Personal Model of Helping

Personal Model of Helping

Tina Jeffers

BSHS/311

September 18, 2013

Fay DeMeyer

Personal Model of Helping

When given the assignment on a personal model of helping, the writer did not hesitate at a theory that she would choose. The writer knew from the start that she wanted to choose Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as her model of helping to write about. With-in this paper the writer will discuss Maslow’s theory, the relationship between the client and physician, the population Maslow’s theory helps, techniques or approaches to change, multicultural issues, and kinds of problems that can be addressed with the model as well as the strengths of Maslow’s theory. The paper will conclude with how and why the writer formed the viewpoint that she has about the theory, along with what her view of helping is.

Maslow’s humanistic approach to his model of helping was developed in the early 1960’s. Maslow developed a hierarchy of needs that contained five levels of basic needs that a person will need for survival and growth. There are five levels to Maslow’s theory. The first level or the foundation to the pyramid is physiological needs. These needs are the basic needs for survival, food, shelter, water, oxygen, and sleep (ENotes, 2013). The second level is safety needs, once the physical needs are met then the individual can move to the second level. In this stage a person maintain living conditions where they feel safe and secure as well as not in any danger. Once a person has met the safety needs and the basic needs they then move on to level three (ENotes, 2013). Level three is the love and belongingness stage where the individuals seek out romantic relationships, as well as having a desire to feel accepted and belong within a group or community (ENotes, 2013).  As a person is continuing to have the needs met from levels one, two, and three, they merge into level four. Esteem needs are met at level four, this is where a person feels worthwhile, independent and that they belong in the world. The individual at this point is also seeking esteem from other people. This means that the individual is looking for respect and appreciation from other people around him or her (ENotes, 2013). Now that the individual has continued to meet the needs in every level they can move to level five. Level five of Maslow’s theory is self-actualization; this is where the person realizes their full potential in life and they start fulfilling their goals and ambitions to the fullest extent (ENotes, 2013). Maslow developed this theory so that a person could not advance or feel the need to move up the pyramid until the current need was met. For example, if an individual had their basic needs of food, shelter, water, oxygen, and sleep they would merge to the second level. If the individual reached the second level of safety and they did not feel safe they could not move up to level three until they felt they were no longer in danger and could be safe.