanistic psychotherapies are the aforementioned person-centered, gestalt, transpersonal, and existential orientations. Each of these perspectives shares many of the same values. Some of these core principles are that people are essentially trustworthy, ultimately responsible for the quality of their lives, and capable of self-directed and meaningful change. As noted above, there are a number of therapeutic orientations that fall under the umbrella of humanistic psychotherapies. The work of humanistic art therapists can be captured in the metaphor of a shared artistic journey with clients. The purpose of the journey is to explore the meanings and themes of clients' lives as they emerge in artistic processes and products, and through authentic interactions between therapists and clients.
