According to the Humanistic theory, the chief benefit to the client i…

The correct answer is Option (2) → Personal growth in terms of gaining increased understanding of self

Each school of therapy values a different chief benefit to the client.

Option (1) Intellectual insight leading to emotional insight — Incorrect. This is the benefit valued by psychodynamic therapy. The client first understands her/his conflicts intellectually, then accepts them emotionally and changes her/his emotions towards them, which is emotional insight.

Option (2) Personal growth in terms of gaining increased understanding of self — Correct. The humanistic therapy values personal growth as the chief benefit. Personal growth is the process of gaining increasing understanding of oneself, and of one’s aspirations, emotions and motives.

Option (3) Changing faulty behaviour to adaptive ones — Incorrect. Behaviour therapy considers changing faulty behaviour and thought patterns to adaptive ones as the chief benefit, since healthy patterns reduce distress and remove symptoms.

Option (4) Changing irrational thought patterns to rational and adaptive ones — Incorrect. Correcting faulty thought patterns is the aim of the cognitive and behaviour therapies, which treat irrational beliefs as the cause of distress. The humanistic therapy looks instead to the client’s growth.

Note: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2023 on 02-06-2023 (Slot 3).