Humanistic Therapy for Traumatic Grief

Humanistic traditions (H-T) “naturally lend themselves to meaning-making interventions” (Piazza-Bonin et al., 2016b). The alliance is considered foundational to H-T as a catalyst for change (Piazza-Bonin et al., 2016a). H-T include person-centered therapy,constructivist therapy, and humanistic-existential (H-E) therapy. The person-centered therapy’s primary tenet is that clients have the necessary inner resources to make their decision with an empathetic therapist’s support (Piazza-Bonin et al., 2016a). Constructivist therapy focuses on a narrative to develop meaning-making in an otherwise chaotic world (Piazza-Bonin et al., 2016a).

David Cain, Ph.D., Kirk Schneider, Ph.D., and Robert A. Neimeyer, Ph.D. each took a different bereaved client through person-centered, H-E, and constructivist approaches, respectively (Piazza-Bonin et al., 2016a). To analyze the clients’ moment-by-moment development, they used the Innovative Moments Coding System (Piazza-Bonin et al., 2016a). Innovative Moments (IMs) in the session tracked changes that move away from the problematic narrative, including Protest IMs (P) that tracked the client’s new thoughts, Reflection IMs (R) that tracked the client’s ability to reflect and reconsider the problem, Action IMs (A) that tracked new coping strategies or solutions, and Reconceptualization (RC) that combine the last three elements to create change and ultimately promote a new self-narrative (Piazza-Bonin et al., 2016a). The researchers found that the constructivist approach had clinically significant R IMs and RC IMs, reflecting the client’s improvement in creating new life meaning after bereavement (Piazza-Bonin et al., 2016b). Across the three nuanced approaches, there was a “linkage between particular therapy procedures (e.g., chair work, narrative exercises, embodied meditation) and the production of change” (Piazza-Bonin et al., 2016b, p. 300). The researchers also objectively measured alliance in 5-minute spans and consistently found high alliance on all three accounts (Piazza-Bonin et al., 2016b). Participants completed a Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) before and after the six sessions, and each of the three clients had significantly improved on the measurement (Piazza-Bonin et al., 2016b). Overall, the case studies demonstrated a connection between the alliance, humanistic therapy techniques, the self-report measurement, and the clients’ movement from grief to growth (Piazza-Bonin et al., 2016b).

 REFERENCES

Piazza-Bonin, E., Neimeyer, R. A., Alves, D., Smigelsky, M., & Crunk, E. (2016a). Innovative moments in humanistic therapy I: Process and outcome of eminent psychotherapists working with bereaved clients. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 29(3), 269-297. https://doi-org.lib.pepperdine.edu/10.1080/10720537.2015.1118712

Piazza-Bonin, E., Neimeyer, R. A., Alves, D., & Smigelsky, M. (2016b). Innovative moments in humanistic therapy II: Analysis of change processes across the course of three cases of grief therapy. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 29(3), 298–317. https://doi-org.lib.pepperdine.edu/10.1080/10720537.2015.1118713