Psychology

In psychology, there are three major forms of humanistic psychotherapy. These include the person centered, the existential and the gestalt therapies (Counseling Directory, 2009). This paper will discuss the differences as well as the similarities amongst these three approaches to humanistic psychotherapy by considering the concepts in these theories which are relevant to a therapist.
The person centered therapy The person centered therapy is a form of therapy involves the ways through which people use their own conscious perspective instead of the therapist interpreting the situations and ideas for them (Eagle, 2000). In essence, the client is considered to have the answers to their own problems and thus the role of the therapist is to assist the client (devoid of making judgments or providing advice), understand their feelings and feel accepted. As a therapist, these concepts are important because they restricted the therapist from giving own opinions as solutions to the problems of the client (Murdock, 2009).

Existential therapy It is a type of therapy which stresses on the improvement of self -direction by way of awareness, choice and the recognition of personal responsibility. This approach to therapy tries to assist the client identify that they are solely accountable to themselves and only them should determine what happens in their lives. The concept is important because it ensures that the therapist handles the client as a wholly responsible individual, responsible for their actions (Murdock, 2009).
The gestalt therapy Gestalt therapy refers to a type of humanistic psychotherapy which focuses on obtaining awareness of behaviors and emotions at the present time instead of the past. It enables patients to gain awareness of their immediate and present needs and meet them. These approach is relevant to a therapist in directing them to assist the client solve problems as they arise and therefore avoid pushing unsolved issues at the background (Murdock, 2009).

Comparison between Gestalt and Person Centered therapies
Unlike the person centered therapy where the therapist interprets the experiences of the client for them, in gestalt, they both work together so as to assist the client to understand consciously their situations .While the person centered therapy concentrates on how past life experiences have created obstacles preventing an individual from being whole in the present, the gestalt therapy eliminates the obstacles and the blocks of past in the present. However, gestalt therapists usually ask confrontational questions along with challenging techniques to assist patients express their exact feelings (Garry, 1994).  In similarity, like person centered therapy, gestalt therapy attempts to help patients take charge for their lives and individual growth as well as to identify their capability to heal themselves (Eagle, 2000).

Gestalt and existential therapies similarities and differences
Gestalt therapy does not look into the future as is the case in existential therapygestalt therapist encourages the clients to solve the current problem and meet the immediate needs. In addition, the gestalt approach attempts ignore the relevance of the events of the past by pushing them at the background, but the existential approach places the responsibility of the past on the individual(Garry, 1994). Both approaches challenge the client to take action on changing the present situation which they are uncomfortable with.

The comparison between the Existential and Person centered therapies
In the person centered therapy, the individuals are perceived to have the innate capability of developing themselves into full potential buy they are hindered by certain experiences in their lives which make them develop the tendency that they are not acceptable. The existential therapy on the other hand contrasts this view since it holds that every person is wholly and exclusively responsible for their life (Counseling Directory, 2009). They however stress on the power of the client to make decisions and shape their own lives.

Conclusion
Person centered therapy major goal is caring and understanding, while that of the existential therapy is persuasion. On the other hand, gestalt therapy aims at diagnosing and advising However, they are all similar in that they present forms of humanistic psychotherapy (Murdock, 2009).