ABSTRACT
Humanistic Psychology is a psychological perspective that rose to prominence in the mid-20th century partly as a response to the limitations of Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory and B. F. Skinner's behaviourism. Considered a 'third force', this approach emphasized individuals' inherent drive toward self-actualization, the process of realizing and expressing one's own capabilities and creativity. It moved away from a medical model to a democratic and holistic one, based on fostering communication, creativity, and personal development throughout life for everyone. Humanistic Psychology was an important part of a worldwide surge of interest in what human beings could be and could become, which started in the 1940s, grew slowly in the 1950s, grew much faster in the 60s and finally reached its full flowering in the 1970s. Today it is consolidating itself, and becoming much more widely accepted. In the process of change and development, a number of different names and titles have been used for this humanistic approach.
