Coming to Terms with “Self-Actualization”: The Reception of Kurt Goldstein in Humanistic Psychotherapy

Abstract

The ideals and practices of self-improvement aimed at achieving a sense of self-realization of our lives have permeated popular culture since the mid-20th century, largely due to the work of American humanistic psychologists. This paper delves into the popularization of these notions, arguing that they partially stem from a particular American appropriation of the German neurologist and psychiatrist Kurt Goldstein’s concept of self-actualization. First, the paper examines Goldstein’s encounter with American psychology, tracing his early interest in psychotherapy, the stages of his forced migration to America, and the reception of his work within American psychology. Second, it offers an analysis of the interpretations and applications of Goldstein’s holistic approach and its concept of self-actualization by humanistic practitioners, notably Abraham Maslow’s theory of motivation and Carl Rogers’s client-centered approach to psychotherapy. Finally, the paper closes with a critical discussion of the distinction between Goldstein’s approach, which emphasizes the creative process of a “coming to terms” between organism and environment, and humanistic psychotherapy, which underscores individual responsibility.