Rollo May and many other third force theorists emphasize the here-and-now experience, which is people’s immediate experiences and their current relationships, perceptions, and encounters. Thus people are viewed as beings who are experiencing the moment rather than as the victims of their unconscious psychodynamics and conflicts.

According to Maslow (1968), humans are innately good. Growth motivation moves the individual through hierarchically ordered degrees of health to ultimate self-actualization. “Every person is, in part, his own project, and makes himself” (1968. p. 308). Behavior is seen as goal directed, striving, purposeful, and motivated by high actualization needs rather than by primary biological drives alone.

Boxill (1985) believes every person is innately good. But, the individual sometimes hardly notices such human potential by him or herself. To fulfill "healthy personality", her music therapy approach for developmentally disabled population is a “continuum of awareness…［which is］… essential for ever-increasing levels of awareness of self, others, the environment and relation to others and the environment.” (p.71)

Jample writes that individual lessons for journal and songwriting help the clients explore and map the internal terrain of the demands of group socialization. Individual music therapy can be very “nourishing in a community setting”(2002). Nourishing means that, in Rogers’ words, the clients gradually reorganize the self-concept to bring it into line with the reality of organismic experience (1955, p.269). Vocal and instrumental improvisation techniques, music listening and appreciation through live and record music, songwriting, environmental music exploration and instrument making are employed in a group activity. These activities provide the clients with a learning opportunity in the music norms of social behavior. The therapy objectives are individual expression and communication skills. The therapist attempts to reach every group member at lease once during the music session. Such weekly music gathering “symbolizes the individual place that each member possesses in the community” (Jampel, 2002,  p. 10).

Comparison with client centered and Freudian approaches

In client-centered therapy, Carl Rogers rejected most of Freud’s concepts regarding the nature of psychodynamics and psychosexual development. Client-centered therapists deal more with the current than with the historical concerns in the client life. Moreover, they differ in the specific content that they believe is repressed (for example, id impulses versus organismic experiences), in the motives they consider most important (such as sex and aggression versus self-realization), and in the specific insights they hope will be achieved in psychotherapy (the unconscious becomes conscious and conflict is resolved versus organismic experience is accepted and the self becomes congruent with it).

However, it also clear that both approaches are forms of relationship treatment that emphasize awareness of hypothesized unconscious feelings and the need for the client to accept those feelings. In interview-based relationship therapy, Rogers sought an empathetic relationship while the Freudian focuses on psychodynamic and transference. Rogers provides the client an unconditionally accepting relationship- and atmosphere conductive to “growth” (self-actualization). In this relationship the focus is on empathetic understanding and acceptance of feelings rather than interpretation. The clinician is relatively “non-directive;” the objective is to let the client direct the interview while the clinician attempts to accurately reflect and clarify the feelings that emerge.

My impression

 I agree with the ideas of the third force theories. Our existence in life is given, but our essence is what we make of life - how meaningfully and responsibly we construct it. To me, and I think to others too, this existence was often painful, isolated, and agonizing. However, humanistic approaches help us find satisfying values in our lives by encouraging us to break from blind conformity to the self. To strive for self-fulfillment, greater self-definition and authenticity, we are required the “courage to be”. Therefore, we constantly need to be in touch with the awareness of nonbeing, alienation, nothingness, and inevitable fate, believing in our potential for continuous choice and growth. 

            Especially the Nordoff – Robbins’ approach to meet the “music child” through music is fascinating to me. The therapist and children with handicapped fully communicate with music in which there is no verbal communication barrier. In addition, the therapists support children’s self-growth, providing with a trusting and safe environment. Now, I like to explore how their techniques can be applied to the adult population s

Reference

Boxill, E. H. (1985). Music therapy for the developmentally disabled. Rockville, MID: aspen systems corporation.

Hesser, B (2002). Book of readings, Spring 2002. Unpublished.

Maslow, A. (1968). Toward a psychology of being. New York: Nostrand Company.

Nordoff, P. & Robbins, C. (1971). Therapy in music for handicapped children. London: victor golancz, Ltd.

Nordoff, P. & Robbins, C. (1977). Creative music therapy. New York: John day company.

Raymond J. Corsini & Danny Wedding. (2000). Current Psychotherapies. Sixth edition. F.E. Peacock publishers, Inc.

Robbins, C. & Robbins C. (1991). Self communication in creative music therapy. In Brusia, K. (Ed). Case studies in music therapy. p. 55-72. Phoenixville, PA: Barcelona publishers.

Required Video. Three approaches to psychotherapy (Rogers, Peris, and Ellis)

Yalom, I.D. (1980). Existential Psychotherapy. New York: Basic books.

Jampel, P. (n.d.). Music therapy in a therapeutic community. Unpublished.