Sketches of the Self

At the top of the hierarchy is self-actualization. This includes things like personal growth, creativity, and fulfilment of one’s potential. People can work towards self-actualization by pursuing their passions and interests, engaging in meaningful work, and continually learning and growing.

Maslow later expanded the hierarchy to include cognitive needs like knowledge and understanding, aesthetic needs like appreciation and search for beauty, balance, form, and self-transcendence like helping others achieve self-actualization.

This includes things like self-esteem, confidence, or respect from others. Esteem needs are usually met by achieving set goals, and developing a sense of competence, self-worth, and respect. Through techniques like cognitive-restructuring or self-esteem exercises, clients learn to manage the maladaptive thoughts and core beliefs that are perpetuating feelings of worthlessness or failure.

Once physiological and safety needs are met, one can start thinking about social needs. This includes things like love, friendship, and a sense of belonging. Social needs are met through spending time with loved ones, making new friends, or finding a community where one feels accepted and supported. For these clients, therapy can focus on helping them build healthy relationships, improve their social skills and create a sense of community and connection with their environment.

Like personal safety, financial security, and health and well-being. You can meet your safety needs by taking care of their physical and emotional health, learning to set boundaries with others, and working towards financial stability. Therapists should also take appropriate measures and make referrals when they feel that a client’s needs for safety and health are unmet.

Like food, water, shelter, and sleep. These are the most basic needs which we cannot survive without. It is crucial to ensure that your physiological needs are being met.

This need involves developing a sense of individuality, independence, and confidence in one’s abilities. It includes being able to express oneself freely and pursue personal goals. Unmet needs in this area can lead to schemas such as dependence/incompetence or enmeshment/undeveloped self. Therapists encourage clients to make decisions, take risks, and develop their own identities and competencies. This may involve setting and achieving personal goals and overcoming fears of failure or dependence.

The need to express one’s needs, emotions, and desires. This need is about having the freedom to express needs, feelings, and desires openly and honestly. It involves being able to communicate and assert one’s needs without experiencing excessive criticism, punishment, neglect, or emotional suppression. Unmet freedom needs can result in schemas like emotional inhibition or subjugation. Therapists create a safe environment for clients to express their emotions and needs. They help clients identify and validate their feelings and encourage assertive communication.

Secure attachment refers to the basic need for consistent and reliable care from primary caregivers. This includes emotional warmth, physical protection, nurturance, acceptance, and the assurance that one’s needs will be met. When this need is unmet, individuals may develop schemas such as abandonment or mistrust/abuse. Therapists provide a corrective emotional experience through consistent, reliable, and nurturing interactions, helping clients develop trust and a sense of safety.

This need emphasizes the importance of having opportunities for joy, play, creativity and spontaneity. It involves engaging in activities that are pleasurable and fulfilling. When this need is neglected, individuals may develop schemas like negativity/pessimism or unrelenting standards. Therapists encourage clients to explore activities that bring joy and satisfaction. This might include creative pursuits, hobbies, or social activities that foster spontaneity and relaxation.

This involves the need for having appropriate limits and guidance to develop self-discipline and respect for others. It includes learning to balance personal desires with social responsibilities. When this need is unmet, individuals may develop schemas such as entitlement/grandiosity or insufficient self-control/self-discipline. Therapists help clients establish realistic limits and develop self-discipline. This involves setting achievable goals, managing impulses, and balancing personal needs with responsibilities.