Karen J. Prager, Ph.D., A.B.P.P.

Professor of Psychology and  Program Head for Gender Studies

Diplomate in Family Psychology

The University of Texas at Dallas

More Information About Dr. Prager's work

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Research on Intimacy

Processes in Couple Relationships 

Teaching and Professional Practice

Selected Papers and Publications

For Students:

Lecture Outline

Humanistic Approach

Basic assumptions (describe each):

**Freedom:

**Respect for personal truth:

**Process-oriented:

**Personal growth:

**Holistic:

**Health-focus:

Why is it called "the third force?"

Functional autonomy

Proprium

Humanistic Theories

    "Today is the first day of the rest of your life."

"The past has guided you to where you are today, but it is not an anchor."

Influence of Kurt Lewin

Field theory:   Figure & ground

Contemporaneity:

    Here-and-now experiences and perceptions

Carl Rogers

Environments & sufficient conditions for growth

        Positive regard

The Self

The Experiencing Self:

The perceiving/integrating self

The guardian at the gates of our awareness.

Awareness

Denial and Distortion:

The perceived, describable self: Self concept

The ideal self:

Congruence & Incongruence

Strivings for congruence:

    Corrective environmental conditions

Conditions of worth:

                Positive regard & positive self-regard 

Mental health: The fully functioning person.

1. Open to experience

2. Existential living:

3. Organismic trust:

4. Experiential freedom:

5. Creativity:

B-love vs. D-love

    Strengths & weaknesses of the research

Self-Assessment:

Interviews:

Semantic differential: 

Three dimensions of meaning

Q-Sort:

APPLICATIONS to PSYCHOTHERAPY

Therapeutic technique

Self-exploration:

Awareness continuum.

Encounter groups:

STRENGTHS & CRITICISMS OF HUMANISTIC PERSONALITY THEORY